No date yet for pool opening

By Tim Howard

There is no firm date set for the opening of the Clarence Regional Aquatic Centre after rain delayed a pre-Christmas opening.

Clarence Valley Council general manager Laura Black said more than 327mm of rain fell in Grafton between October and mid-December, causing delays that could not be overcome.

Ms Black praised the builders, Hines Construction and their dedicated sub-contractors, for trying to overcome the hurdles the weather placed in front of them.

“Hines Construction and their dedicated sub-contractors, many of whom are local, worked  through to Christmas Eve in an effort to complete as much of the outdoor facilities as possible by the end of January 2025,” she said.

The indoor pools, splashpad, and remaining project components are expected to be finished by the end of February 2025.

“We know the community will be disappointed having had no pool for the last couple of summers, as are council’s project managers who have been working hard behind the scenes to deliver the much-needed facility on budget,” she said.

“We are fortunate to have a good relationship with the contractor who continues to make strides, including completing the final sections of structural steel, installing the hydronic in-floor heating system around the indoor pool, and putting up shade structures for the 50m pool, splashpad, and grassed areas.”

Ms Black said some progress had been made despite the wet conditions.

She said concrete work, including the installation of pathways and core filling the blocks at the rear of the 50m pool building, tiling in the front-of-house amenities and pool areas, went ahead in the lead up to the Christmas break.

And just before Christmas Essential Energy installed the new substation and main switchboard for the pool.

Ms Black said council had also used the time to plan for the opening when it was possible.

“Despite the wet weather delay, enthusiasm for organising the celebratory opening has not been dampened. Staff met with councillors to discuss ideas,” she said.

The formal opening will occur in the first few months of 2025, after the complex is operationally opened for public access, to allow for representatives of the funding bodies to be present.

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Nymboida power station future not electric

By Tim Howard

A century on from the opening of the Nymboida Hydro Electric Power Station which brought electric lighting to Grafton, there has been a less electric celebration of the event.

Late last month about 120 residents and visitors explored the historic Nymboida Hydro-Electric Power Station during guided tours held as part of its 100th-anniversary celebrations on Sunday November 24.

Opened on November 25, 1924, by Dr Earl Page, the station marked a significant milestone when it brought electric lighting to Grafton for the first time.

Clarence Valley Mayor Ray Smith officially commenced the celebrations, warmly welcoming attendees, honoured guests, and families of former employees.

“The Nymboida Power Station is a remarkable building, brimming with character and history,” he said.

“The station, initially established by the Clarence River County Council (CRCC), has been managed by various public authorities over the years including the CRCC, Northern Rivers County Council (NRCC), Northern Rivers Electricity, Country Energy, and Essential Energy.

“In 2021, Clarence Valley Council acquired the infrastructure and the water license from Essential Energy to secure the drinking water supply for the Clarence Valley and Coffs Harbour regions.”

The current water licence only permits water to be extracted for drinking water purposes, so unfortunately it is not possible to either reopen the power station for generating electricity or release high flows down Goolang Creek for white water rafting and canoeing.

During its operational years, the Nymboida Power Station utilised water from the Nymboida River, returning it downstream to Goolang Creek—a testament to its innovative design and enduring legacy.

A century after it brought electric lighting to Grafton for the first time, the Nymboida Power Station’s future is yet to be decided.

Community leader Lyle Gilmore played a key role in organising the event and joined council’s manager of technical services Greg Mashiah along with former employee Peter Nixon, to lead guided tours sharing their extensive knowledge and insights into the iconic building and its rich history.

Deputy mayor Cr Greg Clancy said now that since council took ownership of the building and water infrastructure from Essential Energy in 2021, some use needed to be made of the building.

He recalled there had been investigations into repairing the turbines at the station, which had been damaged during 2013 floods and generating electricity, but this was no longer feasible.

In 2013 a bulkhead containing pipes that carried water from the Nymboida River to the power station failed.

The rush of water through the power station damaged the turbines in the power station and also wrecked the white water rafting course on Goolang Creek downstream of the power station.

“There was $300,000 allocated to the notion that we investigate re-establishing power generation, but it never happened,” Cr Clancy said.

“Now it could never happen because the Department of Water has brought in new restrictions that wouldn’t allow enough water for power generation.”

