QUESTIONS continue to be raised about the use of a Mayoral Minute by Port Stephens Mayor Ryan Palmer at the 22 February meeting of Council.

While operating within Council rules, questions have been raised within the community about the fairness of its use in the recent attempted sale of 109 Foreshore Drive.

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The Mayoral Minute delivered at the Council meeting on 22 February, saw the Mayor introduce the motion to sell the land at 109 Foreshore Drive.

He then moved the motion, spoke to the motion, ruled the motion to be urgent, used the right of reply on the motion, put the motion, voted on the motion, exercised his casting vote on the motion and declared the motion carried.

He then adjudicated on the dissent motion against his own motion, voted on the dissent motion, exercised his casting vote on the dissent motion, and then declared it lost on his casting vote.

Port Stephens Councillor Leah Anderson told News Of The Area, “The fight continues for 109 Foreshore Drive to be reclassified to community land.

“I sent to Council my notice of motion, twelve days before the next Council meeting, to put the iconic waterfront block of land known as 109 Foreshore Drive, back on the Council agenda for fresh community feedback via consultation to re-classify the land and make it safe from being sold.

“I was surprised and shocked when the Mayor put up an urgent Mayoral Minute, an hour before the Council meeting, to sell this same block of land, to fund very important community projects, and to make my Notice of Motion a lost cause.”

Ms Anderson has questioned why Mr Palmer did not submit the plan to urgently sell the land as a notice of motion, to give Councillors time to think about the issue before voting.

“I do not know why he did not put this to Councillors twelve days earlier as a notice of motion, like I had to.

“Councillors did not even get to decide not only to sell the land, but what projects should be funded if so.

“I personally feel what was done was wrong, and I am sure most of the community feel the same.”

Dick Appleby is a long term resident of Port Stephens, and his vast experiences include being an activist, a union official and a company director.

Mr Appleby is challenging the use of the Mayoral Minute and the Mayor’s casting votes.

“I always took the view that as chair of a meeting, your primary role was to facilitate the debate by assisting all the debaters to fully explore the issue and reach a well-considered resolution of the matter at hand.

“If the Mayor really wanted to get this up with some credibility and respect he could have moved an amendment to the existing notice of motion to put his proposal on public exhibition as an alternative to the one being proposed, or he could have just let the Councillors debate the original motion and reach a sensible majority decision based on the facts presented.

“These disgraceful tactics just encourage disrespectful behaviour and rancour in the Council meetings and leave the Mayor embroiled in controversy instead of being impartial, above the fray and commanding the respect that his office deserves.”

Mr Appleby is calling for our State Member to look into the ongoing use of Mayoral Minutes.

“I cannot find a reason why they exist, and there must be some history somewhere for these ‘god Powers’ to have been granted to Mayors somewhere in the distant past,” he said.

In regards to community concerns relating to the use of the Mayor’s casting vote to break voting deadlocks on Council decisions, Tony Wickham, Governance Section Manager, Port Stephens Council said, “All Council meetings are conducted in accordance with Council’s adopted Code of Meeting Practice.

“The adopted Code of Meeting Practice is based on the Model Code of Meeting Practice for Local Councils in NSW.

“The Mayor or their representative presiding over the meeting can use their casting vote for or against a motion or amendment.

“The Mayor or their representative can also decline to use their casting vote.

“This rule applies to all Councils in NSW and has done so for many years,” he said.

Mayor Palmer was contacted by News Of The Area on the use of Mayoral Minutes, but declined to comment.

By Marian SAMPSON