Lynne Cairns – Clarence Valley meet your candidates

By Tim Howard

The Clarence Valley Council has gone into caretaker mode ahead of the September 14 election.

It’s given 17 community members, including six current councillors to stand for election.

The Northern Rivers Times has given all 17 a chance to introduce themselves to the electorate.

Sixteen of them have grabbed the opportunity. Phillip Provest did not reply to the invitation.

Lynne Cairns

Yamba’s Lynne Cairns has been a vocal leader of her community and has chosen to stand for council for the first time.

I’m not a member of a political party and will continue advocating for the whole Clarence Valley community.

My core values are honesty, integrity, commitment and compassion.

My husband, Bob, and I have lived and worked in the Clarence Valley for more than 30 years. I worked in the departments of Planning and Natural Resources Grafton (Geographical Information Systems, Water, Vegetation and Compliance Sections), Roads and Maritime Services Grafton (Sanctions and Prosecutions) and Local Government.

Bob worked as County Engineer Flood Mitigation and Senior Project Manager Pacific Highway upgrades.

I have supported our community by working tirelessly to preserve the character and lifestyle in the Clarence Valley by:

• Presenting in NSW Parliament House: Parliamentary Inquiry, “the planning system and the impacts of climate change on the environment and communities.”
• Giving evidence to the Land and Environment Court in relation to inappropriate development on the floodplain.
• Providing presentations to the Northern Regional Planning Panel about unsustainable developments.
• Making deputations to Council.
• Lodging submissions and petitions in relation to Council’s policies, strategies, development applications and plans.

 The main issues for me are:

• Improving transparency and accountability to rebuild confidence and trust in Council and Councillors.
• Encouraging Councillors to unite in supporting the community.
• Better community consultation including advertising in the local newspaper.
• Supporting Maclean Hospital and redevelopment of Grafton Base Hospital.
• Affordable housing in appropriate locations with adequate infrastructure and services to cope with the increased population.
• Filling of floodplains for residential development. I am not against development; however, I oppose inappropriate and unsustainable development that adversely impacts existing residents. Homes on floodplains are becoming uninsurable. Clarence Valley LGA has the highest flood risk in NSW in each of the social, economic and natural environment categories.
• Ensuring resilience and sustainability in times of natural disasters.
• Ensuring financial stability and responsible spending. The amount of debt, loan repayments, ongoing maintenance costs and reserves for depreciation are of concern. Ratepayers’ money must be spent wisely and needs to be focused on essential infrastructure.
• I am opposed to a Special Rate Variation as it will increase the cost of living and homelessness.
• I oppose all mining in the Valley impacting the natural, economic and cultural values.
• Securing funding for a water filtration system for the Clarence Valley water supply. Clean drinking water is essential.
• Supporting all people in the Clarence Valley to preserve the character and lifestyle for our future generations.

Questions

Ahead of the September 14 local government election we have asked all 17 candidates a series of questions testing their response to some of the major concerns of the community. Rates and what the council does with the money is a perennial issue.

Rates

1. Can you guarantee voters that you will not support a special rate variation (SRV) above the annual rate pegging limit in the next term of council?
2. If council can’t increase income via a rate rise, what can it do to balance its books?
3. How can councils help ratepayers with the cost of living issues facing communities?

Answer 1: Ratepayers have been assured that council is travelling satisfactorily financially.

If this is the case there should be no reason for an SRV and I would not support it.

Future rate rises would depend on the government’s allowable rate rise covering council’s rising costs.

If councillors have been misled and this is not the case some probing questions need to be asked and answered and appropriate action taken.

Answer 2: Council must adjust their expenses to fit their budget.

Extraneous, grandiose infrastructures need to be curtailed, attracting unnecessary debt, and focus shifted to essential maintenance of existing assets and provision of essential services. Government cost shifting must be resisted to the best of councils’ ability.

Answer 3: Council has a limited budget and cannot currently carry out all projects and services. Affordable housing developments off the flood plain, developed by charities and appropriate developers is a possibility, however any subsidies from development costs for infrastructure could lead to extra payments from existing ratepayers.

This is largely a State and Federal issue

Read about all the councillors in this weeks edition of The Northern Rivers Times. For more 2024 Local Elections News, click here.