FORMER Augusta-Margaret River Shire president Nick Dornan has hit back at South West MLC Barry House for accusing his council of lack of interest in the proposed perimeter road.

Mr Dornan, who was shire president from September 2001 to October 2004, said his council lobbied politicians and worked with a community reference group, local schools and groups such as the Margaret River Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

He questioned Mr House’s interest in the project at the time.

“He’s the one who didn’t seem interested,”Mr Dornan said.

Mr Dornan said his council’s work was interrupted by the Commissioners who took over the council role for a period.

“It made it very difficult to do anything for a year or so,” he said.

He said it was “absolute rubbish” that they had not been interested, and the perimeter road was being used as a political football.

“I’m fed up with people having free kicks over our council,” he said.

“Like all councils we were passionate, energetic and tried to represent the community as best we could.”

Mr Dornan said he was heavily involved with the Margaret River Electors Association and members Dennis Beere, Chris Willcox, the late Greg Davey, and Ken Preston had worked on traffic numbers so they could start the lobbying process.

He said current shire acting chief executive officer Wayne Prangnell had worked, and still does work, very hard on the issue.

“We created the East Margaret River Structure Plan for a route set in Council,” Mr Dornan said.

“It was a priority of my council.

“We pushed for that very hard, harder than this council, (but) I can’t criticise this council for the Minister’s mantra for land to help the Government fund it.

“The Busselton Jetty and the Augusta Marina are two other examples that are and will suffer in the same way.”

With the State’s minerals boom, he said, the State Government could well afford to support the proposed road.