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.”

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).

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