The following is a summary of the 23 April Tweed Shire Council meeting, held yesterday.
Tweed Shire Council’s fleet of vehicles could transition to a ‘substantial use of electric vehicles’ after councillors unanimously voted to adopt Cr Nola Firth motion for a staff report on the matter.
Cr Firth wrote in her background notes, ‘Electric vehicle use is increasing in Australia with electric chargers now installed across most Australian routes. Our shire has a climate change plan to reduce fossil fuel energy use in our buildings and with transport as the second highest source of carbon emissions in the Tweed Shire (31%), we do now have hybrid vehicles in the Council fleet. However, currently the only purely electric vehicle is the Mayor’s car’.
‘By comparison, Merribek Council has 30 electric vehicles, and Byron has 5. There is also only one charger at the Murwillumbah Council car park. It is a slow charger that takes many hours to fully charge a vehicle.
‘Some councils however, such as Newcastle and Merribek, are installing fast chargers in the streets.
‘Electric vehicle use has economic as well as environmental benefit. This is being dramatically demonstrated at present with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. If the transition incorporated use of battery storage and/or the free energy that will soon be available in the middle of the day in NSW, the economic advantages may be significant.
‘State policy encourages government bodies to buy electric vehicles and provides financial incentives to do so. By planning for and undertaking this transition, Council would be following state policy and also leading by example towards shire-wide lower carbon emissions and independence from variation in fossil fuel supply.
Senior staff reply
Senior staff wrote in reply, ‘The passenger vehicle fleet currently consists of 55 petrol vehicles (ICE), 40 hybrids (Toyota Corolla, Camry and RAV4), 1 x EV, and 144 diesel utilities. Council’s fleet has included a high proportion of hybrids for many years now, but that demand from lease holders has increased even further in recent years – potentially with the inclusion of additional hybrid categories’.
‘Fleet Services has been actively monitoring the EV market for many years and a trial of passenger EVs has been undertaken. Barriers to date have been high vehicle purchase price; available range; usage and charging patterns; availability of charging infrastructure at our depots, offices and other facilities; and cost implications for lease holders or business units.
‘Given many of these barriers are now being addressed by the Australian vehicle market, a report can be prepared for Council as requested. ‘Clarification is sought on whether this report should be limited to passenger vehicles, or if the intent is to also include trucks and other heavy fleet?
While Council did trial an EV truck last year, the range of heavy vehicles currently available in Australia is very limited and does not meet most of Council’s operational needs. It is worth noting that Fleet Services will continue to monitor the market as new models and technologies become available.
‘Budget/Long Term Financial Plan: Preparation of the report will not incur significant costs. ‘The report will include detailed cost information on the EV market and fleet implications.
‘Resourcing & Delivery Program/ Operational Plan Implications: Preparation of the report will include Fleet Services staff time and management review. It is estimated this will take approximately 20 staff hours to draft plus the time to liaise internally with various operations units, finance and others.
‘It is noted that Council’s Crisis Management Group has been initiated in response to the current fuel situation, and Fleet Services is actively monitoring fuel consumption and costs, and providing fleet related information, which will help inform the report.
‘Legal Implications: Nil.
‘Policy Implications: While preparation of the report has nil policy implications, the transition to investment in EV vehicles and charging technology will require the development of EV policies and procedures within Council. Issues such as access to chargers, payment structures, and home use will need to be considered. This will be foreshadowed in the report.
‘Risk Considerations: The risks in adopting EVs, as with any new technology, has and will continue to change over time as they become more prevalent in the Australian market. Standard fleet management risks, including adoption of this technology by Council, will apply. Risks will be considered within the report.
‘Estimated Delivery Timeframe: While preparation of the report has nil policy implications, the transition to investment in EV vehicles and charging technology will require the development of EV policies and procedures within Council. Issues such as operational considerations, fleet funding, financial aspects, access to chargers, payment structures, and home use will take time to consider.
‘Fleet staff are also heavily involved in planning and coordinating transitional arrangements for the impending move to the new Murwillumbah Depot; and in responding to the current fuel situation. While the research, coordination and drafting of the report will occur as soon as possible, it is unlikely to occur prior to July depending on completion of the move to the new Murwillumbah Depot’, staff added.
Community housing slated in South M’bah
The former Greenhills Aged Care Facility in South Murwillumbah will will be leased at peppercorn rate to Anglicare and Social Futures for community housing after Tweed Shire Councillors voted unanimously to dispose of the Council-owned operational land.
