Parramatta Council calls ‘no quorum’ after no shows at meeting
A group of councillors have chosen not to attend an extraordinary council meeting — causing a rare ‘no quorum’, the first of its kind in Parramatta in more than 40 years.
Parramatta
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In a Parramatta council first, a “no quorum” has been called with less than seven councillors attending a formally tabled meeting tonight.
The extraordinary council meeting was set to discuss the pool design and next steps, and was called on Friday, October 12 by Lord Mayor Andrew Wilson, which lead some councillors to call the unofficial boycott.
Labor’s Pierre Esber, one of the councillors who did not make the meeting, said he was unsure about whether a discussion was needed.
“What’s the purpose of this meeting?” Cr Esber said.
“It seems like grandstanding and it’s a futile meeting.”
Fellow Labor councillor Paul Han confirmed he was attending an event in Sydney’s CBD for the Chinese community and could not make the scheduled meeting, while Cr Sameer Pandey and Patricia Prociv could not be reached for comment.
Liberal Steven Issa also did not attend the meeting, sending his apologies to the mayor.
“I won’t speculate on the reasons others haven’t been able to make it, but it seems more than a little coincidental,” he said.
Fellow Liberal Martin Zaiter said he made his availability known early on and was not using the night for “political purposes”.
“I replied straight away and said I couldn’t attend,” Liberal councillor Martin Zaiter said.
“I can’t speak for the actions of the others but I can say this definitely was not a boycott on my part.”
The meeting was meant to enable progress to continue on the pool despite councillors shutting down any progress by an 8 — 7 vote at the October 8 meeting.
In the meeting councillors voted to petition the State Government for the full $75 million needed — which OLC councillor Michelle Garrard called “hostage taking”.
“I’m appalled by the major parties,” Cr Garrard said.
“We should continue working towards the pool and let state talk about that in the background, we should not be involved in a funding battle on how to get the pool.”
Cr Garrard said the decision for councillors to choose not to attend the meeting was “contemptible”.
“Councillors get elected to turn up and work, not frustrate the efforts of the chamber — not go on strike.”
Councillors Phil Bradley and Donna Davis had already lodged their inability to attend due to a council funded conference event and outer state travel.
It is now a council obligation to register the no quorum to the Office of Local Government.
The meeting agenda will now be moved to an new extraordinary meeting on Wednesday, October 24.