Rodney Stevens
Clarence Valley councillors met for the final time in 2023 at the Maclean Chambers on Tuesday, December 19, with several important items on the agenda.
As this edition is the last for the Clarence Valley Independent in 2023, we will report on the outcomes of council’s December meeting in our first edition back for 2024, January 10.
The first item on the agenda is a Mayoral Minute about the Grafton Base Hospital redevelopment where councillors will vote on writing to the NSW Premier and NSW Health Minister seeking an urgent meeting to confirm the redevelopment will proceed as planned, plus it will confirm council’s commitment to the project and notify Richie Williamson and Kevin Hogan advising of the situation.
The next notice of motion by Cr Debrah Novak proposes that council write to Clarence State MP Richie Williamson and ask him to advocate to the NSW Attorney General Michael Daley for the reopening of the Maclean Court House to its previous five days a week, as currently it is only open on four court sitting days per month.
Also from Cr Novak, the third notice of motion is an attempt to establish a set of guidelines for those towns interested in lighting up their CBD any time of the year, the motion calls for a focus group to be formed and expressions of interest from stakeholders to partner with council to fund Christmas decorations across the valley.
Councillors voted on DA 2020/0729 for an 86-lot subdivision and retail premises, including shops, food and drink premises and a pub on Brooms Head Road at Gulmarrad.
The development application DA 2023/0627 for the $13.5 million Regional Fire Control Centre at Grafton Airport was next on the agenda, with council noting the DA will be approved by the Northern Regional Planning Panel NRPP on February 20, and a council resolution is required if council wish to make a submission to the NRPP.
Council also voted on modifying the DA for The Surf Yamba, at 2 Queen Street, to enable the service of alcohol from the roof top area of the motel on Wednesday’s, Friday’s, and Saturday’s between 4pm and 6pm.
A request to alter the boundary location and permit access to Iluka Road for both lots of an approved two lot subdivision at 135 Adams Street, Woombah, which was recommended by council staff, will be considered by councillors.
Councillors also voted on delegating authority to General Manager, Laura Black, to accept tenders for sewer main rehabilitation, which will involve the relining of 3,100 metres of sewer main ranging from 150mm to 400mm in diameter in the Grafton, South Grafton, Maclean and Yamba areas, with council budgeting $1.5 million in the 2023-24 Operational Plan for sewer main rehabilitation.