INVERELL Shire Councillor Harold Castledine told about 30 members of the Concerned Inverell Ratepayers Association (CIRA), who filled the public gallery at council’s monthly meeting yesterday afternoon, that it was the first time he had seen a vendetta against council during his 12 years in local government.
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CIRA presented their newly completed arborist report to council at the meeting. The document questioned both the recommendations of the original report (used as a base for the TCRP) and the need to remove the trees.
The association was against the staged removal of the town’s London Plane trees as incorporated in council’s Town Centre Renewal Plan (TCRP) which went on display in May 2014. Now being implemented, six trees were removed in the last fortnight.
“Be mindful at the outrage demonstrated by most of the predominantly local 8800 (people) who reached CIRA’s (Facebook) post concerning the six plane trees removed,” CIRA president Carolyn Wilson said, when she spoke during Open Forum, in what was a very vocal meeting.
Cr Castledine’s claim of a vendetta brought laughter and protests from the gallery.
“You can laugh, but there has been a vendetta, and it just carries on one after the other. If you don’t agree with this mob that’s here -,” Cr Castledine’s voice trailed off.
“We’ve done this out of the kindness of our hearts to try and keep the bloody town up, and if you can’t see it then I’m sorry.”
Calls of “We can’t” came from the gallery.
“I do not believe that 8000 people voted against us, that’s a lot of crap,” Cr Castledine said.
The exchange took place after Cr Mal Peters moved that the TCRP be dropped.
“I think council’s got to go back and revisit this issue, because if you don’t, the lousy few people you’ve got here will become bloody all the rest of the shire,” Cr Peters said.
“I think we’re totally out of order and it needs to be fixed.”
I believe we are working in the right manner
- Cr Jacki Watts
Cr Jacki Watts said she wanted to remind council that all the councillors agreed with the TRCP when it was voted on.
“I guess I am here to support the staff and the work they have done and the decisions we have made,” Cr Watts said.
“For me, unfortunately, the trees are subjective. Trees do not provide 24 hour shade, parts of buildings provide shade, not everyone gets to park under shade. It’s a very small part of our entire operation and I believe we are working in the right manner.”
Councillors Michael, Johnston and Harmon did not contribute to the debate, which ended in Cr Peters’ motion being lost.
