LAKE Glenmaggie and Coongulla ratepayers are hoping simmering tensions about the management of their Community Representative Group will be resolved at the group's upcoming meeting on May 22.
Discontent has been brewing among some residents and ratepayers who feel the group is not representing their concerns.
Community Representative Groups are made up of people who represent the issues of their community, township or area.
The Lake Glenmaggie group has been running, like many other CRGs around Wellington Shire, since July 2006.
Wellington Shire Council has been supporting the groups since this time with staff support.
But some residents and ratepayers claim the Lake Glenmaggie CRG committee hasn't been advertising meetings, has been holding elections without sufficient notice and not publishing the minutes.
Boat users on the lake also feel some committee members are pushing an "anti-boating'' message they feel isn't representative of the residents and holiday makers who regularly come to the towns.
The issue came to a head at a meeting in April, where a group of residents put up a vote of no confidence in the representatives but the push was rejected because it didn't follow "meeting protocol''.
Various residents and holiday makers have contacted the Times saying they wanted to have a greater say in proceedings and see improved communication between the committee and the community.
Wendy Martin wrote in a letter to chairman John Gwyther obtained by the Times that residents felt they were being treated like a ``flock of sheep''.
Fellow resident Kelly Savage agrees.
"I am passionate about Coongulla and the Lake and call it our little `paradise' as do most of the people,'' she writes.
"I feel that our `Community Representative Group' does not represent anyone except themselves.''
Mr Gwyther defended the CRG committee, saying the minutes were available on the CRG website.
He said the next meeting would discuss a draft constitution for the group and would also include a survey of what people wanted.
The meeting would also seek to establish a definition of a "member of the community''.
"For some reason, some people have felt we are against boating and that's not true, nothing we have done or said supports that,'' he said.
"At the last few meetings, there's been a lot of anger and we've said if you have concerns, please put them to us.''
Mr Gwyther did admit there was an incident where the meeting time was changed with not much notice but said the group did aim to be open and transparent.
"These things aren't perfect but there's no conspiracy,'' he said.
The general consensus from Wellington Shire Council was that it was up to the Lake Glenmaggie CRG to talk about their own community issues.
But Wellington Shire Council community and development director Steve Dickson said the council was working with CRGs so they could become their own incorporated body, which would help set up a process and protocol for the groups.
"We're aware this (issues such as the Lake Glenmaggie CRG concerns) can happen and that's why you have these structures,'' he said.
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