Ken Gainger, General Manager, Byron Shire Council
I write in response to Echo correspondents Sugarman and Anderson (Buck$) and recent musings depicting the Byron Shire general manager (GM) as a benevolent megalomaniac.
Contrary to popular myth being peddled in The Echo the primary role of the GM is to implement the decisions of the elected Council. In the matters raised by these correspondents in your most recent edition, namely the proposal to introduce pay parking to Brunswick Heads, and the management of Council’s defence of the Land and Environment Court proceedings relative to Councillor Hunter’s Pinegroves Road development, the GM was implementing decisions made by the Council.
Pay parking in Brunswick Heads was a recommendation of parking consultants engaged by direction of the Council to conduct a parking study. The Council voted to take this proposition to the people of Brunswick Heads by resolution at its August 24 meeting and an extensive consultation process is now under way. The GM was not present when this decision was taken. This proposal was not an initiative of the GM as suggested by Sugarman.
With respect to the Hunter court matter, the Council by resolution at its August 3 meeting delegated authority to the GM to instruct Council’s Sydney–based lawyers in the matter. Does this mean that the GM was involved in direct negotiations with Cr Hunter’s legal team? Of course not. Such delegation is normal practice for councils as Mr Anderson well knows. What is Mr Anderson’s alternative proposition? That the mayor and councillors travel to Sydney and put all court requests on hearing day to a vote?
Gentlemen, I am afraid that your prejudice is showing. Your proposition that council GMs have too much power might be good theatre but is misguided and ill-informed. It is also disrespectful to our hard-working councillors who spend many hours working to improve the quality of life of our citizens through considered decision making for little remuneration.
