‘I’m not apologising’: Big Rob, the mayor, and a post-flood forum

Lismore mayor Steve Krieg and councillor Big Rob had a verbal stoush as council looks to the community for ideas on taking the city forward after the floods.

Lismore council will press on with a public forum to address the reshaping of the city in the wake of the disastrous floods.

The motion brought before council’s September meeting by greens councillor Adam Guise was supported by all bar Andrew Gordon and Electra Jensen.

“I’ve been talking to lots of people who want a say in our recovery,” Mr Guise said, “and they have lots of innovative ideas.

“This isn’t about looking backward or reliving the trauma of the event, this is about working out where we are now and looking forward to where we want to go.

“This means asking a lot of those key stakeholders out there to come along to this chamber or another forum and actually share those ideas in a public forum.”

Lismore councillor Adam Guise.

Lismore resident and member of Reclaiming our Recovery, Karen Allen, said the three principles of community building - citizens rather than ratepayers, be proactive rather than passive, and take ownership - meant making the forum happen was imperative.

“Many of us feel in a state of confusion, frustration and growing anxiety about what’s happening and what’s not happening with the recovery of our region,” Ms Allen said.

“As a teacher and grandmother I heard first hand from children how scared they are, how sad they are that their friends have had to move away and that their preschools are gone.

“They are unsure of their futures, we all are.”

Ms Allen said disaster capitalism does not belong in our region.

“We need to not let this all-consuming crisis result in us giving our power away to profit-driven developers or missing the opportunity to reshape the Lismore LGA as the best place to live,” she said.

South Lismore artist Jeremy Stewart said the roundtable would be a great way of thinking outside the box and getting the community engaged.

Mr Stewart said the community response to the disaster was incredible but the government’s actions had been less so.

“I’ve found it lacking in so many ways,” he said.

“Still trying to find out if there is a buyback or not, or what sort of help there is going to be.

“I think the answers are going to come down to the community once again, fundamentally, and there’s going to need to be a range of options discussed.”

Councillor Elly Bird said the challenge is an emotional one for the Lismore community.

“It’s not for us to sit in a room as 11 elected people and say ‘right, this is what Lismore is going to look like’ in 20 years, Ms Bird said.

“We have to have conversations with our community, we have to go along with them,” she said, “in terms of what they want and how we see ourselves living together in the future.”

There was some disruption during the discussion when councillor Big Rob began his contribution with an awkward comment about Cr Bird, which sparked an 11-and-a-half-minute spat.

Councillor Big Rob addresses the Lismore City Council meeting on February 8 2022.

Ms Bird interrupted her colleague to raise a point of order, stating that she found his comment - ‘I don’t much listen to Cr Bird’ - rude.

Lismore mayor Steve Krieg consulted with general manager John Walker while Cr Rob continued his comments on the motion, before ruling Mr Rob was in breach of the council’s code of meeting practice.

Mr Krieg stated that Mr Rob failed to maintain order of the meeting with comments that would likely bring the council and community into disrepute.

“You definitely did not help in maintaining order of the meeting and did bring the council into disrepute,” Mr Krieg said.

When asked to apologise for his comments, Mr Rob defiantly rejected the mayor’s ruling, stating he did not agree with it and then moved his own motion of dissent.

That motion was defeated unanimously, but Mr Rob said “I’m still not going to apologise because I don’t agree with your ruling”.

Mr Rob argued the mayor was trying to ‘open a door’ where he could call a point of order on him every time people in the gallery cheered or made noise when he spoke.

“You’re saying I am responsible for their actions,” Mr Rob said.

“I’m not responsible for the actions of the gallery. That’s something you need to maintain order in and I am allowed to say I didn’t listen to a particular councillor because that’s my right.”

Taking to his feet, the mayor retorted that Mr Rob’s behaviour and comments were rude, disrespectful, and incited ‘rude murmurings’ within the chamber.

“It was rude, it was unnecessary, and in my opinion, it brings a council into disrepute because at the start of every meeting we have a moment of reflection to act respectfully,” Mr Krieg said.

“That was not a respectful comment directed at another councillor.

“Personal opinions aside you don’t need to imply that (a) You don’t listen, and (b) that you will never apologise.

“We are supposed to act respectfully towards each other, I believe that you did not act respectfully towards a fellow councillor.

Lismore mayor Steve Krieg rebukes Cr Rob for alleged rude behaviour and comments that he deemed brought council into disrepute.

“I believe you are bringing our council into disrepute by saying that you will never apologise and that’s why I brought up the point of order,” Mr Krieg said.

Mr Rob accused the mayor of misrepresenting him over the point of ‘never’ apologising.

“I apologise when I believe I am wrong,” Mr Rob said, “I don’t believe I’m wrong here.”

The post-flood forum will include interested parties in flood recovery, reconstruction and strategic planning to brief councillors and the public on the current state of play and their ideas for ways forward.

The forum is expected to be before the end of the year with a date yet to be confirmed.