Cr Clancy said there had also been some environmental concerns about the effect of flows from the power stations on the banks of Goolang Creek and Blaxlands Creek further downstream.

“It probably wouldn’t have done them much good, but they’ve been doing it for basically 90 years,” he said.

“It may be that stopping is has allowed the creeks to re-establish their natural banks and flows.”

He said the council was considering its options of creating a tourist attraction at the site.

“A lot of staff and councillors think we should be doing something with it, but whether we can afford to do something with it is another matter.”

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Gas deal could be a winner

By Tim Howard

Clarence Valley Council is step closer to turning waste methane gas from its landfill into electricity and it won’t cost them a cent to do it.

In fact the deal could turn a $120,000 cost to council into a $145,000 revenue source which could grow to around $248,000 if it became feasible to use the gas for electricity generation.

At its November meeting the council accepted a tender from landfill gas extractor LGI to take over the management of gas extraction at its regional landfill site, which the council has managed since 2014.

The council had contracted LGI to operate a gas flare which council owned and funded to burn off methane collected from the site.

The gas flaring project was originally registered as an Eligible Offsets Project under the Carbon Farming Initiative  (CFI)  and  then  successfully  transitioned  to  the  Emissions  Reduction  Fund  (ERF) in December 2014.

There was a 12-year Australian Carbon Credits Units (ACCU’s) crediting period under the ERF which expires on December 13, 2026.

Part of the new deal between LGI and the council is the transfer of these credits to the company in a revenue sharing agreement, which reduces the council’s capital expenditure to zero.

The council said while it has expertise in landfill waste management, gas extraction and handling was not a core business.

The deal with LGI means it will  fund all costs including a major upgrade of the gas field in the first 12 months which will generate more gas, an upgrade of  the flare and the installation of a gas engine to generate electricity when gas volumes make this viable under a revenue share agreement with council.

The report generated positive responses from councillors.

Cr Peter Johnstone said that just flaring the gas was a benefit to the environment.

“Methane is a terrible global warming gas,” he said.

“It is 80 times more potent keeping in heat than carbon dioxide, and it lasts for 20 years in the environment.

“And at present what happens is we burn that off, which is great, turns it into carbon dioxide, which is 80 times better than what was there before.

“But what we’re proposing here is in the future, that actually, we won’t just burn it off, we’ll use that to make electricity, and that’s a great thing.”

Deputy mayor Cr Clancy said the report revealed the council was working in innovative ways in matters relating to climate and energy.

“I think the staff involved in this do need to be congratulated, and also the councillors who have signed off on on the various projects that have happened,” he said.

Cr Karen Toms was also pleased to see council continue to innovate with landfill gas management.

“We have been innovative for a long time and and this is just another step, but 10 years ago, we actually started a gas flaring project, and it was originally registered as an eligible offsets project under the carbon farming incentive,” she said.

Councils were unanimous in their support of the item.

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Movement at last on Brooms Head plan

By Tim Howard

The vexed question of what to do with the Brooms Head reserve might have an answer following the latest Clarence Valley Council meeting.

Exasperated at the lack of action in coming up with a plan to manage the site to the satisfaction residents and stake holders of the park, Cr Peter Johnstone brought a question with notice to the meeting seeking to get things moving.

His questions were: Following the recent Councillor facility tour to Brooms Head Holiday Park, the questions were: 1. What progress has been made since the April 2024 resolution of Council regarding the Brooms Head Plan of Management?

And, 2.  What options are available to council in the preparation of an updated Plan of Management?

In response to the questions, council staff prepared a report with four options for councillors.

Cr Johnstone dismissed options 1, 3 and 4 but decided to move a variation of Option 2 as the best solution to the issue.

He moved that:

1. Council endorse the Draft Brooms Head Reserve Plan of Management for Crown reserve R65975, to be referred to the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, Crown Lands and Public Spaces, to seek approval to publicly exhibit the Plan of Management.

2. To prepare a detailed site plan for the Brooms Head Reserve, while the Plan of Management is being reviewed by the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, Crown Lands and Public Spaces.

3. invite the Yaegl Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation to provide advice to council for inclusion of the site plan and or plan of management on the components, details and other matters that are important to the corporation.

4. Present the response to the Draft Program of Management to the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, Crown Lands and Public Spaces once received the advice and the Yaegl traditional owners, the public to a council workshop that will review the site plan and draft program of management.

