Cultural and Civic Space protesters make plans for extraordinary council meeting

Burning rates or brandishing shovels - what do protesters have planned?

For and against - Protesters with shovels and the latest cartoon from George Partos.

Burning rates notices and brandishing shovels - protesters for and against the Cultural and Civic Space have employed both tactics in the past.

And now in the lead up to tonight’s extraordinary meeting, protesters are planning their next move.

The extraordinary meeting at 5pm is to discuss a rescission motion in relation the CCS - estimated in the latest figures to cost just over $80m.

It’s not the first time Councillors against the project have lodged a rescission motion following crucial votes on the Gordon Street project.

In July 2019, one was lodged following a tied vote (pushed over the line by Mayor Denise Knight using her casting vote) to move the project to detailed design and construction stage.

FULL STORY: Cultural and Civic Space in limbo

And again a crucial vote - to proceed with early contractor Lipman Pty Ltd to the major building phase - was tied four/four at last week’s meeting.

The internal street that flows through the Cultural and Civic Space from one side to the other.

Councillors Michael Adendorff, Denise Knight, George Cecato and Sally Townley voted to proceed while Councillors Paul Amos, Tegan Swan, John Arkan and Keith Rhoades were against it.

Mayor Denise Knight used her casting vote to proceed but not long after the meeting a rescission motion signed by councillors Keith Rhoades, Tegan Swan and Paul Amos was lodged.

FULL STORY: It’s not over: Councillors lodge rescission motion on CCS

An extraordinary meeting has been called for 5pm tonight and protesters on both sides have been making plans.

George Partos burning his rates notice outside Coffs Harbour City Council chambers in protest against the planned Cultural and Civic Space.

Vocal critic George Partos has employed some dramatic tactics in the past - once burning his rates notice outside the Castle St chambers. Using his cartoon skills - which have got him into hot water in the past - he is proposing people show up wearing black arm bands in “memory of our old mate democracy killed by a casting vote”.

Other groups against the project had planned a more formalised protest in the park across from Council chambers for either Wednesday or today but ran out of time to organise guest speakers and register the gathering with the appropriate authorities.

For the pro-camp the green light/green tick theme could be repeated with a bright flyer circulating encouraging those who are for the CCS to gather at the steps of the chambers at 4.30pm.

People in support of the Cultural and Civic Space at a Council meeting in November last year. Photo by Janine Watson

The chance of tonight’s vote going any differently from the familiar four/four tie is very slim, and those in favour of the project have slammed what they say are just stalling tactics which will end up costing the ratepayer.

While the cost of holding an extraordinary meeting is hard to quantify a Council representative says approximately 15 staff members are involved in making these meetings happen.