Council staff said in their report that the facility, located at 433-437 Tweed Valley Way, was ‘transferred to Council ownership on 8 April 2024 following the 2022 flood-related landslip that led the United Protestant Association of NSW (UPA) to close the facility’.
In their motion, councillors requests ‘the NSW Reconstruction Authority to reallocate the landslip treatment funding for the former Greenhills Aged Care Facility to Anglicare North Coast and Social Futures, subject to the delivery of a community housing outcome on the site’.
The staff report reads, ‘The land was originally gifted by Council to be used specifically for aged care purposes, with a caveat on the title requiring the land to be transferred back to Council should that use cease. As the facility is no longer operating, ownership of the site has now returned to Council. Since the transfer, Council has been investigating a range of potential reuse options for the site, with a particular focus on opportunities to address identified local housing needs’.
‘At its Ordinary Meeting on 23 October 2025, Council resolved to urgently progress a housing outcome for women experiencing homelessness and/or family violence, maximise the number of usable rooms on the site, seek government funding for essential repairs to make the building habitable within six months, and report back on funding pathways and practical considerations’.
‘Anglicare and Social Futures originally submitted an Expression of Interest (EoI) for the site and are classified as Tier 3 CHPs within the region. However, over the time that has elapsed since the initial EoI process, it has become evident that a provider with a stronger asset base and demonstrated experience in delivering complex housing projects is critical to the success of the project. While the other EoIs received were reviewed, these proponents did not demonstrate the same level of proven delivery capability or an equivalent CHP tier classification’.
Single Use Materials and Packaging Policy
A Draft Single Use Materials and Packaging Policy was adopted by councillors, as per staff recommendation.
Cr Nola Firth told The Echo her original motion was ‘pared back to only internal council events’.
The successful motion, put forward by Cr Rhiannon Brinsmead, asks the General Manager ‘to investigate opt-in behaviour change programs with businesses and events in the Tweed, identifying opportunities to align with existing programs where possible’.
Cr Nola Firth’s original motion sought to be ‘collaborative rather than punitive’, and would include ‘Council sponsored or funded events, licensed events on Council land or venue and Private leases or licences within Council owned buildings, facilities or land’.
It noted ‘that other councils, such as Byron Shire, have already implemented a similar policy using grant funding to assist businesses with the transition’.
Cr Firth says her original motion ‘had a majority of submissions in support’.
Aspirational budget adopted
With Tweed Council’s budget being prepared before the US and Israeli invasion of Iran, Council is adopted their Delivery Program 2025–2029 and Operational Plan 2026–2027 as ‘aspirational’.
An unallocated surplus of $380,400 was allocated as follows:
- $106,000 Graduate Engineer for flood works
- $50,000 Increased Graffiti removal
- $44,000 Increased Footpath maintenance
- $50,000 Cool Towns – Replacement of street trees lost in Cyclone Alfred
- $100,400 Allocation to cover increased fuel costs
- $30,000 Littoral rainforest maintenance
Voting against were Cr Rhiannon Brinsmead, and Cr James Owen.
National fuel supply crisis impacts on Council
Councillor Brinsmead asked senior staff to ‘provide advice on the current, likely and future impacts of the national fuel supply crisis on Council’s operations and budget, including any anticipated risks to service delivery, cost increases and planned mitigation measures?’
The Manager Water and Wastewater Operations replied: ‘Given the global, uncertain and constantly changing nature of the fuel supply crisis, it is very difficult to provide detailed or accurate advice on the likely or future impacts to Council’s operations’.
‘What we can advise is that Council has not been affected by fuel supply to date. Council continues to monitor the national fuel reserve and has stood up Council’s Crisis Management Group who have developed a risk strategy based upon the Commonwealth’s National Fuel Security Plan which is a collective approach guided by four levels:
- Plan and prepare
- Keeping Australia moving (current settings)
- Taking targeted action
- Protecting critical services for all Australians
‘The CMG has utilised available resources and has developed a Five-Stage Fuel Continuity Framework of Stage 1 – Normal, Stage 2 – Watch, Stage 3 – Restrict, Stage 4 – Critical and Stage 5 – Recovery, noting we are currently in Stage 2.
