Eurobodalla Shire councillors with former general manager Warwick Winn (fourth from left). Photo: Eurobodalla Shire Council.
THURSDAY PM: Council has received a rescission motion with the signatures of three councillors regarding a one-year licence for a food truck in Narooma. As required under Council’s Code of Meeting Practice, the rescission motion will be considered at the next council meeting on 29 April.
THURSDAY AM: There was robust debate among Eurobodalla Shire councillors on Tuesday before they granted a one-year licence for a food truck adjacent to the former Visitor Centre building in Narooma.
Councillors had voted against granting the licence to Sally Bouckley, who operates tourism business Southbound Escapes, at the December meeting.
In the public forum part of the meeting on 25 March (Tuesday), Ms Bouckley gave five reasons why she thought she had a strong case for the licence.
In response to questions by Councillor Amber Schutz, Ms Bouckley explained how Southbound Escapes provided multifaceted training for young tourism professionals. She said the food truck would create three or four full-time jobs, and that on 23 March (Sunday) Southbound Escapes’ staff had referred 250 to 300 tourists to businesses and attractions in the area.
In the public forum, Jake Whelan, a Southbound Escapes employee, talked about some of his young colleagues, and Jim Bright also spoke in favour of granting the licence.
Later in the meeting, councillors discussed who would be liable if there was an accident in the seating area and whether the licence area should be extended beyond the food truck to include the seating area.
Councillor Sharon Winslade was against granting a licence, saying the council should not be providing a commercial advantage to one business over another.
Councillor Phil Constable amended the motion so that instead of the licence returning to the general manager each year for renewal, it would return to the councillors. The motion was passed.
Sally Christiansen of Dalmeny Matters presented a petition with more than 1000 signatures to Eurobodalla Shire Council in December 2024. Photo: Supplied.
Sally Christiansen of community association Dalmeny Matters also spoke at the public forum about a petition with more than 1000 signatures. They are objecting to the development of land within the Dalmeny Land Release Area over claims of serious constraints of the land, risk for natural disasters, environmental impacts, limitations of local services, and lack of affordable housing provisions.
Council staff’s response to the petition was an agenda item.
Ms Christiansen said they had been raising their concerns since the land was sold in 2021, and the petition was a call for transparency and engagement.
In July 2024, the council transferred the draft master plan to the landowners to finalise.
Ms Christiansen said there had been no communication from the landowners, and residents had no information about the vision, size, or timeline of the development, and how the risks and concerns they had raised would be mitigated.
Councillor Colleen Turner asked if it would be valuable if council staff arranged a meeting between residents and the landowners.
“Spot on,” Ms Christiansen said.
Some vehicular and pedestrian access will be restored to Maloneys Beach. Photo: Maloneys Beach Residents Association Facebook.
The last item discussed was an urgent matter. Livestreaming was turned off and staff and members of the public vacated the chamber except for the corporate manager governance and risk and the minutes secretary.
After the closed session, Mayor Mat Hatcher said the council had resolved to appoint ‘Candidate A’ as interim general manager. “This will remain in effect until the commencement of a new permanent manager.” The motion was passed by five votes to two.
Councillors also resolved to delegate to the mayor to negotiate the contract with the preferred candidate, and if that candidate did not accept, the second candidate, and to delegate all the functions, delegations and sub-delegations of the general manager to the interim manager. That motion was passed unanimously.
Earlier there was another closed session in which councillors discussed a review of community care services, dated September 2024, that was undertaken by Local Government Project Solutions, with Ask Insight and The Human Equation.
The council proposes to transition out of disability services, home care packages and seniors’ respite which is funded by the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) by 31 October.
That is subject to confirmation that other providers have capacity to take on council’s clients, and that discussions have been completed with the relevant funding body regarding CHSP funding.
That is also subject to completion of a staff consultation process, and development of detailed plans to support impacted staff and clients during any proposed transition prior to a transition process commencing.
Staff will provide a further report to council in May on the outcomes of any actions taken in relation to the above.
Opinions differed around reinstating some vehicular and pedestrian access at Maloneys Beach.
Councillors agreed it was a difficult situation.
Mayor Hatcher said, “I still believe that unfortunately we made a bad decision in the past by closing the original track.”
The motion to provide vehicular and pedestrian access to the immediate west of the toilet block at Maloneys Beach Reserve, with an estimated cost of $225,000, was passed by four votes to three.
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