Shock council move for Donna Gates backed by councillors

Deputy Mayor Donna Gates in a shock move has returned to a senior position in council’s powerful planning committee.

Gold Coast Deputy Mayor Donna Gates

DEPUTY Mayor Donna Gates in a shock move has returned to a senior position in council’s powerful planning committee.

Mayor Tom Tate announced the move in a mayoral minute just after a full council meeting began at Evandale at 10am today.

Deputy Mayor Donna Gates with Mayor Tom Tate. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

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“It’s a straightforward motion. We all want Donna back there,” he told councillors.

The vote for Cr Gates to be returned as deputy chair on the planning committee was unanimous.

Cr Gates in emotional scenes in late May last year announced she would quit as deputy chair.

She had wiped away tears after announcing her decision to stand down from the planning committee.

“I love this city. You know how much I love it,” she had told councillors.

Many of her colleagues wanted her to remain on the committee due to her experience and knowledge of the fast growing northern suburbs of the city.

Deputy Mayor Donna Gates stands outside the Evandale chamber, after declaring perceived conflicts of interest.

But she said the State Government’s new laws regarding declarations for councillors were “chunky and unwieldy”.

At that point, councillors were involved in lengthy debate as they tried to get a handle on the new procedures for declaring conflict of interests.

Councillor Gail O’Neill who was the planning committee’s deputy remains on the committee.