Staff reporters
Three pro-development Tweed councillors have taken the dramatic step of calling for an extraordinary general meeting tomorrow in an effort to rescind a motion calling for an urgent meeting between councillors and state planning minister Brad Hazzard.
As Echonetdaily reported on Monday, a motion was passed at last Thursday’s regular council meeting to address attempts by the state government to strip both rural and urban environmental zones from the shire’s new LEP.
The motion, which was moved by mayor Barry Longland and seconded by ALP councillor Michael Armstrong enabled both the draft vegetation strategy and the koala study to be considered as late submissions for the draft LEP 2012.
It was supported by Greens councillor Katie Milne and independent Gary Bagnall but opposed by conservative councillors Byrne, Polglase and Youngblutt.
The three later posted a rescission motion, with an alternative motion to be considered from Cr Polglase, who moved that Council support the existing LEP process, including the close of submissions on 18 January 2013.
Despite the unlikelihood of the decision being reversed, mayor Longland told Echonetdaily this morning, ‘It’s part of the political process within local government to be able to lodge a rescission motion on a Council decision.
‘I can’t predict what the outcome of that rescission motion will be,’ he said.
