Mitcham councillor Nick Greer may never return from Canada, worries fellow elected member Karen Hockley
A MITCHAM councillor may never return from overseas, his colleague worries, leaving locals down a representative for more than 12 months.
A MITCHAM councillor is worried one of her colleagues will not return from an extended overseas trip – leaving hills residents one representative short for up to 12 months.
Cr Nick Greer has been granted a four-month leave of absence from the council while he is in Canada to undertake international legal exams.
But Cr Karen Hockley feared Cr Greer did not plan to return to Australia any time soon, leaving the hills with just two elected members.
With local government elections due to be held in SA in November 2018, any councillor who resigns after January 1 cannot be replaced in a by-election.
Cr Hockley – who represents Craigburn Ward alongside Cr Greer and Cr Lindy Taeuber – said her colleague had indicated at an earlier meeting that he may not return to the council.
“During his comments on the confidential item for Blackwood (district centre) at the last meeting in June, he said he was so pleased he could be there … and this may well be his last council meeting,” Cr Hockley told the HillsValley Weekly.
“We could go on having two-thirds of the representation we should in Craigburn Ward.”
Cr Greer had already moved from the Mitcham district, making him ineligible to run for the council at the 2018 elections.
Cr Taeuber was less concerned by Cr Greer’s absence: “I look forward to Cr Greer clarifying the situation within a few weeks, which is what he has undertaken to do.”
Cr Yvonne Todd last month was expected to push to have Cr Greer’s leave revoked, however, her motion was withdrawn before members had a chance to debate the issue.
In a July email to elected members and Mitcham chief executive Matt Pears, Cr Greer said he would update the council about his leave in September.
“If I have to resign I will, but I will only know that for sure in a couple of months,” the email said.
Cr Greer last week refused to confirm if he would return to Australia in November.
“I have been granted leave until 15 November and am currently undertaking international legal accreditation exams,” he said via email.
He requested not to receive his council allowance while overseas.
The council is currently organising a by-election to replace Cr Adrian Rosevear, who resigned earlier this month to move to Hong Kong for work.