Clarence Valley News

Smoke alarm proposal fires up councillors

Published

12 months ago

2 August 2023

Liam

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Smoke alarm proposal fires up councillors

By Tim Howard

Good intentions have not been enough to get local support for stronger legislation to install and maintain smoke alarms in manufactured homes and caravans.

At the latest Clarence Valley Council meeting Cr Alison Whaites brought forward a notice of motion calling for the NSW Government to beef up planning laws to ensure relocatable home style residential development that targets seniors, places responsibility for annual testing and maintenance of smoke alarms with the complex management and not the individual unit owner.

Cr Whaites NOM also included submitting a similar motion to the 2023 Local Government Annual Conference and seeking the support of the Member for Clarence Richie Williamson in the matter.

The NOM was in some regards inspired by the recent death in Yamba of an elderly woman when her home burnt down.

In answering question on her motion, Cr Whaites outlined the costs associated with installing and maintaining smoke alarms.

“The one that you actually get for a residential tenancy through real estate is $109 a year and they do the 10-year smoke alarm with the 10-year smoke alarm battery as well,” she said.

“They also go annually to check and they also check between tenancies so the tenant leads they go check it as well and it’s a one cost.”

She said in a two-storey home, where an extra alarm would be installed attracted the same $109 fee.

She added hardwiring an alarm using an electrician was a different thing.

During debate councillors praised Cr Whaites for bringing the NOM to the meeting, but several were concerned there could be unexpected consequences from the proposal.

Good intentions have not been enough to get local support for stronger legislation to install and maintain smoke alarms in manufactured homes and caravans.

Speaking to her motion, Cr Whaites legislation to include make smoke alarms mandatory in manufactured home estates was needed so NSW could catch up with other states like South Australia, Victoria and Queensland, where from 2027 all homes must have a smoke alarm.

“As you can see in NSW. All you need is a $10 battery and a $10 smoke alarm from Bunnings,” she said.

“That’s all we need for our state. So I do see there is a big gap in this.”

But Cr Peter Johnstone worried the legislation would curtail some people’s rights.

“This motion would give some of the same responsibilities and rights to the operator of the community, as the person who owns the land’s investor,” he said.

“It’s the same as the person who owns the land, the land is called home by a renter. To me, that’s a step too far.”

Cr Karen Toms said this sort of legislation “reactionary” and was an attempt to take “try and change law to take someone’s responsibility away and make somebody else responsible for what they should be responsible for.”

Cr Pickering also argued against the need for change and pointed out elderly residents could take advantage of offers from NSW Fire and Rescue and the Rural Fire Service who were happy to install and check up on fire alarms for private citizens if asked.

“There are many many resources to check these smoke alarms,” he said.

“If we take the onus off the homeowner we’re adding more red tape onto business it’s another it’ll be another legislative requirement. It will have to be reported on.”

Cr Bill Day was surprised at the fuss and supported the motion.

“There’s no harm in this motion. None at all,” he said. “There is significant potential benefit.

“Other states have passed similar legislation. There’s no reason why NSW shouldn’t catch up.”

Cr Debrah Novak sought to amend the motion to have it workshopped by councils and return at a later date, but this was defeated.

Cr Whaites, in her reply, said her NOM was not a reaction to the death of the woman in Yamba, but as a result of her involvement in the real estate industry since 2009.

“It’s not a reaction. It was just an example of what can actually happen in one of these estates,” she said.

“Thank goodness it didn’t go on to the next one and then the next one, the next one and burn them all down.

“I don’t understand why the councillors don’t trust me on this. Like I said I’ve been doing for a long time. And I know that legislation back the front.

“Yes, we’re responsible for our own lives but at the end of the day, we’re here to support our community and our age community like Cr Novak has stated.”

Crs Whaites, Novak, Day and Jeff Smith voted for the motion, but the other five were against and it was lost.

For more local Clarence Valley news, click here.

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Clarence Valley News

Community group’s council audit delayed

Published

3 days ago

24 July 2024

Liam

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Community group’s council audit delayed

By Tim Howard

A community group supposedly the target of a Clarence Valley Council audit in February 2024 over the cost of its interactions with council has pointed out the audit has not been completed. The General Manager, Laura Black commented, “I anticipate it will take a couple of months.”

The secretary of Yamba Community Action Network (YambaCAN), Lynne Cairns, said this week’s council business paper included a report, Council Meeting Checklist – update on actions taken.

The report revealed staff had not completed the action, the result of a council resolution at the February 2024 council meeting.

“On page 175 of the business paper there is a note next to the item,” Ms Cairns said.

“It reads: ‘Staff responsible for collating information have been diverted to prepare and respond to legal action taken against council by an executive member of YambaCan’.”

Ms Cairns said this was incorrect as no-one on the YambaCAN executive had taken legal action against the council.

She was aware of some matters concerning the council a member of YambaCAN had taken to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

“These matters were not matters concerning YambaCAN and the member who brought them was not acting for YambaCAN,” Ms Cairns said.

