Susanna Freymark
Here is a summary of the July 8 Kyogle Council meeting.
You can listen to the podcast meeting in full here.
There is only one more council meeting before the September 14 elections. That meeting is on August 12.
It’s a good idea to come along to a council meeting and see how the process works and to see what the councillors do – especially if you are voting for any of them. Come and see them in action.
Present at the meeting were mayor Kylie Webster, deputy mayor Tom Cooper, councillors Janet Wilson, James Murray, Rob Cullen, John Burley and Danielle Mulholland.
Councillors Hayden Doolan and Maggie May were at the meeting via video link.
Part of the public forum on July 8 was heated. Read about that here.
‘How much can a koala bear?’
Mr Burley wants the council to investigate the feasibility of establishing a koala sanctuary within the 16 hectares recently purchased by the council at Fairy Mount.
“Let the community come forward and express their desires and interests,” Mr Burley said.
“And have this ready for when a grant comes and grab the grant.”
Acting general manager Chris White said when the council acquired the land it was about improving public access to Fairy Mount and for bike trail development.
Mr Cooper asked how many acres would be needed for koala habitat and whether fences were needed.
“How much land does a koala need to bear? he said. There were a few quiet chuckles.
“I’m not against it, I’m for it,” Mr Cooper said.
Mr Murray wasn’t so keen.
“Koalas range 30–80km a night,” he said.
“As far as fencing goes I did hear about fencing at Woodburn. When fire came through Tabbimoble, 45 koalas died because they couldn’t get over the fence.”
“I don’t see how locking up 16 hectares will make any difference.”
(FACT CHECK: IndyNR.com did ask local koala expert Maria Matthes how far koalas travelled and she said it was rare for young males to travel even 20–40km in one night. Koalas tended to stay in their home range and if they did travel that far it would be over several weeks. A koala was rescued during the fires at Tabbimoble and named Tabby but Ms Matthes could not confirm that 45 koalas were burned at the fence.)
Ms Mulholland asked what the cost was of a biodiversity assessment.
Mr White said between $40,000-$50,000 for a feasibility study.
“Are there any other dedicated areas for koala sanctuary?” Ms Mulholland said.
Mr White said no council land was a sanctuary.
The agenda notes included this information about the land being considered.
‘The subject land is not mapped on the NSW Government’s Biodiversity Values Map as land that is of high biodiversity value due to the presence of habitat for endangered species such as the koala. The subject land is also not identified in the Regional Koala Conservation Strategy as land earmarked for protection, restoration or creation of koala habitat, although part of a land parcel owned by Council directly adjacent to Roseberry and Wyndham streets is identified as land suitable for restoration as koala habitat.’
All councillors except Mr Murray voted for Mr Burley’s motion to investigate the possibility of a dedicated koala habitat at Fairy Mount.
GM issue raised again
Things got heated when Ms Wilson asked a question about the appointment of a new GM.
The background to the question was:
It is reported in the Australian Rural and Regional News on February 12, 2024, as follows:
“The Mayor said in her comments during this difficult time, that the next council would decide who would be the next GM. This is a prudent approach to employing new personnel approaching an election in September.”
The question was:
“Has the Mayor changed her mind about the proper protocols, supported by the Office of Local Government and a long history in local government of observing this protocol and in keeping with the guiding Principles of the Local Government Act, for the employment of a new general manager?”
The article quoted by Ms Wilson was first published on IndyNR.com and written by Susanna Freymark. You can read it here. The article quotes Ms Wilson’s background briefing to her question at the February meeting which included the above quote which was in the council’s agenda notes.
Ms Wilson said the mayor has not answered her question about appointing a GM.
“It’s time for the mayor to answer this question,” Ms Wilson said.
“I’m asking you – what has happened that changed your mind to go for an immediate appointment before the election?”
Ms Webster said, “Every attempt you’ve made to ask this question – you have misquoted me.”
