Geoff Helisma | At last week’s Clarence Valley Council meeting, councillors voted in favour of the council officer’s recommendation to award a contract to CM & PA Easdown Pty Ltd for the management of Brooms Head Holiday Park. As corporate manager of the Clarence Coast Reserve Trust, council endorsed the annual sum of “$363,000 (including GST) plus commissions”, which is $203,000 per year more than the contract awarded in July 2015 to Paul and Maree Brooks, who did not tender for the contract. CM & PA Easdown currently manage Calypso Holiday Park, having won the contract in June 2016 with a bid of $200,165 (including GST) plus commissions, which was $104,435 less than then incumbent manager JKT & Sons Pty Ltd’s $304,600 bid. JKT & Sons Pty Ltd (Cr Karen Toms is a partner) currently manages Iluka Riverside Tourist Park. Coolangatta-based company, Australian Tourist Park Management Pty Ltd, lodged the other unsuccessful tender. Tender prices were not revealed, unlike the June 2016 decision when councillors voted to make the tender prices “public by including them in the [meeting’s] minutes”. Council declined to answer the Independent’s questions about the tender prices because “this is commercial in confidence information and will not be released without a specific resolution from council”. The outcome of tenders is decided by a tender evaluation panel. Councillors agreed to an increase of $177,120 (ex GST) in the 2018/19 budget to accommodate the park’s new management contract. In making their decision, councillors also voted against the council officer’s recommendation to “suspend the tender process … to enable appropriate consultation to be undertaken with the Yaegl Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC, regarding their native title rights and interests over the Brooms Head Reserve”. Councillors Jason Kingsley and Greg Clancy voted against awarding the contract; Cr Toms left the meeting, having declared an interest, and Cr Debrah Novak was absent. Councillors also considered a related matter in confidential session (and voted unanimously in favour), the outcome of which is stated in the meeting’s minutes: “The Committee of the Whole recommendation for Item 16.017/18 be adopted by Council, being that Council, as Corporate Manager of the Clarence Coast Reserve Trust, note the report on contact by a tenderer.”