‘The CMG is aligning its actions with State and Commonwealth fuel arrangements to avoid conflicting messages. It is working to reduce impacts and mitigate Council’s potential exposure; including to service delivery, costs increases, and impacts to staff and the community. Just as the Federal Treasurer has indicated this week to the federal budget, the impact of a prolonged increase to the price of brent crude oil will invariably impact Council’s budget and in turn the projected works program and perhaps some services.
‘To this end, the Draft 26/27 Budget and Delivery Program considered by Council tonight is in many respects aspirational and we expect that if the situation in the middle east is not resolved shortly, we may see impacts to some services, works and contracts that are underpinned by oil. This includes not just fuel price and supply, but also oil based products such as bitumen, plant hire, quarry materials, poly pipe, haulage, etc.
‘Further, Monday afternoon 20 April 2026, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) issued the first Road Transport Contractual Chain Order (RTCCO). The RTCCO relates to increased fuel costs in the road transport industry and the ability for contractors to now pass those cost burdens on.
‘The RTCCO, came into force Tuesday 21 April, 2026 and covers workers and businesses, including councils. LGNSW is aware of the impacts this decision will have on councils and will continue to advocate for the sector by highlighting the significant financial repercussions for councils and for the communities we continue to serve.
‘It is our hope that the conflict, price escalation and supply issues are not protracted and in this vein management has not considered recommending a special rate variation or increases to our fees and charges. Rather management will recommend dealing with the impact through deferral of projects or modifying services if necessary.
‘The use of FuelCheck for daily information on fuel prices and availability across NSW and to report price mismatches at the pump is encouraged. Further information on the Australian Government’s national fuel security campaign Every little bit helps can be found on the Department’s website and we will provide a link for ease of access in the Minutes. For more information and to stay up to date on fuel security and available support, visit nsw.gov.au/fuel‘.
Shovel ready projects to lobby
Councillors have asked the General Manager for a report ‘on projects of priority that are shovel/project ready for the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Councillors to lobby for/advocate from the NSW State Government, sitting Members and Candidates for funding/electoral commitments ahead of the 2027 NSW State Election’.
The unanimous vote was penned by Cr Reece Byrnes (Deputy Mayor).
Pottsville Beach
Council compliance may be beefed up around anti-social behaviour, illegal camping, and the associated outcomes (i.e. human/animal excrement) around the Pottsville Beach area.
Councillors adopted Cr Reece Byrnes’s motion to request a report on ‘options to address sanitary amenity on the Pottsville beach coastline, and that this report address but not be limited to: beach side sanitation, critical amenity, animal and human waste disposal measures, portable toilets/shower options and long-term forward planning/design considerations’.
Council staff defend not using Youtube, Facebook for live-streaming meetings
Councillor Kimberly Hone asked staff ‘why can’t residents access Facebook and YouTube streaming of Council meetings for transparency?’
The Acting Director Corporate Services replied: ‘Councillor Hone previously submitted a Notice of Motion relating to the use of Facebook Live for community engagement where Council resolved that “Council investigate the use of online streaming of chamber meetings to improve community access’.
‘In response to this resolution, staff have investigated a range of livestreaming platforms and related measures to enhance the online viewing experience for community members.
‘As part of this process, Council considered the use of Facebook and YouTube as livestreaming platforms for Council meetings. Following investigation, it was determined that these platforms do not adequately meet Council’s governance, risk and operational requirements.
‘Council does not livestream meetings via Facebook or YouTube due to limited moderation and control capabilities. In particular, Council has no ability to manage or moderate real time comments made by viewers during live broadcasts on these platforms, which presents governance and reputational risks.
‘Additionally, Council has no control over third-party advertising interruptions on Facebook or YouTube. During critical moments of a Council meeting, such as debate or voting, advertisements may unexpectedly appear, resulting in a poor viewing experience for the community. There is also a risk that advertisements displayed may not align with Tweed Shire Council’s organisational values.
‘As a result, Council utilises the Resolve livestreaming platform. Resolve provides greater control over the livestream environment, including stability, consistency, and content management. This ensures Council meetings are delivered in a professional manner and that the integrity of proceedings is maintained for all viewers.
‘To maintain accessibility and community awareness, staff will continue to post notifications on Council’s Facebook page advising of upcoming meetings and providing a direct link to the live stream hosted on the Resolve platform.
‘In relation to transparency, Council has met, and continues to meet, the requirements of the Model Code of Meeting Practice by live streaming Council meetings and making a recording of each meeting publicly available on Council’s website.’
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