Clarence Valley Council held its monthly Ordinary Council Meeting on Thursday 21 November 2024 at the Maclean Council Chambers.
One Mayoral Minute and one Notice of Motion were considered and followed by 16 of 30 items debated and the other 14 adopted by consent in a meeting which lasted four hours.
Councillors Appointed to First Nation Roundtable Meetings
Four councillors have been nominated to chair the First Nations Community Roundtable meetings planned to be held in Baryulgil, Grafton, Maclean and Yamba in early 2025.
Councillor Debrah Novak will chair and support the Baryulgil and Yamba First Nations Community Roundtable meeting, Councillor Christie Yager will chair the Maclean First Nations Community Roundtable meeting, and Councillor Greg Clancy will chair the Grafton First Nations Community meetings.
Mayor Ray Smith has been appointed to chair meetings held with Local Aboriginal Land Councils and Yaegl Traditional Owner Corporation.
Councillor Karen Toms will also be supporting the Yaegl and Grafton Elders Group meetings twice a year.
Earlier in the meeting, Councillors also voted to endorse the Clarence Valley Council Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) 2024 – 2026 after the document was officially accredited by Reconciliation Australia for implementation.
The RAP Framework sets out four types of RAPs (Reflect, Innovate, Stretch and Elevate) depending on what stage of the reconciliation journey an organisation is up to.
Council’s ‘Innovate’ RAP aims to:
• implement actions that work towards achieving the organisation’s vision for reconciliation
• understand the sphere of influence and establish the best approaches to advance reconciliation
• focus on strengthening relationships with First Nation people and piloting strategies for further reconciliation commitments and empower First Nation people
• be implemented over a two-year period between July 2024 – July 2026.
The RAP will be implemented over the next two years with regular updates to Reconciliation Australia on progress as well as completion of an annual RAP Impact Survey.
Councillor Greg Clancy called the item to bring attention to the new Reconciliation Action Plan praising it as “another good news story”.
Councillor Debrah Novak echoed Councillor Clancy’s praising.
“Now that it’s been accredited, we can hit the ground running and do so much more for our First Nation people and work closer together.”
Tender Awarded for Harness Cask Bridge
Councillors have unanimously supported to award Toisch Pty Ltd to carry out the detail design and construction of a new $1,157,553 concrete bridge over the Nymboida River on Harness Cask Road, Bostobrick.
The existing Harness Cask Bridge is an old single span timber bridge nearing the end of its working life and requiring regular maintenance which has increased over time.
The new bridge will be constructed in the same alignment as the old bridge, with a temporary sidetrack bridge and site facilities in place for the duration of the project.
Council applied for and were successful in receiving fill funding for the replacement of the old bridge under Round 2B of the NSW Government’s Fixing Country Bridges program.
To learn more about the program, visit www.clarence.nsw.gov.au/projects/fixing-country-bridges
Key Documents Endorsed
The 2023/2024 Annual Report and the State of the Valley Report have both been endorsed by Councillors at the November Ordinary Council Meeting on Thursday 21 November.
Under the Integrated Planning and Reporting Framework, the Annual Report is one of the key points of accountability between Council and the community where it outlines Council’s achievements throughout the 2023/2024 financial year.
Additionally, the State of the Valley Report covers the previous Council Term and tracks achievements against the Community Strategic Plan.
Councillor Debrah Novak called the item to congratulate the staff who worked on the Annual Report and State of the Valley Report and encouraged anyone interested to grab a cup of coffee and spend some time reading it when they get the chance.
Local Housing Strategy Adopted
The Clarence Valley Local Housing Strategy has been adopted following the November Ordinary Council Meeting.
The Local Housing Strategy recommends actions to implement priorities of the North Coast Regional Plan 2041 and Council’s Local Planning and Policy Framework as well as assists Council to plan for housing based on the four housing pillars: supply, diversity, affordability and resilience.
After receiving a total of 372 submissions, Council staff carefully considered changes to the strategy in relation to the Iluka Intervention Area, Palmers Island, Yamba Intervention Area, Yamba Library and Community Hall, James Creek, Elland and Gulmarrad.
Following the Council meeting, the Clarence Valley Local Housing Strategy will be available on Council’s website: www.clarence.nsw.gov.au/Building-and-planning/Strategic-Planning/Strategies-and-plans
Bush Regeneration Strategy out for Public Exhibition
Clarence Valley Council manages more than 10,000 ha of open space, which includes beaches, bushland, parks, and playgrounds and is driven to protect and ensure responsible use of the natural environment through sustainable practices and conservation efforts.
The Bush Regeneration Strategy aims to deliver an overarching goal of providing strategic direction for brush regeneration programs on Council managed land, the consideration of volunteers involved in bush regeneration within the Clarence Valley and guide the development of an action plan for the bush regeneration team within Council.
The item was carried unanimously.
Interested parties can view the document and make a submission via Council’s website: www.clarence.nsw.gov.au/on-exhibition
