Council puts Bunker Gallery grant on hold Coffs Coast Coffs Coast by News Of The Area - Modern Media - March 7, 2025 The grant to the Bunker Cartoon Gallery will be decided by a Council committee. WHAT might have been a straightforward grant of $60,000 to the Bunker Cartoon Gallery has been delayed because five City of Coffs Harbour councillors received electoral funding from a gallery board member. While this sounds contentious, the councillors all declared the conflict of interest and recused themselves from voting on the grant last year. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au This meant there was no longer a quorum of councillors for the vote. Councillor Cath Fowler moved for the General Manager alone to make the decision but Cr Julie Sechi moved an amended motion, which was passed. As a result, a committee of the councillors without a conflict, plus the General Manager, will decide on the funding motion. Cr Tony Judge said he was a “bit surprised that all Councillors, including those with a declared conflict, were asked to decide on three options for how we should resolve the issue”. “However, I understand it was on advice from the Office of Local Government,” he said. The Bunker Cartoon Gallery released a statement expressing disappointment that the previously approved grant was in limbo, and that the Board had been given no notice of the issue. Mayor Nikki Williams said given the grant was already approved by the former Council, it “could have easily been approved by the GM”. “I’m more than happy for a Council committee to make the decision,” she said. Cr Judge went on to say, “I am aware that $60,000 was allocated in the 2024-25 budget as a subsidy for the National Cartoon Gallery. “However, Council staff have referred the decision to release that funding to Councillors, noting financial issues. “I support the decision of our staff to ask Councillors to review the payment of a significant amount of ratepayers’ money.” Cr Williams stressed that all councillors who received donations did the right thing and declared them – and that they were from an individual, not the Gallery. Cr Judge said the incident was a reminder of the “importance of considering conflict of interest before we participate in any Council debate”. “I am satisfied that we reached a solution in the end that preserves the integrity of Council decision making,” he said. By Andrew VIVIAN
