Rodney Stevens

Clarence Valley Councillors met in Grafton on Tuesday, July 25, for the second last time before the election of a new Mayor and Deputy Mayor in September, faced with a 145-page agenda.

• The first Notice of Motion comes from Cr Allison Whaites in the wake of the tragic death of a 73-year-old woman at Palm Lake Resort Yamba after a faulty electric blanket sparked a fire in her home.

The motion calls on council to write to the Minister for Planning, Paul Scully, and the Member for Clarence, Richie Williamson, plus submit a motion to the Local Government Annual Conference seeking legislative change “to ensure that relocatable home style residential development that targets seniors, places responsibility for annual testing and maintenance of smoke alarms with the complex management and not the individual unit owner.”

• With the news that the election of new leaders is imminent, Cr Whaites second Notice of Motion calls for a review of code of meeting practice.

It has been 18 months since councillors set the current council meeting dates and times and the motion proposes different meeting times to allow more community members, business owners, full time workers and parents attend council meetings.

“With this council term being shortened due to Covid 19 lockdown, this will give an opportunity for business owners, workers and full time stay at home parents and mothers the opportunity to put their hand up and run for the next council election in 2024,” the motion states.

• Councillors will also vote on whether to amend the Clarence Valley Local Environmental Plan 2011 to revoke the determination to permit a Rural Supplies store on Yamba Road, between the pump station and Palmers Island Store, Palmers Island.

After a suggestion by council to move access to the quieter Yamba Street was rejected by the proponent, both Transport for NSW and council staff are concerned a Rural Supplies store operating would compromise the safety and operation of Yamba Road.

• Following a successful motion by Deputy Mayor Greg Clancy in November 2022 to call on the state government to ban the retail sale of Second-Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides SGAR councillors will vote on a motion to discontinue purchasing the product.

Chemicals in SGAR’s have a longer life than the First-Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides FGAR recommended by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority which can lead to the secondary poisoning of birds or native predatory animals, a key concern of groups like Birdlife Australia.

• The permanent closure of part of Sunart Street, Road Reserve, Maclean, will be voted on by councillors following a period on public exhibition where one submission was received. If councillors vote on the officer’s recommendation to permanently close part of the Road Reserve, the land ownership will be transferred to the adjoining landholders after the submitted a joint request to close and purchase the property.

Due to print deadlines and the scheduling of CVC meetings, the CV Independent will report on these and other outcomes of the CVC July meeting in the August 2 edition.