“I’m concerned this is some disinformation that somehow YambaCAN is responsible for delaying council’s investigation of its actions.

“YambaCAN is requesting an apology from council for the incorrect information in the business paper.”

The resolution read: that the general manager advises, by way of a report the:

1. allocation of resources required to respond to GIPAs submitted by YambaCan since January 2022.

2. allocation of resources required to respond to RFI (Request for Information) submitted by YambaCan since January 2022.

3. any cost implications of delays to delivering the Yamba Community Precinct project since January 2022.

The matter was passed 5-4, but debate was fiery.

Cr Karen Toms brought it as a notice of motion to alert the public to the costs the group’s GIPA requests and requests for information were incurring.

But other councillors said these costs were part of council operating openly and transparently.

Cr Greg Clancy was concerned the motion focused on just one group when council records showed it was responsible for a fraction of the requests.

“As seen in the listing of GIPA applications on council’s website, there are 22 GIPA applications and only six of these refer to YambaCAN,” he told the February meeting.

He also revealed YambaCAN had lodged a request for information, however were informed that there were 290 requests for information previously lodged by others that were waiting to be processed.

Ms Cairns was concerned that with the council going into caretaker mode on August 16, ahead of the September local government elections, council could not effectively decide on the matter.

There will be report on the outcome of this matter and other matters at council in next week’s edition of The Northern Rivers Times.

For more Yamba news, click here.

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Clarence Valley News

Clarence Valley Country Muster

Published

1 week ago

17 July 2024

Liam

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Clarence Valley Country Muster

If you are missing the country sounds from Tamworth, fret not, as the Clarence Valley Country Muster is just around the corner.

Expanded from two days to four, the event will start on July 25^th and go to July 28^th at 11 Coulters Lane, Ulmarra, near Grafton.

You will enjoy artists such as Jade Hurley, John, Lloyd, Jack Watson, Lindsay Waddington and Jamie Davis.

Special guest artists, Paul Ricketts, Winner of the Thornton Young Award and Nay McAplin, Winner of the Walk Ups in July, will also make an appearance.

Your comperes for the main stage will be Terry Gordon OAM and Ken ‘Chainsaw’ Lindsay.

And bring those nerves with you, as from 10.30am on Thursday, aspiring artists can take their turn on the microphone, with John Lloyd hosting the walk-ups.

All acts will be vying for a gig at next July’s event.

Now is the time to grab a group of friends or family members and book your spot by heading to their website www.cvcmuster.com.au or calling Wendy Gordon on 0432 741947.

Gates open for early arrival at the muster site on Tuesday, July 23.

For $120 per person, you can enjoy a full week of camping, camaraderie and entertainment at one of the best value-for-money festivals in the Clarence Valley.

Check out is Tuesday, July 30.

If you have a fire pit, bring it along as wood will be supplied.

There will be songs around the campfire, best dressed Christmas and party games and a big finale on the Sunday.

For more local Clarence Valley news, click here.

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Clarence Valley News

NSW BUDGET: NOTHING FOR RICHMOND AND CLARENCE VALLEYS COST OF LIVING CRISIS, BUT SOME WINS

Published

4 weeks ago

27 June 2024

Liam

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NSW BUDGET: NOTHING FOR RICHMOND AND CLARENCE VALLEYS COST OF LIVING CRISIS, BUT SOME WINS

The NSW Labor Government’s 18 June Budget does nothing to alleviate the growing cost of living problems in the Richmond and Clarence Valleys, although there is some good news for the region, according to Clarence Nationals MP Richie Williamson.

“Everywhere I go, every local I talk to, they all say the same thing: we’re struggling with rising costs – why isn’t the Government helping?” Mr Williamson said.

Mr Williamson said that he was all for working cooperatively with the Government, but there was mounting evidence Sydney Labor is “out of town, out of touch and the budget is out of control”.

“Calls to reinstate the $250 fuel card for regional seniors, students and apprentices have fallen on deaf ears, but Sydney seniors now enjoy $2-a-day Gold Passes on Sydney’s massive and massively subsidised public transport system as well as toll relief for Sydneysiders,” Mr Williamson said.

“Calls to save the Ulmarra ferry from Labor’s axe met a similar fate, at the same time as Labor is buying a fleet of new ferries for Sydney and took over another Sydney ferry service that has lower patronage than Ulmarra to Southgate.”

Mr Williamson did acknowledge the Government’s ongoing funding of the previous Liberals and Nationals Government’s Grafton Base Hospital rebuild, the allocation of $6.2m in the fight against White Spot disease in local rivers as well as a “welcome” $90m boost for the Resilient Homes Program, following the 2022 floods.

“These are crumbs compared to what Labor is lavishing on its Sydney heartland,” Mr Williamson cautioned.

“The Richmond and Clarence Valleys provide the timber for Sydney homes, the beef for Sydney dinners as well as the sugar and milk for Sydney cappuccinos.

“That needs to be acknowledged and we deserve our fair share,” Mr Williamson concluded.”

For more Richmond Valley news, click here.

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