BY HOOF OR BY HOOK PAGE 4
OUR LOCAL LEBANON PAGE 12
PhotoNews Photo News DUBBO
30,000 local readers every week MAY 20-26, 2021 | LOCALLY OWNED & INDEPENDENT | FREE!
A LIFETIME VOLUNTEER By JOHN RYAN THERE are thousands of Pam Ridley’s scattered throughout Australia, people who have devoted much of their lives to volunteering and who never expect, or receive, much in the way of public recognition. Pam was dobbed in by a mate to be our volunteer covergirl and says the great and counter-intuitive truth about volunteering is that you get more from it, than you put in. If you don’t volunteer yet, Pam has some simple advice which will help you, as well as your local community – “Give it a go.”
Read Pam’s story ❱❱ Page 5
PHOTO: DUBBO PHOTO NEWS/EMY LOU
HANDS OFF, HANCOCK Shadow MP says his opponent should not unnecessarily interfere with Council By YVETTE AUBUSSON-FOLEY
SHADOW Minister for Local Government Greg Warren says unnecessary interference from Minister for Local Government Shelley Hancock into serious allegations involving Dubbo Regional Council were ‘unhelpful and inappropriate’. “The Minister’s involvement in this matter has not been constructive at all,” Mr Warren said. “There are a number of serious allegations that those at the council are working through, but it’s difficult to navigate through those issues when Minister Hancock is inappropriately
interfering. “The Minister should be proactively assisting council, not casting aspersions on individuals,” Mr Warren said. A former councillor herself, Minister Hancock has previously suspended Central Coast Council (in April 2021), Wingecaribee Shire Council (in March 2021) and Armidale Council (in June 2020). Minister Hancock has now asked the Office of Local Government (OLG) to look into whether Dubbo Regional Council could be dismissed. However, Mr Warren questioned what basis Minister Han-
cock had for instructing the OLG to investigate such a scenario. “There has been no suggestion that the council has not been able to operate effectively from a business perspective,” he said. Council staff continue working as normal including in recent weeks on the Destination Dubbo International Ready campaign, preparing the city for the NRL match this weekend, and preparing and publishing a planning proposal for public exhibition. “There is no doubt the past six weeks in particular have been a difficult time for those at Dubbo Regional Council,” Mr Warren
added. Following a request by a majority of councillors for Mayor Ben Shields to stand down, his leave of absence and subsequent return to office, two public council meetings on May 10 and 17 were cancelled due to lack of quorum and an extraordinary meeting scheduled for May 15 was changed by Cr Shields. Council’s interim CEO Dean Frost said, “The Extraordinary Meeting proposed for Saturday (May 15) was not cancelled, rather rescheduled for Monday, May 17, by the Mayor. Due to a lack of quorum the meeting was unable to proceed.”
Cr Stephen Lawrence, who was appointed Acting Mayor while Cr Shields was on medical leave, said however he had consulted extensively with other councillors to attend the Saturday meeting. He said he will now bring important matters including the appointment of an independent investigator to the May 24 meeting. Mr Warren also said, “It is difficult for those at council to navigate their way out of these troubled waters when the Minister [Hancock] is inappropriately interfering with the council and the process.”
CALL US with your news 6885 4433 | EMAIL photos@dubbophotonews.com.au | www.facebook.com/dubbophotonews