At its last meeting, as part of a long discussion about amendments to Ballina Council’s delivery program and operational plan, there was a debate about whether Ballina Richmond Rotary Club should still be paid $8,000 to set up chairs for the RSL Lighthouse Day Club.
Cr Kiri Dicker said, ‘We never review this. It happens extraneous to any Council policy. It’s not discussed in a working party of any kind, because it’s not considered. It doesn’t happen through the community donations process. It just sort of sits separately…
‘When that Day Club started, there used to be a stage that had to be set up, with quite a lot of work involved. That stage is no longer set up,’ she said.
‘The Ballina RSL sub-branch is also applying for $5,000 of in-kind fees to use the Richmond Room, so it costs us $5,000 plus another $8,000 extraneous to any sort of policy.
‘It’s worth noting that the RSL sub-branch has a considerable amount of investments. I just checked on their charitable status, and they make every year $450,000 in interest for their investments…
‘Almost no community groups get a cash donation from Council, it’s almost always in-kind fees, and the fact that it’s never reviewed, I can’t continue to support that, for reasons of good governance,’ said Cr Dicker.
Handshake deal
‘It is literally a handshake deal,’ she said, before suggesting that the arrangement should be wrapped up after 2026.
Cr Phil Meehan spoke in support of Cr Dicker’s amendment, saying he had tried previously to implement a similar change.
‘I’ve been unhappy for a number of years with this concept of a donation that’s outside, with no policy around it. No other group has access to it…
‘Inherently, it’s not a good process, and I would say it’s not equitable process… if there’s a need to pay for chairs to be set up and somebody else doesn’t want to do that, then the group can quite simply or easily move to a suitable space in Ballina RSL club, which should be provided for free,’ he said.
‘In the past, there’s been an argument from representatives of that group. “Oh no, the poor older folk, they’ll get into the RSL Club and lose control and go and play the poker machines. We can’t allow them to be exposed.” That argument is a furphy, quite clearly,’ said Cr Meehan.
‘I believe Cr Dicker is actually being very kind here by saying this is the last year. If I was to move something, I would say we’re not doing it anymore, because we have to have a better process.’
In the end, the amendment narrowly passed.
Cr Simon Chate was not present for the June meeting.
More stories about Ballina Shire Council:
The agenda for Thursday's meeting includes six notices of motion from four councillors, with issues including missing persons, volunteer recognition, and arts funding. Construction on a $4.35 million flood-resilience upgrade of Ross Lane at Lennox Head is due to begin today, ahead of a nine-week closure of the busy road later this month. With Ballina Shire Council General Manager Paul Hickey deciding to retire after almost twenty years in the role, and even longer as a staff member, the task of finding a replacement has begun. Cr Damien Loone was also returned as Deputy Mayor after Cr Simon Chate withdrew his nomination. September's meeting opened with a minute's silence for much-loved community member and Lennox Head restaurant owner Blake Rogers, who lost his life last week. Fresh from winning pre-selection as the Nationals candidate for the state seat of Ballina, the 'independent' first-term Ballina councillor Michelle Bailey has put forward a notice of motion asking Council to scrap its fixed 2030 net-zero target in favour of what she describes as a 'flexible sustainability strategy'.
Big meeting for Ballina Council this week
Ross Lane flood-resilience works begin ahead of nine-week closure
Ballina Council will be getting a new general manager
Ballina debates dog parks and net zero
Michelle Bailey targets net zero in Ballina
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