Mayor apologises after motion to adopt policy to fill casual vacancies gets ‘out of hand’

THE four vacant councillor positions left open since the quartet quit to contest last month’s election will remain unfilled

Six of the councillors elected in the 2017 Alice Springs Town Council elections, from left: Jamie de Brenni, Eli Melky, Jimmy Cocking, Damien Ryan, Matt Paterson, and Jacinta Price. Picture: EMMA MURRAY

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THE four vacant councillor positions left open since the quartet quit to contest last month’s election will remain unfilled.

During a tense meeting councillors could not decide how, if or when the positions would be filled.

Councillors Jamie de Brenni and Eli Melky accused each other of “putting words in (each other’s) mouths”, after confusion over whether to dismiss or defer the motion.

Any plans to fill casual vacancies with members outside of the council were scrapped and councillors said they will consider a policy that stipulates requirements to fill casual vacancies after past elected members have returned.

Four vacant Alice Springs Town Council councillor positions will not be filled yet

Part of the plan put forward by Mr de Brenni was to co-opt two new council members during the meeting, but it was dismissed.

Four vacancies have been created after councillors Damien Ryan (former mayor), Matt Patterson (deputy mayor), Catherine Satour and Marli Banks all resigned to contest the NT election.

Councillor Jimmy Cocking suggested due to “the time and the resources spent to develop the policy … we take it as read and deferred so that (a) future council with the returned members can discuss it”.

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Councillor Glen Auricht agreed and said he would like to “pay the other elected members due respect and hold this over and defer it until the other elected members return”.

The motion was moved unanimously.

Mr de Brenni said “the whole intent … was to develop policy in regards to a query in regard to our capacity to have cause for committees with the numbers we had”.

“I apologise to elected members if it got out of hand,” he said.

Mr Patterson, Ms Satour and Ms Banks have all confirmed with Centralian Advocate their intention to apply to be reinstated to council.

In the last ordinary meeting, Mr de Brenni was appointed as the town’s new mayor after the resignation of Mr Ryan, until the end of the term, or the former councillor applies to be reinstated.

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A spokeswoman from the Department of Local Government, Housing and Community Development said in accordance with the Local Government Act 2008, a council can fill a council member casual vacancy that occurs within 18 months before the next general election for the council by co-opting a person.

The spokeswoman said if a member resigned from council to stand as a candidate in a Legislative Assembly, and is not elected, they then have a right to be reinstated to the council if the former member notifies the council CEO within seven days after the result of the election is known.

“Provided the above steps are complied with, the former member must be reinstated,” she said.

“The number of members on the Alice Springs Town Council cannot be increased to more than nine (including the Mayor and Deputy Mayor).”

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