5. Once approval has been obtained from the Department of Housing planning, housing infrastructure, crown lands and public spaces, exhibit the draft Brooms Head Reserve Plan of Management, Site Plan concurrently for 42 days over which time council will accept public submissions.

6. Report any submissions received in the draft Brooms Head, Plan of Management Site Plan back to council after submission period disclosed consideration of its adoption or re exhibition, as per the requirement of Section 40 of the Local Government Act 1993.

Cr Alison Whaites seconded the motion.

Speaking to his motion, Cr Johnstone said that for two long inaction had characterised council’s

Handling of the Brooms Head issue.

“At the start of the last term of council in 2022 were briefed about the caravan site and challenges getting consensus from the five-plus distinct groups of opinions to how the site should be managed,” he said. “Now here, 13 months later, we are no further forward.”

Cr Peter Johnstone could have taken a decisive first step to getting some action on development of plan of management for the Brooms Head reserve.

Cr Johnstone said the council had found seeking a consensus from the five competing groups impossible.

“To be fair, the last council did make an effort,” Cr Johnstone said.

“A consultant was engaged to prepare a new plan of management, we listened to the views of many people at a well attended meeting in Brooms Head last January.

However, that brought into sharp focus the differing views of the five main groups I can identify.”

He characterised the groups as the caravaners, the day users such as surfers and fishers, the long term residents of the park, those who live in Brooms Head as neighbours of the park and the Yaegl traditional owners.

“Each of those groups have strongly held beliefs and understandable desires for the future of Brooms Head Reserve,” he said.

“Some of those groups agree on some aspects while strongly disagree on others.

“A failure to compromise has resulted in deadlock and a failure of consensus on the direction to move forward.”

He noted the inaction was not limited to recent times, pointing out the last PoM had been agreed on nearly 30 years ago.

Not all councillors agreed.

Cr Debrah Novak foreshadowed Option 1 as her preferred option, pointing out it had the support of the Yaegl traditional owners.

Cr Greg Clancy was another to back Option 1, pointing out that many of the arguments for option 2 also worked for option 1.

Cr Karen Toms spoke at length in support of Cr Johnstone’s motion, arguing the community should not be spooked by the proposal.

“This is not going to turn it into a Big 4, with water slides, etc, but it is something we need to move forward on and stop kidding ourselves that we’re going to get consensus,” she said.

“Sometimes you just have to make the tough decision.”

In his right of reply Cr Johnstone said at the council needed to stop wasting time trying to get a consensus from groups who would never agree.

“The problem we have, though, is if we do what one of those five groups, does this group, that group, the other group, will say, we haven’t listened to them,” Cr Johnstone said.

“If we do what this group says, then this group, this group and this group will say, we haven’t listened to what they said.

“There’s a difference between listening and agreeing.”

But he said this was just the beginning.

“To quote Lao Tzu, a journey of 1000 miles begins with the a single step,” he said.

“Sending this first draft to Crown Lands is just that first step, a little step with many more steps to come, I ask councillors that you help start that journey.

“I need just four more of you to be able to step out.

“It would be much nicer if all nine councillors, start that journey together.”

Cr Johnstone did not achieve unanimity, but enough councillors were prepared to set out with him.

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New councillor on GM performance panel

By Tim Howard

Who would have thought picking a panel to assess a general manager’s performance could be so difficult.

Last week Clarence Valley Council turned a formality into performance art as it looked to appoint a panel to for its annual inspection of general manager Laura Black’s performance.

The council policy is the mayor and deputy mayor are automatic picks. Council selects one of its number and the general manager picks another.

The panel of four, with an independent chair, go through set criteria and assess how well the GM has met the targets set.

It looks straight forward in theory, but in practice it has proved anything but.

A year ago the mayor at the time, Cr Peter Johnstone, deputy Jeff Smith, the council’s pick Karen Toms and GM pick Cr Debrah Novak met.

They measured her performance against targets set and agreed she had exceeded them in a number of cases.

But when the results came back to council in a mayoral minute to an extraordinary council meeting in February this year, they included a recommendation of a 2% pay rise for the GM on top of her $342,696.93 annual salary.

