‘Dangerous delegation’: Lismore councillors shoot down move to delegate approval powers to GM

Lismore councillors have grilled the council’s general manager after a staff recommendation. Here’s why “alarm bells” were ringing.

A move expand the powers of the Lismore City Council GM was shot down at the latest Lismore City Council meeting.

A move to expand the powers of Lismore City Council’s general manager was shot down at this week’s December meeting.

On Tuesday, Lismore councillors unanimously voted down a recommendation to hand over delegated authority to sign off on “substantially negotiated agreements” over the two month sitting break of council.

Council staff recommended councillors vote to give interim general manager John Walker delegated authority to sign “substantially negotiated and ready for execution agreements”.

“This is to avoid commercial disadvantage to Council that it could suffer if agreements were required to be reported to Council prior to being agreed,” the recommendation read.

But the vague language used left councillors suspicious the delegated powers could be used to sign off on major projects while councillors were on holiday.

When Councillor Vanessa Ekins requested a list of agreements that were already substantially negotiated, staff replied that there were no such agreements.

“Delegating authority to the general manager to execute agreements, sort of rings alarm bells because we don‘t know what’s going on,” she said.

Lismore City Council general manager John Walker said he had not personally sought to extend the powers of the council GM. Picture: Cath Piltz

Cr Ekins said she was concerned a memorandum of understanding to potentially lease Blakebrook Quarry to KIS Quarries may be on the table under the delegated authority for signing off before the council resumed in February.

“My concern is that might be signed off without any of our oversight in the meantime,” councillor Adam Guise said.

He said the wording surrounding the delegated authority was “very nebulous”.

“It’s a delegation that is prone for misinterpretation or misapplication,” Cr Guise said.

“And when you‘ve got significant negotiations afoot (the sale or lease of Blakebrook Quarry), that we aren’t privy to in terms of their advancement, then we shouldn’t be contemplating approving such a dangerous delegation to the general manager over the holiday break.”

Cr Ekins moved an amendment to exempt Blakebrook Quarry from the delegated powers if the motion went ahead.

It was voted down in favour of councillor Darlene Cook’s motion to outright refuse the proposal to delegate authority – which was unanimously supported.

Mr Walker clarified he had not personally sought to extend the powers of the GM.

He said the property staff had put the recommendation in to make sure any business that was nearly ready to go would not have to wait until February.

“I'm not pushing for this one, but I’d hate to think there was a business ready to go that stopped because we’re not meeting for two months,” he said.

Councillor Big Rob said the move to give the GM delegated powers for a “couple of months to pretty much do whatever” should have been a business paper item advertised to the public to give them a chance to challenge it.

“It’s just snuck into the documents for signing and sealing,” he said.

“(The recommendation) gives unlimited delegated authority to do anything …

“We're just giving up powers and that we shouldn’t be giving up.

“We are the governing body. We are not here to be told what's happening. This is for us to decide.”