Pollies slam decision to move 60 jobs out of Lismore

Rous County Council has offices and depots spread across six local government areas, and was looking to move all its operations to one spot – not everyone is happy that might be Ballina.

Lismore MP Janelle Saffin and Page MP Kevin Hogan slammed the plan to move the Rous County Council office away from Lismore. Picture: Contributed

A plan to move the Rous County Council administration office from Lismore to Ballina has been slammed by State and Federal representatives.

Lismore MP Janelle Saffin and Page MP Kevin Hogan were united in their condemnation of the move, that they say will take jobs out of Lismore. And they were particularly scathing of Lismore’s mayor agreeing to the move.

“I spend every day trying to attract jobs to the region I represent, and Lismore mayor Vanessa Ekins has voted to send up to 60 jobs from Lismore to the coast,” Mr Hogan said.

“These people will now not work or come to the CBD. They will not buy coffee, lunch, go to the pharmacy, or buy clothes.

“Janelle and I are on different sides of the political fence, we did this together because of how strongly we both feel about this.”

Lismore MP Janelle Saffin called on Rous councillors, particularly Lismore City Council’s delegates, to reconsider their unanimous decision to abandon the heart of Lismore, taking between 50 and 60 local jobs to Ballina.

“Rous County Council has a regulatory responsibility as our flood mitigation authority and Lismore is the most flood-affected city across this whole region,” Ms Saffin said.

“I can’t comprehend how any local councillor would even think that this move is a good idea. Local businesses in Lismore’s CBD will clearly suffer.

“For a start Rous management and councillors must explain to the public what’s going on.”

However, the Lismore office was not the only Rous workplace that may be relocating.

Rous County councillors have confirmed the water council was looking to relocate all of its offices and depots, to one location.

And while they will not confirm that location, Mr Hogan and Ms Saffin say it’s Ballina.

A 2017 merger of three organisations – Rous Water, Far North Coast Weeds, and Richmond River County Council – meant offices and depots were currently spread across six local government areas.

Lismore, Ballina, Byron Bay, and Richmond Valley were all members of Rous County Council, and weed services are provided to Tweed and Kyogle councils.

Cr Ekins confirmed the board voted unanimously to look for a new premises that would house all of Rous’ 350 employees.

Rous chair Keith Williams also defended the relocation on Facebook, saying Rous had an obligation to act in the best interests of the water council. He said the rent for the current building in Lismore was “significant”, and did not have the required space for proper community consultation.

Cr Ekins disagreed Lismore would be adversely impacted by the relocation of the office. She said the employees who live in Lismore would continue to shop and go out in Lismore.

She also said Lismore benefits from commuters coming into Lismore every day for work, and that would not change.

Cr Ekins did concede however, that the discussion was still to be had with employees who may find their place of work was changing, but that would “take time”.