Clarence Valley News

New mayor’s honeymoon over in minutes

Published

10 months ago

4 October 2023

Liam

The Clarence Valley’s new leadership team of Mayor Peter Johnstone, right with his deputy Jeff Smith outside the Grafton chambers of Clarence Valley Council. The pair were elected by their fellow councillors at the September 26 council meeting.

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New mayor’s honeymoon over in minutes

By Tim Howard

It is doubtful a new Clarence Valley mayor had a shorter honeymoon than Cr Peter Johnstone after winning the support of a majority of his fellow councillors at the latest council meeting.

Just minutes after his election as mayor at the September 26 meeting, Cr Johnstone’s personally penned motion, moved by Cr Bill Day, to refuse the tender for the Regional Aquatic Centre was ruthlessly shredded and ditched in some of the most ferocious debating seen at a council meeting.

A packed gallery for the council meeting of around 40 people, almost all backing the recommendation to approve the tender, poured fuel on the fire.

The crowd heckled or cheered speakers, forcing the new mayor to warn them several times to be quiet or staff would remove them.

In addition he had to rule on a flurry of points of order from harried speakers and was eventually asked to call a short adjournment.

Councillors returned after the adjournment, voted down the alternative motion, then approved a foreshadowed motion from Cr Steve Pickering, backing the staff recommendation to approve the tender.

During debate on this motion, Cr Johnstone said he would support the new motion because it had become the majority view of the council. It was approved 7-2 with Crs Greg Clancy and Bill Day opposed.

Despite the baptism of fire Cr Johnstone, said he felt both honoured and humbled to be voted in as mayor.

“I really wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, or doing anything else at the moment,” he said.

“It’s a wonderful thing to be able to represent the Clarence Valley.”

He said he had experienced a warm welcome from the community since coming to the region and being elected to council at the December 2021 poll.

The elevation from fledgling councillor to fledgling mayor in less than two years has not daunted Cr Johnstone, but he admits his learning curve has been steep.

He said he learned a lot from working alongside the previous mayor, Cr Ian Tiley, who made a last-minute decision to withdraw from last week’s ballot.

“It’s been a great privilege to learn alongside Ian,” he said. “There are also lots of people I can ask questions of.

“And I have to say Laura Black (council general manager) has been fantastic as well.”

Cr Johnstone said he had also received several texts from other mayors offering him support and advice should he need it.

“Although it’s a new role, I know there are people I can ask and I’m not afraid of asking questions,” he said.

“I’m also someone whose not afraid to learn and learn fast and do lots of reading.”

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Mayor Johnstone brings a variety of life skills to the position.

He has been a maths teacher for 28 years, including nine at South Grafton High School with some casual teaching at Maclean High School and St Andrews.

His three adult children live in Brisbane and his wife, Julie, is a doctor in Grafton.

Cr Johnstone has also served in the Royal Air Force and spent a year as a factory worker.

Other roles include volunteer firefighter with Grafton City RFB, and Secretary of the Grafton Supa Oldie Soccer Club.

The new mayor does not have a lot of time to make his mark as he will be in charge for just 10 council meetings before the September 2024 local government election.

“It might not be 10,” he said. “I think the last one we will be in caretaker mode.”

Cr Tiley gave was a surprise withdrawal from race, leaving just three candidates for the mayoral race, Cr Johnson, Cr Steve Pickering and Cr Debrah Novak.

He gave an ultra-short summary of his reasons for opting out, after initially saying he would run.

“I didn’t have the numbers,” was his only comment.

Councillors voted to accept a show of hands to decide the ballot and order of voting was decided by drawing names from a box.

Candidates were given five minutes to make an address to council.

The first round of voting was, in draw order: Cr Novak 1, Cr Pickering 3, Cr Johnstone 5.

Cr Novak was eliminated and in the second ballot, Cr Johnstone 5 (Crs Johnstone, Clancy, Tiley, Day, Smith) polled ahead of Cr Pickering 4 (Crs Pickering, Toms, Waites, Novak) and was declared mayor.

A similar process followed to elect a deputy mayor with Crs Jeff Smith and Karen Toms the only nominations.

Cr Smith with five votes (Crs Smith, Johnstone, Clancy, Tiley, Day) defeated Cr Toms 4 (Crs Pickering, Toms, Waites, Novak).

For more local Clarence Valley news, click here.

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Clarence Valley News

Community group’s council audit delayed

Published

2 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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