News

Fail to sway decision to axe committee advisors

VOLUNTEERS serving on four axed community advisory committees say they still have no idea why their particular groups got the chop.

Their pleas for a rethink failed to sway any votes, with a recision motion supported by seven councillors defeated on the casting vote of Mayor Steve Christou.
In move labelled as “outrageous” by Cr George Campbell – who walked out of the meeting along with Cr Ola Hamed – the seven Our Local Community (OLC) and Liberal Councillors also used their numbers to block a request to extend Cr Lisa Lake’s time to speak in support of the recision.
“If this is the way you are going to run this council, you’re going to wreck it,” Cr Campbell said.
However Cr Ned Attie snapped back that they were “a bunch of hypocrites” and said they were only upset because they no longer held a majority in the chamber.
Cr Campbell later told the Review he supported the recision motion because volunteers “come free of charge and the expertise they bring with them would be lost unless we hired more staff or expensive consultants”.
Cr Lake said it was telling that those who opposed the recision motion stopped her from completing what she had to say “and then had nothing to say in response”.
“They couldn’t defend the indefensible,” she said.
Describing arguments citing the staff cost involved in supporting the committees as “economic rationalism”, Cr Greg Cummings said 46 volunteers gave their time for a commitment of less than one per cent of staff time.
“This is the equivalent of putting a bandaid on a severed limb,” he said.
In a statement after the meeting, Cr Christou said the days were gone where they “spend meetings wasting time debating issues that have already been addressed”.
“We are keeping the Committees we need and we have numerous channels available to us to communicate directly with ratepayers and businesses and get their input,” he said.

‘Why would they want to
give up free advice, help’

SPEAKERS used the public forum at last week’s council meeting to urge councillors to rescind their decision to abolish the Arts Advisory; Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Advisory; Library; and Companion Animals Advisory Committees, and to combine the Access Committee and the Community Safety Committee.

Dr John Brodie: “One of the most cheap ways to bring about (community consultation) is through committees. They have a broad cross-section of the community.”

Noel McDonough, Library Committee: “The abolition of the Library Committee is short-sighted, ill-advised, retrograde and reprehensible. You are our representatives; not our rulers. It is your responsibility to make decisions based on the needs and wishes of the community; not for corporate or party-political interests. Abandoning community input ignores that principle and sets up governance by totalitarian authoritarianism.”

Michaela Simoni, Arts Advisory Committee: “Why were the committees disbanded? The members do it not for their own financial gain but because they care. They give their time and professional input for free. This axing shows no respect. What are the plans and other solutions to take the place of the committees?”

Josephine Moncrief, Companion Animals Advisory Committee: “I was rather amazed when they said want to get rid of these committees. They do a darn good job, unrecognised. We have succeeded in conducting programs to get animals desexed and microchipped cheaply.”

Maie Sufan, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Advisory Committee: “We were really, really shocked by this decision. Cumberland is one of richest multicultural communities. Based on the outcomes, the advantage is greater than any disadvantage.”

Lyn Wilson from the Companion Animals Advisory Committee also wrote to the Review on the issue: “Why would the council wish to give up free advice and help. Our committee has a good mix of interested people – vet nurses, member and leaders of animal groups and ex-councillors who wish to see the good things that Holroyd had for animals continue.”