More time off for troubled Coffs Councillor John Arkan

After each brush with the law calls have escalated for Coffs Harbour City Councillor John Arkan to step down.

Cr John Arkan

Coffs Harbour City Councillor John Arkan has applied for another leave of absence.

He did not attend last week’s meeting but submitted a request for leave for the month of May.

It was supported unanimously by his fellow Councillors.

With their numbers already depleted due to Cr Jan Strom’s early retirement on medical grounds this will reduce numbers to just seven.

It’s not the first time Cr Arkan has applied for extended leave.

In 2017 he was granted leave for personal reasons from September 28 to early December.

It came after he was caught making an illegal U-turn in an unregistered and uninsured bus, which displayed unauthorised plates.

Then in 2018 he was issued an infringement notice for using an unregistered trailer.

His problems with the law continued in 2020 when a court ruled he sold blueberry plants he was not authorised to sell.

Coffs Harbour City Councillor John Arkan.

He was ordered to pay $89,061.82 in court costs to Mountain Blue Orchards, on top of $42,500 in damages, for infringing the rights of the company under the Plant Breeder‘s Rights Act 1994.

The Act is designed to protect the rights of breeders of certain new varieties of plants.

In this case it was their Ridley 1111 plant variety known for its higher quality fruit (medium and firm with a dark blue colour and small picking scar) and an earlier availability than other varieties.

In January this year a bizarre open letter purporting to have been written by his “ex-wife” Surinder Kaur, was posted on social media describing Cr Arkan as a “victim” in the case.

She apologised for causing him “great public embarrassment and trauma” and wished him well in the future saying she will ”pray to the universe that you get to fulfil your dream of becoming a senator”.

After each brush with the law calls have escalated for him to step down but Council has emphasised they have no legislative authority to take action against an individual for matters that are outside Council’s official functions.

John Arkan welcome The Bollywood Express in 2019.

There was no reason given for Cr Arkan’s recent application for leave and he did not return the Advocate’s phone call.

Following the blueberry matter last year, Mayor Denise Knight was contacted for comment and she issued the following statement.

“I have received a few emails from the community with inquires re. Cr Arkan. However, Coffs City Council, like every Council in NSW, has a Code of Conduct that applies to all Council Officials.

“Should a complaint be lodged under that Code against a Council official, including a Councillor, the complaint is assessed/investigated in accordance with the Code, affording all parties natural justice and procedural fairness.”