Anger over tunnel debate ‘gagging’ at North Sydney Council
A COMMUNITY campaigner claims debate on a major road tunnel project was gagged at North Sydney Council — but Mayor Jilly Gibson disagrees.
Mosman
Don't miss out on the headlines from Mosman. Followed categories will be added to My News.
COMMUNITY campaigner David Watson is battling the WestConnex road tunnel across the harbour in Rozelle.
He wanted to share his experience with the lower north shore community at a meeting of North Sydney Council last week.
But when he arrived at the meeting he found out he wasn’t allowed to speak.
“Gagging debate at a local council level is, as I remonstrated that evening, not a good look North Sydney Council,” Mr Watson said.
The debate was focused on council’s withdrawal of opposition to the Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link project.
Almost 30 people had registered to speak at the meeting and as a result the number of speakers was limited. Speakers are allowed up to five minutes each to talk at council meetings.
It was announced by Mayor Jilly Gibson that four people from either side of the debate would be allowed to address the council.
Mr Watson said speakers who wanted council to maintain opposition were given five minutes to decide who would represent their views.
“We all thought that’s ludicrous. None of us even know one another,” he said.
“We said, ‘No we all want to speak because that’s what we’ve been told we will be able to do’.
“She sequentially read out names of people who she would allow to speak for and against.
“I was not one of them.”
Two people spoke in favour of the council decision to withdraw its opposition.
It was the second time the issue came up for debate in the chamber and it returned in a process known as a rescission motion.
The councillors maintained the earlier decision in a 3-6 vote.
Cr Gibson said she did not gag debate on the tunnel.
She pointed out that the rescission motion did not raise any new material for consideration.
“As we had heard from 12 speakers at our April meeting I believed the Councillors already had a good understanding of the community’s concerns,” Cr Gibson said.
“I decided to limit the number of speakers so that the 11 residents who had registered to speak on matters of importance to them would be able to do so.
“The tunnel was only one item on a very busy agenda.”
Cr Gibson wants the council to work constructively with the State Government to ensure it is across all the project details.