Ballina Shire Council’s meeting tomorrow will see not one, but two mayoral minutes from Mayor Sharon Cadwallader.
So, what’s so urgent that it requires the mayoral spotlight? First on the agenda is a push from Cr Cadwallader to complete the Northern Rivers Rail Trail. She’s urging Ballina Council to formally support the current promotional program to finish the trail, although the remaining sections travel through the Byron Bay and Lismore LGAs, not Ballina.
The mayor has previously supported the idea of connecting bike-friendly trails linking Ballina with the Northern Rivers Rail Trail.
As she notes in her mayoral minute, ‘The completion of the rail trail will require state and federal government grant funding, along with support from throughout the entire region, to help the proponents in their efforts to seek grant funding.
‘There is negligible cost in adding additional information to Council’s Community Connect magazine and social media platforms.’
Crown Land Management
Mayor Cadwallader’s more substantial minute relates to her serious concerns about a new bill from the NSW government suggesting amendments to Crown Land Management, which introduce wide-ranging changes.
As she puts it, ‘While framed as a statutory review, the bill contains provisions that significantly alter the risk profile and responsibilities of local government, including:
- The transfer of liabilities.
- Expanded compliance obligations.
- Increased Ministerial control over council functions.
‘These changes create a fundamental shift of responsibility from the state to councils, exposing local government to:
- Retrospective financial and legal risks, particularly in relation to native title.
- Increased administrative burden.
- Obligations not matched with funding or resourcing.
‘For regional councils such as Ballina Shire, these impacts are amplified by:
- Limited revenue capacity.
- High infrastructure and service delivery costs.
- Existing financial pressures across the sector.
Mayor Cadwallader notes further that such changes:
- Exacerbate the existing financial sustainability challenges faced by regional and rural councils.
- Place additional pressure on ratepayers in communities with limited revenue bases.
- Undermine the principle that responsibility must be matched with funding and risk retained at the appropriate level of government.
‘Accordingly, the Bill represents a clear example of cost shifting, transferring risk and responsibility to local government without the safeguards required to manage them sustainably.’
The mayor is calling for the NSW government to withdraw the bill ‘pending proper consultation’, and ensure any future amendments do not transfer financial or legal liability to councils, provide certainty regarding native title and compensation exposure, and include clear limits on ministerial powers affecting council operations.
Tomorrow’s Ballina Shire Council meeting begins at 9am and is available to view via livestream for those unable to attend in person.
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