EXPRESS The
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Locally owned and proudly independent
Internal conflict at TRC T
Unique wine in hot demand
By Boyd Robertson
he remnant Tablelands Regional Council (TRC) is descending into internal conflict, with council’s second meeting since deamalgamation dominated by infighting between the Mayor and rebellious councillors. At council’s February 6 meeting in Atherton, Councillor Marjorie Pagani launched a blistering attack on Mayor Rosa Lee Long over her frequent use of her extra casting vote. Under the Local Government Act, council mayors are allowed an extra vote which they can use to break voting ties during meetings. Cr Lee Long used the vote twice to defeat and defer a proposal to develop a new council agricultural buffering policy, then again to carry Cr Peter Hodge’s request to delay changes to the TRC’s roadworks budget for Mt Garnet. Finally at the end of the meeting she used the vote to prevent independent noise testing at the Windy Hill Wind Farm. On each matter Cr Lee Long, deputy mayor Geoff Stocker and Cr Hodge voted together against officer recommendations, and were opposed by Cr Pagani, Cr Shaaron Linwood and Cr Rod Marti. During her attack Cr Pagani also accused the Mayor of holding secret gatherings with Cr Stocker and Cr Hodge to determine the outcome of council decisions before official meetings. She also claimed that Cr Lee Long had remarked “I don’t want six councillors – if there are only five, I’ve got Peter Hodge, I’ll get Geoff Stocker and then I will be able to use my casting vote to get what I want’,” in the wake of the de-amalgamation vote in March 2013. Cr Lee Long immediately initiated a successful vote to force Cr Pagani to desist and threatened to have her removed from the council chambers. Talking to the Express after the meeting, the Mayor later strongly denied Cr Pagani’s accusations, calling them “a personal attack”. “I have absolutely no recollection of saying anything
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