Last Tweed Shire Council meeting, councillors voted to exclude me from the GM selection panel, without any warning, because I stated that it would be great if the new GM turned out to be a woman. My suggestion for belated training to alleviate councillors’ concerns about their perceived bias of my statement was not accepted despite training for selection committees being specifically identified in Council’s Equal Employment Opportunity Management Plan.
After the devastating lack of support from Dot for a review of the Kings Forest concept, and the lack of support for a ‘no dogs’ policy from Joan, I was pleasantly surprised that councillors later supported a number of motions I had put up.
These included reports to be bought forward on encouraging roadside fruit-and-veg stalls; ensuring protection status for the Alberts Lyrebird featured on Council’s crest; maximising opportunities for public transport with the Commonwealth Games; composting toilets; and a workshop on extending bikeways.
They failed to support other motions I proposed for community input on prioritisation for the regional development grants; developing a tourism mural concept; a request to the health department to accommodate the koala corridor at Pottsville in their development plans; dual reticulation for Kings Forest; encouraging sustainable design; and most surprising of all, they refused to support a report on prioritising road works for Tweed Heads CBD.
Tweed Shire councillor Katie Milne