Clarence Valley Council general manager Laura Black has yet to reveal which councillor she would like to see on the panel evaluating her performance.

Unsurprisingly, in a cost of living crisis, this ruling sparked some protest and led eventually to some spectacular debate, including an allegation of a group of councillors, “out to get” the general manager during an ultimately unsuccessful rescission motion to overturn the pay rise.

And in 2023 when the panel met, deputy mayor Greg Clancy made headlines when he walked out of a panel meeting, unhappy with the process involved.

So it came as no surprise last Thursday when the item kicked off with a motion from Cr Debrah Novak seeking to ditch the deputy mayor, Cr Clancy, from this year’s panel to give councillors the opportunity to elect two councillors to go on the panel.

There was a question over the legality of the motion, but Ms Black said it was lawful, although it needed to identify itself as a departure from council policy.

Cr Novak adjusted her motion accordingly and also pointed out that the council’s gender equity guidelines also dictated at least one of those selected should be a woman.

While the councillors were deadly serious in their debate, people looking on from the gallery could see the funny side, prompting Cr Whaites to call on the mayor for help.

“Can you please ask the public to not mention, not laugh and not giggle at us, please,” she asked of Cr Smith.

Cr Novak said the council policy was just a guideline and to allow council to pick two members in addition to the general manager’s pick was “fit for purpose”.

Cr Clancy did not agree.

Tongue in cheek, he thanked Cr Novak for “sparing him the stress” of sitting on the panel, but thought that her motion was a “direct attack on me”.

Cr Novak called a point of order and Mayor Smith ruled in her favour.

Cr Greg Clancy survived an attempt to change council policy to have him dropped as an automatic pick on the general manager’s performance review panel. He has been a critic of the way the panel operates.

Cr Clancy tried again, claiming he had been targeted.

Again Cr Novak called a point of order, claiming an implication that Cr Clancy was “reading her mind”.

Again the mayor upheld the point of order.

Cr Clancy said Cr Novak needed to explain her reasons for bringing the motion, because it was easy to interpret it as targeting him.

Another point of order.

Unable to pursue this line, Cr Clancy agreed to withdraw his claim of being targeted, but said it created a “very bad precedent” and council should stick to its policies.

Cr Johnstone agreed, pointing out the policies had been developed to cover all eventualities and take the heat out of situations.

Cr Toms was also against making changes, but could “understand where it came from” considering Cr Clancy’s criticism of the performance review panel in the past.

She was concerned Cr Clancy had described being on the panel as “a poison chalice” and that he had “stormed out” of a panel meeting when he was deputy mayor.

This sparked another point of order, this time from Cr Clancy.

Cr Alison Whaites backed Cr Novak’s motion.

She was disappointed with the way the panel had been handled before and didn’t want a repeat of what happened last term in this term.

She said it was important to throw open the opportunity to be on the performance review panel to more councillors.

One of the newly-elected councillors, Cr Cristie Yager, will be the councillors’ pick on the Clarence Valley Council general manager’s performance review panel.

Cr Johnstone asked if Cr Clancy was happy to be on the panel.

He replied he was but it was difficult, but it was his duty as deputy mayor to sit on the panel, even if it was a “poison chalice”.

In her right of reply Cr Novak raised an issue that breached the privacy of a councillor and quickly apologised for her mistake after a point of order was called.

She said her motivation was to give more councillors the opportunity to get onto the performance review panel.

The council did not agree and voted it down.

Councillors voted on a foreshadowed motion from Cr Johnstone, to revert to the usual selection process, which was adopted.

Then came the nominations for the panel.

Cr Johnstone picked Cr Cristie Yager.

Cr Shane Causley nominated Cr Karen Toms and Cr Novak nominated Cr Whaites.

During debate on Cr Yager’s nomination Cr Whaites said while Cr Yager would be  an “asset” to the panel, she did not possess the experience of either Cr Toms or herself.

“I’ve done multiple performance reviews, and I think I probably am the most, the best one here actually, out of all us councillors, and second would be Cr Toms,” she said.

Cr Yager spoke “for myself” and said she would maintain an open mind.

“I think I’m very good at being open minded to all information given to me, and I’m always open to persuasion given the facts,” she said.

Mayor Smith put her nomination to the vote and she was elected five votes to four.

The general manager has yet to name the councillor she would like on the panel.

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