Livingstone Shire Mayor Andy Ireland critical of Marlborough church sale saga

A two year saga over the pending sale of a rural church has sparked debate in council chambers, with councillor Glenda Mather saying the council was throwing money at “something that really hasn’t got any value as far as the community goes because nobody wants it”.

Livingstone Shire Mayor Andy Ireland.

Livingstone Mayor Andy Ireland has voiced frustration at his council’s efforts to prepare to sell the former Catholic Church building at Marlborough.

At last week’s monthly council meeting, Cr Ireland likened this matter - which Cr Glenda Mather later pointed out had been ongoing for two years - to the Australian television soap opera Home And Away because “it just keeps going on and on and on”.

It was Cr Ireland providing the theatre during the Business Outstanding for Ordinary Council Meetings section of the January meeting.

The Business Outstanding table of items is used as a tool to monitor outstanding matters resolved at previous council or committee meetings.

Livingstone CEO Cale Dendle kicked off by saying the Business Outstanding table was “pleasingly below 30 items” which was “about half of where we were, not all that long back”.

“But we’ve still got some items that require attention and rightly council continues to oversee those things,” Mr Dendle said.

It was handed over to council’s executive director Liveability and Wellbeing, Brett Bacon, to run through the items, with the first being an update on the former church building at Marlborough, which council had previously decided to proceed to written tender for sale.

Mr Bacon said council officers were waiting on a second valuation which, if not received “today”, was expected to be received “in the next few days”.

Mr Bacon said that valuation would provide “some comfort or confidence around the value associated with that building”.

The executive director then attempted to move on to the next item when Cr Ireland apologised for interrupting.

“Can I just, maybe request that we bring this to some sort of conclusion please?

“This is like Home And Away - it just keeps going on and on and on.

“And you know, I think everyone at this table is sick and tired of seeing this one on the agenda, so can we actually maybe get onto the valuers today and try and get this thing resolved please?

“It would be, I think, very advantageous. “

Cr Glenda Mather.

Cr Mather then said the council was throwing money at “something that really hasn’t got any value as far as the community goes because nobody wants it”.

“Are we spending money in the hope of setting a benchmark that we can demand, or expect, knowing full well after two years nothing has come to fruition at this point in time?” she asked.

Mr Bacon replied that the council had to get a value in order to satisfy the relevant Act (legislation).

“The first valuation we got was surprisingly high in our opinion,” Mr Bacon said.

Cr Mather asked what that valuation was.

Mr Bacon said he could not disclose that and the council meeting heard the reason why was because a tender had not yet gone out.

Cr Mather further asked if the first valuer was one the council used regularly, and Mr Bacon said it was.

“Well one would think he’d know what he is talking about,” Cr Mather said.

Mr Bacon elaborated on reasons for council seeking a second valuation and added “we didn’t want to go to market with a valuation that we think was unrealistic”.

Cr Mather replied: “Yes, well I don’t know how many offers we’ll get - this is only me speaking now - knowing that what’s happening up there (Marlborough).

“Because they’re losing children at the school, they’ve lost a teacher, they’ve lost 20-plus cattle properties, and they’re surrounded by makeshift camps that are going to walk off into the wilderness one day,” Cr Mather said.

“So I think whatever we can get for that (building) would have to be a bonus.”

Cr Ireland then responded to Cr Mather, saying: “Not withstanding that comment, I don’t disagree with you Cr Mather, we are still tied by the requirements of the legislation.”

Cr Mather said she understood.

Cr Ireland said he was asking the officers to accelerate the process to “bring this to a head as quickly as possible”.

Mr Bacon then moved on to the second item on the Business Outstanding list.

Ultimately, councillors unanimously voted in support of receiving the Business Outstanding update.

Originally published as Livingstone Shire Mayor Andy Ireland critical of Marlborough church sale saga