THE article “Councillor laments ‘crippling’ plans, policies” (Bay Post, August 22), quotes Cr Leslight as saying that, “he is frustrated and angry at the contempt shown by certain councillors using the division in council as a means to get away with things that would not normally be accepted.”
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Such comments show he is unfamiliar with council’s Code of Meeting Practice and the requirement to be consistent with the Local Government Act 1993 (LGA), the Local Government General Regulation 2005 (Reg), the NSW Division of Local Government (DLG) Practice Note 16 (Meetings), and the objectives of the Code.
In particular, section 13.1 deals with what constitutes a decision of council and advises that, a decision is supported by a majority of the votes at a meeting of the council at which a quorum is present (LGA Sec 371).
Section 13.2 deals with the voting entitlements of councillors and the chairperson’s casting vote and advises that, each councillor is entitled to one vote, however, the person presiding at a meeting of the council has, in the event of an equality of votes, a second or casting vote.
Cr Leslight arrogantly criticises previous decisions of council, regarding the Local Environment Plan and its E-zones and overlays, bio-certification and sea-level rise policy, claiming that, “It is the result of a group of councillors blindly following what they are told by council administration, often with minimal justification, and usually without alternatives being offered.”
Given that these decisions were made after lengthy community consultation and voting was in accordance with council’s adopted Code of Meeting Practice, such a claim is both scurrilous and unjustified.
Cr Leslight’s fatuous comments clearly demonstrate that he has absolutely no idea about council meeting procedures, or of councillor voting entitlements and proves that he really should have taken advantage of the councillor training sessions offered to all new councillors.
Reina Hill
Long Beach