“The word I said is – it is common practice.”
Ms Webster said her understanding of what common practice for councils was had changed by further information based on what Tenterfield Council did and “this changed my mind.”
Ms Wilson cited information from the Office of Local Government where employment of a GM prior to the election is not a good look for a council.
“Irrespective of what other councils do, we do not have to run to the bottom of the pile,” Ms Wilson said.
Ms Mulholland asked Ms Webster if she had contacted the sources that she says misquoted her.
“We’re done with this point. Let’s move on,” Ms Webster said.
“The question and response are not meant to be argumentative.”
Ms Mulholland said they were not being argumentative.
“I think our role is to ask robust questions,” she said.
Fixing roads – which ones next?
There were a few questions from councillors about the monthly progress report.
Mr Murray asked about the time frame for Mt Lindesay Road.
Acting director of Assets and Infrastructure Derryn Nix said Transport for NSW had been told that Mt Lindesay Road is the council’s top priority.
Mr Cullen wanted to know about the footpath to Wiangaree Public School, Lilian Rock Road at Barkers Vale and line marking for disabled parking outside the Roxy Theatre.
Mr Nix said they couldn’t do anything about Lilian Rock Road until the landslip is repaired by a contractor.
“It will take a couple of months,” he said.
Mr White said the Wiangaree footpath was costed in 2002 but would cost $170,000 today. The footpath is part of the Wiangaree village masterplan.
Mr Murray asked about the grading of Knights/Bolan Road which he said was supposed to be graded by the end of June.
Mr Nix said it was on their priority list.
Ms Mulholland asked about the progress on roads in Tabulam.
“The potholes are out of control,” she said.
“We do West of the Range villages one day a week,” Mr Nix said.
Tabulam should have been done last week.
A change of direction for art in Kyogle
Resident Lindy Worgan spoke at the beginning of the meeting about a new organisation called Arts Kyogle.
“We have a new name. We have a dynamic new committee with varied skill sets. Visual arts, musical arts, performing arts, film, television and photography. We are all busy community members who are keen to see the arts showcased and nurtured in Kyogle.”
The new group had two workshop sessions with Arts Northern Rivers to set the future for Arts Kyogle.
Ms Worgan spoke about working with the council and getting support for the new arts body.
“We are intending to become a knowledge resource for emerging artists in the community, a “where to from here” type of knowledge to assist with finding grants, workshops.”
Arts Kyogle will be a point of contact, a central arts hub, she said.
“A common thread between ANR, Arts Kyogle and Council would give this hub its best chance of succeeding.”
Ms Worgan recently returned from Roma to see the Sculptures Outback Exhibition.
“Every day there were hundreds of visitors walking through the sculptures. Sure, some stopped to look while travelling through, but there must have been many who went there specifically to see them then stayed and spent,” she said.
We are hoping to work on an outdoor sculpture exhibit in Kyogle in the next couple of years, Ms Worgan said.
“A lot yet to plan and you will hear from us once we have some facts and figures. We have our own sculptors and there are many in surrounding areas.”
Kyogle Council has a seat on the Regional Board of Arts Northern Rivers and the council contributes a small amount of funding to the regional organisation to support furthering their work to support the local government area.
There are five important areas of work that ANR has undertaken recently for the Kyogle LGA :
1. Business Workshops for Creatives such as the Kyogle Writers Festival.
2. Awarding Kyogle Readers and Writers a $5,000 Country Arts Support Program fund for its creative residency program in late 2024.
3. Art on Bundjalung Market with 2000 attendees generating $34,000 income for stall holders and artists.
4. A two-day workshop with the Kyogle and District Arts Council resulting in a revitalised organisation now called Arts Kyogle representing a broad range of practitioners .
5. Continuing support for the First Nations following on from the Encounters Project which put Kyogle into The Australian National Museum and the Kew Gardens in London through the collection of Mary Bundock.
and then