'Delaying tactics' foil controversial council meeting

A LISMORE City councillor has accused some councillors of "playing political games” after a special meeting to address a backlog of issues failed again.

A second attempt to hold an extraordinary council meeting failed last night.

A LISMORE City councillor has accused colleagues of "playing political games” after a special meeting to address a backlog of council matters failed again.

Vanessa Ekins, whose leave starts today, was accused of "delaying tactics” by Gianpiero Battista after she didn't attend last night's extraordinary council meeting, leaving the meeting just one councillor short of forming a quorum.

Cr Ekins attended Rous County Council's final meeting of the year yesterday from 1-3pm, according to Cr Darlene Cook who was also at the meeting.

Cr Ekins was contacted multiple times for comment by The Northern Star but did not respond.

Big ticket items to be debated at the meeting included rescission motions in opposition to the Lismore Square expansion workshop, the proposed ski jump facility and increased greyhound racing meets.

Cr Cook said the delay had been noticed by the community, with 82 emails to council yesterday calling on councillors to rescind the council's decision for additional races at the Lismore greyhounds track.

Despite community pressure, the three councillors who put forward the rescission motion did not attend the meeting. Cr Adam Guise and Eddie Lloyd had leave of absence while Cr Ekins did not.

Cr Battista said councillors had a right to call extraordinary meetings, which hold the same importance as other council meetings.

"I hope that councillors understand it's their duty to turn up to extraordinary meetings as well as ordinary meetings and briefings,” he said.

"Unless you have a leave of absence, your leave is unjustified.”

Last night was the council's second attempt this week to form a quorum of six councillors to debate unresolved matters from the December meeting held last week.

Cr Cook said she "hoped against hope” that one of the councillors on leave might have attended last night.

With Cr Elly Bird and Greg Bennett returned from leave, Cr Battista was confident a quorum would be formed when the next extraordinary meeting was held on January 9.