PORT Stephens Council gathered for their ordinary meeting on Tuesday 9 July.

On the agenda was a development application on Government Rd at Nelson Bay, the approval of a section of the Port Stephens Development Control Plan dealing with trees and local plants and native wildlife, as well as resolving the final area of mapping for the Housing Development Plan, left over from the previous meeting on 25 June.

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A number of business matters were closed to the public, owing to the fact that they dealt with the sale and purchase of land for various Council purposes.

Of some interest were two Notices of Motion that could have some long-term impact on Port Stephens.

The first was put forward by Cr Giacomo Arnott, and requested that the General Manager commence a consultation process with neighbouring local government areas (LGA) to adjust the LGA boundaries along bodies of water.

Citing the potential for complexity or confusion around the ongoing maintenance of shorelines, Cr Arnott has suggested that boundaries be officially redrawn to lay in the middle of bodies of water, ensuring that neighbouring LGAs are responsible for maintenance of their individual shores.

The second Notice of Motion was put forward by Cr Jason Wells and requests that the General Manager begin investigating ways to ‘enhance the maintenance’ of unsealed, gravel roads in Port Stephens.

Citing recent, continuous rainfall and its detrimental effect on these roads, the hope is that more timely methods of assessing and addressing maintenance issues will be approved.

By Lindsay HALL