Council's conduct 'just a shambles'

DIVISIONS have deepened between Lismore City councillors as the inability to hold meetings intensified emotion after last night’s third attempt.

Page MP Kevin Hogan and Lismore MP Thomas George are concerned about Lismore council. Picture: Alison Paterson

Update 3.55pm: DIVISIONS have deepened between Lismore City councillors as the inability to hold meetings intensified emotion after last night's third attempt.

Elly Bird moved to boycott the extraordinary meeting, and others, to allow for councillors on leave to return to debate rescission motions they put forward.

Darlene Cooke said she respected the "difficult choice" by Cr Bird to absent herself from the meeting and future meetings in support of those councillors on leave.

On the other hand, Cr Cook said the delay in holding the meetings puts pressure on council staff to meet deadlines on those matters such as the special business rate variation.

While the move was praised by Eddie Lloyd, who is on leave, as "powerful democratic action", others weren't as enthralled with Cr Bird's actions.

Cr Gianpiero Battista said the council's conduct was "just a shambles" and slammed the boycott as "an insult to the community".

But Cr Bill Moorhouse said he was just pleased one rescission motion was voted on after three attempts to form a quorum.

Despite the boycott, mayor Isaac Smith said he must continue to follow the council's meeting practice with the next extraordinary meeting scheduled for January 30.

He said eight councillors should be available for the meeting and he expected all eight, who will be returned from leave, to be in attendance.

That number includes councillors Vanessa Ekins and Greg Bennett - two of the five councillors who lodged rescission motions.
 

Update 1.50pm: LISMORE MP Thomas George has accused Lismore City councillors of "treating the running of the city with contempt" after the boycott of last night's meeting.

His criticism came after a number of concerned residents contacted him today about the council's third attempt to hold an extraordinary meeting on important issues such as discussions about the Lismore Square expansion and the ski jump.

Councillor Elly Bird last night told the chamber she wouldn't be debating the contentious issues without those councillors are on leave of absence who lodged the four remaining rescission motions.

Mr George said all councillors needed to respect local government processes and was critical of councillors behind the four rescission motions of trying to control when those matters would be debated.

The three failed attempts to hold meeting led Mr George to say he was "absolutely stunned that councillors are virtually treating the running of the city with contempt".

Mr George was critical of councillors, who weren't away on leave, falling short of their public duty.

"We are elected to represent the people that elect us," Mr George said.

"Regardless of the time of the year, these positions carry responsibilities and clearly I cannot understand what message (the councillors) are trying to send."

He said that message wasn't a positive promotion of Lismore as a regional city that's open for business.

"How do I go and convince the government that we are a regional city when the message by councillors certainly flies in the face of being a regional city?," he said.

"The council needs to get their house in order."

Mr George was not surprised by the results in the Northern Star's poll that 86% of the 214 respondents voted yes to the council being sacked.

Federal MP Kevin Hogan said sacking the council would be "heavy handed", but he warned its inability to hold meetings was "creating the appearance" of a "dysfunctional" council.

While he respected the council's function to protest Federal issues such as the Adani Coalmine and Australia Day, he called on the council "to stick to core business" like creating jobs and fixing the region's roads.

"We also need to focus on the main game and that's our local economy," he said.
 

Original story 10am: SHOULD Lismore City councillors be fined for not turning up to meetings?

Or should the council itself be sacked?

These are the questions being asked in light of three failed attempts to have an extraordinary meeting to deal with a number of controversial issues, including the proposed Lismore Square expansion and plans to build a ski jump.

In a dramatic turn of events, Cr Elly Bird last night announced she would not be staying at the meeting and would boycott all future meetings which jeopardised councillors' rights. 

This is what has happened so far:

• Council had an ordinary meeting in December, where councillors voted in favour of progressing talks on the ski jump, Lismore Shopping Square expansion, 20 extra greyhound races and a special business rate variation
• Rescission motions were lodged on these matters
• An extraordinary meeting was planned for December 18 to debate the issues
• A quorum could not be formed for this meeting, with a number of councillors on leave
• The extraordinary meeting was rescheduled for December 20
• Again, the council could not form a quorum and the meeting was cancelled
• The extraordinary meeting was rescheduled for January 9
• Six councillors turned up for last night's meeting, but Cr Elly Bird announced she would not be staying at the meeting
• The meeting was adjourned just 40 minutes after it started, with most of the time spent on public access
• Councillors voted unanimously in favour of one rescission motion to address 20 agenda items held over from the December meeting
• It was agreed the council would meet to debate those issues on February 5.