From the Far End of the Council Table
Date: 25-Jan-09
Author: Councillor James Ryan
Was it a record? The longest Cessnock Council meeting ever? Last week the Council meeting went till 10-45pm - after starting at 6-30pm that is 4 hours and 15 minutes. Is that a bad thing? Probably not. It indicates that the Councillors are debating the issues - in contrast to what used to happen. I would prefer a fair dinkum discussion rather than none even if it takes longer.
We had a lot of issues on the agenda including the Performing Arts Centre on which the vote was 8 to 5 in favour of spending more than $200,000 per year for the next three years to try and promote the theatre to travelling professional shows. Hmmm ...............
Another issue which attracted a lot of comment was the proposal to develop 700 houses at Paxton and Millfield by Hardie Holdings. This proposal was on public exhibition before Xmas and many people and groups made submissions. This proposal is one of those which the previous Planning Minister, Frank Sartor, placed into the Lower Hunter Strategy without warning. It is clear we don't need this much development at Paxton, that it is poorly serviced with public transport and doesn't have decent roads into Cessnock. What has got under most people's skin is that the lack of information and lack of commitment to funding infrastructure that was on exhibition.
I'm pleased to say that the Councillors submission to the Government was scathing - the Councillors unanimously supported a motion from Cordelia Burcham (Liberal) with inclusions Graham Smith (ALP) and myself (Green) which informed the NSW Government that approval of the current proposal at Paxton will leave the community seriously disadvantaged.
If the Planning Minister ever does approve this development she should make sure the developer provides a heck of a lot more money for decent roads, sporting fields and other infrastructure.
A big issue has of course been the campaign to save Kurri Hospital from the cost cutting of the ALP State Government. Council unanimously support this campaign. In particular Jeff Maybury should be given credit for his efforts in co-ordinating the rally last Friday. He should be congratulated all the more so because the State Government which is penny pinching and closing regional health services is controlled by his own Labor Party. But at the same time it was impossible to miss the subtle bias in the Rally. Unfortunately no-one of any other political persuasion apart from the ALP was allowed to address the Rally.
This was despite the Greens, Liberals and Nationals (and Independent Mayor Alison Davey) being there to support the Rally. When a few vocal people down the front were yelling out at Kerry Hickey and others, Councillor Maybury said he would ask the cops to remove them if they didn't shut up. Kerry Hickey said he was a grass roots politician and he would fight for the Hospital. They are great words but what will he really do? Whatever decision the Minister makes Kerry Hickey will still vote to support this ALP Government and their policies.
Make sure you have your say.
