Rodney Stevens
One of the most important meetings in the Clarence Valley councillors’ current term was held yesterday in Grafton with the Mayoral election and motions to accept tenders for the Treelands Drive Community Centre and the Regional Aquatic Centre on the agenda.
The first meeting to start at the new time of 3pm, The first report on the agenda from the Office of the General Manager was for the election of a Mayor for the period of September 2023 to September 2024, followed by the election of a Deputy Mayor for the same term.
For the Mayoral election, General Manager Laura Black acted as returning officer and called for nominations.
As there was more than one nomination for Mayor, council then decided whether the election was by Open Voting (show of hands), an Ordinary Ballot (secret ballot on paper with X indicating candidate of choice) or a Preferential Ballot (ballot on paper with 1,2,3 against candidates in order of preference).
Once the voting method was chosen, each nominee was given up to five minutes to address the meeting.
After the Mayor was elected, Ms Black called for nominations for Deputy Mayor, with the vote conducted by way of Open Voting (show of hands) and candidates provided three minutes to address the meeting.
Councillors then moved onto general business, and one of the first motions considered was a development application DA for a 36-lot subdivision at Orion Drive, Yamba, which would see adjoining owners able apply to council to “develop” water recreation structures including a pier, wharf, jetty or pontoon in the area.
Council staff recommended approving the DA, which attracted 68 submissions against and two petitions against containing 50 signatures, during two rounds of public exhibition.
That motion “tied in” with a later motion concerning the encroachment of private water recreation structures onto council drainage reserves, with council planning to introduce an annual fee and a five yearly application fee for owners of a pier, wharf, jetty or pontoon on canals in Yamba.
Council issued 175 renewal notices and applications to 175 owners of water structures in January and February 2023 and 73 per-cent have paid, 23 per-cent are yet to respond, and 4 per-cent or seven people have refused to comply.
Councillors voted on the officers’ recommendation to follow a four-step regulatory process, which will see a notice issued and if that is not complied with after 28 days an order will be issued to remove to remove the structure.
Another contentious item on the agenda was the Lower Clarence Flood Model 2022 update and Flood Planning Levels following the completion of a high-level review by consultants Jeremy Benn Pacific.
Among five points Councillors voted on, was whether interim Flood Planning Levels should be placed on public exhibition for a minimum of 28 days, a recommendation of the Floodplain Risk Management Committee.
The second last item on the agenda was for councillors to vote on whether to follow the council staff recommendation and accept the tender from Bennett Constructions for Yamba Library and Community Centre Redevelopment at a cost of $16,256,053.00, plus delegate to the General Manager to approve appropriately deemed variations to the contract.
The project has Bushfire Local Economic Recovery funding of $11,107,882, leaving a shortfall of $5,148,171 that council has to contribute.
The final item on the September agenda before confidential business was a vote by councillors to accept the tender from Hines Construction Pty Ltd for the Regional Aquatic Centre at a cost of $29,141,586, which council staff recommended.
Funding for the pool is still to be finalised after council was advised its application for $7.5 million Community Asset Program funding was unsuccessful.
The CV Independent will report on the outcomes of these and other motions from the September council meeting in the October 4 edition.