CEO links future to Withers action

City of Bunbury CEO Andrew Brien told a crowd of about 50 Withers people he would resign if no action was taken on the Withers Action Plan in the next year.

Mr Brien fronted a community meeting last night and said he accepted the money had not been spent correctly and the council had not done what it said it would do for Withers.

"As a council we have not done what we set out to achieve and I'll wear that," he said.

In June 2011, the council ruled it would spend $300,000 a year, over five years, totalling $1.5 million in the troubled suburb.

The Withers community had asked for laneways to be closed, street lighting and 31 other priority fixes.

Mr Brien said about $227,000 was spent in 2011-12, leaving $73,000 unspent.

Despite promising full financial figures would be available yesterday, Mr Brien said he could not yet say what was spent in 2012-13.

He said he would accept the criticism for the previously released figures being incorrect and was still working on the 2012-13 numbers.

A number of Withers people hit out at the council for failing to uphold its original commitment.

One resident told the council he felt Withers was sick of continually being "kicked in the teeth" while another said the council was acting like "tin pot cowboys".

The community made it clear it did not want the Withers Action Plan rolled into the Withers Urban Renewal Strategy which was Mr Brien's recommendation.

A number of people also pushed the council to make sure any unspent money was to be carried forward and spent correctly in the future.

Almost all of the city's councillors attended the meeting which was, at times, fiery and emotional as the community asked for answers about the future of their suburb.

The council will vote on the future of the Withers Action Plan at a council meeting next week.

The city's 2013-14 $70 million budget will also be finalised next week.