Clarence Valley Council held its monthly Ordinary Council Meeting on Tuesday, 26 July at Grafton Council Chambers. Three Mayoral Minutes and one Notice of Motion were presented, followed by nine of 18 items debated, eight adopted by consent and one withdrawn in a meeting which lasted one hour and 33 minutes. Eight councillors were present with Cr Allison Whaites an apology.
After Cr Karen Toms read the affirmation and Deputy Mayor Greg Clancy read the Acknowledgement of Country, Mayor Ian Tiley requested councillors observe a moment’s silence to observe the passing of prominent Gumbaynggirr and Bundjalung woman Aunty Irene Daley.
Three Mayoral Minutes endorsed by Council
The Mayoral Minute to not record Rural Fire Service assets on Council’s financial statements received unanimous support.
On 7 June the NSW Government reiterated its determination that Rural Fire Service (RFS) assets are the “property” of councils, who must therefore absorb all depreciation costs.
Upon receiving a letter from the President of Local Government NSW which referred to the determination as “nothing more than a financial sleight of hand”, Mayor Tiley moved that Council request the NSW Government to acknowledge rural firefighting equipment is controlled by and the property of the RFS.
The Mayoral Minute to locate and preserve the various Clarence council honour boards was supported 6-2. The motion requested the discovery of the location and condition of councillor and staff honour boards of former councils in the Clarence Valley, and to canvass suitable locations to house the discovered boards in consultation with local museums, public hall committees and the community.
A third Mayoral Minute for Council to take the necessary steps to become a Refugee Welcome Zone was adopted unopposed.
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Two Notices of Motion for the 2022 LGNSW Annual Conference
In consecutive motions moved by Cr Stephen Pickering and seconded by Cr Peter Johnstone, Council unanimously resolved to submit two Notices of Motion for consideration at the 2022 Local Government NSW Annual Conference, both in relation to increased powers to issue penalty notices.
The first motion is aimed at increasing the opportunity for local government to issue penalty notices of appropriate value for offences causing environmental damage to public places, including wilful damage to trees and unlawful removal of plants.
The second motion is aimed at increasing the maximum penalties for sewer and water offences under the Local Government Act to a level in line with state government owned water utilities.
Cr Pickering amended both motions to include that Council requests support from NSW Member for Clarence Hon Chris Gulaptis and Minister for Local Government Hon Wendy Tuckerman to lobby the NSW Government in the meantime.
Stocktake of jacaranda trees in Grafton and South Grafton
Council staff will prepare a report for the August Council meeting regarding jacaranda trees in Grafton and South Grafton.
Cr Jeff Smith put forward the motion and was advocating on behalf of the “Friends of the Jacarandas”, formed on 29 June and comprising Cr Smith, Cr Allison Whaites, members from Grafton Chamber of Commerce, Grafton Midday Rotary, Grafton Jacaranda Festival, Grafton Garden Club and other interested individuals. He noted in his report that there was a perception that the number and quality of jacaranda trees had been declining for many years.
“I understand they are not a native tree, but they are synonymous with Grafton and South Grafton from a cultural, social and economic point of view,” Cr Smith said.
“We have tourists that trek here when those trees are in bloom … (but) there is a lot of competition starting to build for those tourists within Sydney and Brisbane.”
The specific information requested for the report includes:
- Total number of jacaranda trees;
- Number of jacaranda trees removed over the last three financial years;
- Number of new jacaranda trees planted and their locations;
- Current number of jacaranda trees reaching their end of life senescence;
- Monetary cost of planting a new jacaranda tree;
- Monetary cost of removing a mature jacaranda tree.
Workshop planned to address Treelands Drive Community Centre Upgrade
Councillors deferred a recommendation to endorse the reclassification to “operational land” and subsequent sale of 45 Wooli Street Yamba, and allocation of the proceeds of sale toward the Treelands Drive Community Centre (TDCC) upgrade. Instead, the matter will be discussed at a workshop in August and revisited at the September monthly meeting.
Cr Bill Day initially moved a motion that Council review estimates and design of the Treelands Drive Community Precinct upgrade and reconsult the community about this project.
“The officer recommendation here involves at every step the sale of 45 Wooli Street, and I’m not sure the community supports this. Let’s ask them,” Cr Day said.
In opposition, Cr Karen Toms explained the planning for the project had been ongoing for the past four years, including examples of community consultation.
“It hasn’t been a secret,” Cr Toms said. “There’s been many, many reports, compulsory acquisition of the Tafe building, all these things have gone on and now it’s like we have to start again.
“These sorts of projects don’t happen overnight.”
Cr Day’s motion was defeated 5-3, followed by unanimous support for Cr Debrah Novak’s foreshadowed motion to defer and discuss at a workshop.
Above: An artist’s impression of the proposed Treelands Drive Community Precinct upgrade.
Two policies – the Keeping Animals Policy V2.0 and Councillor Attendance at Conferences Policy V5.1 – will also be discussed at a workshop in August after they were deferred by Cr Greg Clancy.
Council reaches $10 million in green investments
Cr Greg Clancy moved the officer’s recommended motion to note the Monthly Investment Report – June 2022 and in doing so praised Clarence Valley Council’s stance on “green” investments.
“The total value of investments currently held with financial institutions that do not invest nor finance the fossil fuel industry now totals $10 million. So I’d like to congratulate the staff for their really good work,” Cr Clancy said.
Climate change impacts of Council’s investment portfolio are now considered as each investment matures, with preference given to financial institutions that publicly state that they do not invest nor finance the fossil fuel industry, noting that investments only be made providing the rate of return is equivalent or more favourable and does not increase the overall risk of Council’s investment portfolio.
