These two 55-year-old Norfolk Island pine trees in Seaview Street, Kingscliff, have been condemned to death because they apparently pose a safety risk, with their roots damaged by previous earthworks, but locals and the builders dispute this and want them protected. In a bid to save them, a group of builders working on the building behind erected the protest banner saying they would be cut down to improve someone’s views.
The trees, ordered to be cut down by Tweed Shire Council, were due to be felled this week. They were still standing yesterday (Wednesday) morning. According to council records, three arborist reports showed the trees were healthy and council officers had backed their retention, but Cr Dot Holdom later moved for the trees to be removed before an occupation certificate was issued for the building, saying a further report by a council arborist concluded the trees were dying. Only Crs Katie Milne and Barry Longland voted against her motion. 

Katie Milne is copping it in every direction as colleagues scramble to put the rebellious Greens Party councillor back in her box. As well as being on the receiving end of complaints about so-called leaks to the media, she’s also had to cop mayoral rebukes for asking too many questions and briefly using her council PO Box in an appeal to raise funds for her failed court action against last year’s car rally. Now it seems one of her colleagues has ignored the new media policy and privacy laws by leaking the contents of an email exposing details of her $351 debt to the council. She could well ask the GM to investigate the leak, but she shouldn’t expect a repeat of what occurred when one of her own disclosures to the media was being probed last year. She immediately identified herself as the culprit, but a later inquiry found she had done nothing wrong, sparking the media policy overhaul which was meant to put a lid on disclosures that were considerably less sensitive. As the GM pointed out when asked to respond to the leak, to identify Milne would be a breach of the NSW Privacy Act.

The embattled councillor believes the leaking of the GM’s decision to discontinue court action to recover the debt was meant to suggest she was misusing her position to have it waived. She says nothing is further from the truth. ‘I have been appealing this even before I became a councillor,’ said Cr Milne, who incurred the debt following her court win against council approval for a marina at Chinderah. ‘The council fought me tooth and nail and even tried to get me to cough up for their barristers’ fees of $6,000,’ she said. ‘In the end the court said they were only entitled to the cost of responding to my subpoenas. I had asked the council to review the full amount because they kept on sending me paperwork which was not relevant or what I wanted. At Christmas I learnt they had sent the matter on to the debtors’ court.’

According to GM Rayner, she still owes the money. This is what he said: ‘Since 2006 a number of Council officers at Manager, Director and General Manager level have been engaged in correspondence and or discussions with the individual in an attempt to recover the debt of $351. Significant time, effort and public money has already been consumed pursuing this fee and as General Manager I made the call that it was not in the public interest to continue to incur the ongoing expenses, which to date have already and would continue to, far exceed the debt owed. The individual has been made aware that the debt recovery process has ceased, however the outstanding balance of $351 remains. The individual involved now has a leadership role in the Tweed community and in ending the debt recovery process I have requested the individual to consider their responsibility to set an example and honour the debt. The General Manager has a delegated authority to waive fees on a case by case basis after making an informed and educated decision based on the merits of each individual situation; however in this instance the fees have not been waived.’ Backburner reckons this story isn’t finished yet.

In last week’s issue, we incorrectly named Mike Cahill, the managing director of IMC (Integrated Marketing Communications) which is currently conducting the review into last year’s world rally, as the CEO of the Homebush Motor Racing Authority (HMRA). Bryan Hardman is the CEO of the HMRA, which is providing a support role for IMC while it conducts interviews with stakeholders, facilitating and chairing the meetings with community groups. We apologise for the blooper.

A report this week in the local daily on Cr Joan van Lieshout’s endorsement by her Liberal Party to run against Richmond MP Justine Elliot in the upcoming federal election (see page 3) labels the three women contesting the seat as ‘housewife’ candidates, a sexist and denigrating term used in the bad old days. We dare say Justine, Joan and Tania were not amused.