Armidale Cr Margaret O'Connor expressed the opinion that Armidale Regional Council was a "do nothing" council during a debate at the Armidale Regional Council's November monthly meeting, but Mayor Simon Murray has it back saying the statement is just incorrect.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Cr O'Connor was critical her own council while speaking against a response to the climate emergency resolution motion put by Cr Di Gray.
The response pushed the due date of the final report to be presented to council back three months, from April to July next year which will be after the 2020/21 budget.
ALSO READ:
"We unanimously declared a climate emergency and that's what we have," she said.
"We didn't pass a motion to move deck chairs on the Titanic. We need to act on this. We make ourselves liars if we pass this motion by kicking the can down the road to July 2020.
"We don't need that much time, and this is just giving us more of the reputation that we already have of being a do nothing council."
Cr O'Connor stood by her comments after council held its final monthly meeting for this year at Guyra on Wednesday afternoon.
"Did I say that? I stand by it. And I'm referring to this current [council], not the previous one that I was on, but this one," she said.
She agreed she had an issue with this council and the way it was operating.
"I voted against last year's budget for that reason," she said.
Mayor Simon Murray said he considered Cr O'Connor to be wrong.
"The Malpas Pipeline, The Roundabout, the Business Park and work on Kempsey Road, we got tankers of water into Guyra, that's a few things just off the top of my head. So, do nothing - I don't think so," he said.
"It might be a case of us not doing the things she might like, but it's still not a do nothing council.
"You only have to go and listen to the wider community, just the other day when we went down to Lower Creek, those people are so appreciative of our council for what our staff have done in supporting then in the bushfire."
Cr Murray said even though council was not the leading agency it had been giving support.
"Go up to the Ebor community, when we've been having those community meetings after the fires, the community is very much recognising the support our council provides.
"So we're not a do nothing council. We're a very supportive council and to make those sorts of statements is factually incorrect and morally incorrect."
Have your say. Click this link to send a letter to the editor.
