In the first meeting of the newly elected Ballina Council lineup, the conservative majority yesterday used its numbers to fill key positions for the next term.
The names nominated for deputy mayor were Crs Eva Ramsey, Damian Loone and Simon Chate.
Despite his complete lack of council experience, Mayor Cadwallader’s team-member and former police detective Cr Loone was elected deputy mayor.
After the revelation that $45,000 of Ballina Council’s budget was spent on code of conduct disputes with misbehaving councillors in the previous short term (mostly relating to a certain councillor who did not stand for re-election), the next vote related to who would be representing Ballina at Rous County Council for the next term.
Rous County Council
Made up of representatives from all Northern Rivers councils, Rous is responsible for crucial decisions about water management and weeds across the region.
There were four nominations for two positions; Crs Kiri Dicker, Phil Meehan, Eva Ramsey and Cadwallader. In an unsurprising decision, Cr Cadwallader was returned. She will be joined at Rous County Council by Lennox Head’s Eva Ramsey, replacing former Cr Rod Bruem.
The mayor and deputy mayor were then approved as delegates to the Northern Regional Planning Panel.
Crs Simon Chate and Therese Crollick will be the new Ballina Council delegates to the Richmond Tweed Regional Library Committee, with the mayor and respective ward representatives appointed as council delegates to the chambers of commerce for each region.
More stories about Ballina Shire Council:
Twelve Northern Rivers residents are celebrating the completion of a groundbreaking program designed to build essential skills and unlock employment pathways for women in civil construction. With local government meeting practice across the state returning to confusion following the NSW Legislative Council's recent decision, Ballina Shire Council's last meeting included a lot of unanimous decisions and an argument about the remnants of the Big Scrub, in which Mayor Cadwallader used her casting vote to squash Cr Simon Chate's motion. Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has approved Ballina Shire Council's application to increase its general income through a permanent special variation (SV) of 26.25% [in rates] over four years, from 2026-27 to 2029-30. Byron Greens members could expect to be asked to take the future of the Richmond River further south into account when choosing a candidate for next year’s state election. Local business owners in the Alstonville and Wollongbar townships are being encouraged to take the time to read through Ballina Shire Council’s draft plans, which are currently on exhibition.
Tradie ladies graduate civil construction TAFE program
Ballina Council wrap
Ballina Shire Council’s special rate variation approved
The Greens’ 3-way comp: Ballina Councillor vs Byron candidates for state...
Alstonville-Wollongbar biz encouraged to be informed on Council’s plans
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
