The council decided to allocate $300,000 to implement some of the components of the Town Renewal Plan, but not before some vigorous debate and a call for a division on the issue.

When the item was mentioned, Cr Di Baker declared her pecuniary interest as the owner of a building in Vivian Street and withdrew from the chamber, and debate started with Cr Mal Peters questioning the order of the agenda. 

“Is it not correct that if we accept those minutes of that (sunset) committee meeting, that we will be accepting the recommendations of the CBD renewal committee? How do we approve an item without resolving the budget issue first?” he asked.

At its June meeting, council had resolved to confirm the Town Centre Renewal Plan Sunset Committee’s ongoing role of assisting council with the plan.

With the item to approve the funding further back in the agenda last week, Cr Harmon said he was willing to move the agenda items around, but Cr Johnston pointed out funding had been available for some time.

“The funding has been discussed a number of times here, and there has been a budget for the last 30 years that I’m aware of, for urban works, both development and maintenance,” Cr Johnston said.

Cr Peters then moved that the funding item be debated first and his motion was seconded by Cr David Jones. 

“I find it difficult to accept the motion for a set of actions, and then four items after that we’re going to discuss the budget. It hardly seems an appropriate way to go about things, is it?” Cr Peters said.

Cr Michael said council had already approved the CBD upgrade.

“It’s only a matter of approving the recommendation for funding,” he said.

“What is the purpose of item three (commence staged removal of Plane trees in Campbell Street) in the agenda?” Cr Peters asked.

Cr Harmon replied that it was to approve a process for the Town Renewal Plan scheme.

“So what Cr Michael just said is incorrect then?” said Cr Peters.

Council general manager Paul Henry said once the matter was resolved, council would go back and look at the suggested use of the funds made by the sunset committee.

“Cr Peters, the purpose of one to three is to authorise the release of $300,000 from the budget allocation that is in the 2014/15 budget for the purposes of starting certain works in the CBD.

Cr Peter’s motion to debate the funding first was not carried by the majority, and when the budgetary item came up for debate, Cr Johnston spoke first.

“This is just giving a start so the design and final costing can be provided to council, and work will continue as funds are available. 

“If that’s bad management, tough!” Cr Johnston said.

“It’s the most sensible way for council to do a job, that we believe and the community predominately supports.”

The motion to allocate the $300,000 was then put and passed by a majority. 

Cr Peters then called for a division, which recorded Crs Phil Girle, Peters and Jones against and Crs Harold Castledine, Michael, Johnston, and Harmon for the recommendation. Cr Jackie Watts was absent.

The meeting resumed with Cr Girle asking about Cr Baker’s pecuniary interest.

“With greatest respect to Cr Baker, I feel that her exclusion from the room at that time is a bit of a cop out,” he said.

His comments were ruled to be out of order, but they led Cr Peters to ask for a definition of pecuniary interest.

“Would it be appropriate to have an explanation, for our understanding, of why one councillor left the room because they had a conflict of interest, because they had a building in the area, although it wasn’t in the street that was mentioned? 

“And we have another councillor who has a commercial interest in the area that didn’t leave the room?”

Cr Harmon said it was up to each individual councillor to determine their pecuniary interests and make that judgement.

“It is actually against the Act to tell a person that they have a pecuniary interest. 

“You can’t instruct somebody that they have a pecuniary interest. It’s up to the councillor to make a decision and that’s a decision that they make and they make their own judgement.”