For the third time in recent months, Wollongong councillors have seized the chance to say farewell to their civic duties at what may (again) be their last meeting.
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With a decision date for Shellharbour City Council’s legal case against the NSW Government’s merger plan still unknown, but likely to come after the federal election, several councillors took the opportunity to deliver a valedictory speech on Monday night.
In a debate over the council’s final yearly plan and a review of their four years and ten months in office, Labor councillor David Brown kicked off the goodbyes.
“We know we’re fit for the future, we’ve been through that baptism of fire to come out the other end and get sacked anyway,” he said. “But I think we have achieved the goals we set in this place a few year ago, making this council sustainable and delivering on those large infrastructure spends we wanted to do.”
He thanked council staff for their “excellence, dedication and skills”, in providing councillors with reports and advice, before turning his attention to his colleagues.
“When we first got here… I really was worried about how this council might perform given the political make-up. I wondered if we were in for five years of trench warfare and gridlock – that has not happened,” he said.
“The councillors around this table have almost exclusively been very responsible and used their vote responsibly.”
Ann Martin said it was a pity the pending merger meant councillors would be “shafted”, but said it was possible some of the councillors would be “reconstituted like soup” after local government elections in 2017.
She hoped future councillors would be as committed as her colleagues, who she congratulated for “turning what was a pretty dirty ship around”.
A solemn Lord Mayor commended councillors for having discipline and energy to put the city’s infrastructure backlog “back on track”, and for taking on their role “almost as a full time job” despite minimal pay.
“I think we all admit at times we’ve let the side down or failed in some respects,” he said. “But on the whole I thank you for the ride, I that you for the experience and I thank you for your contribution to this final report.”
This was returned by Cr Jill Merrin, who thanked him for his leadership “which is why we’ve been treating each other with respect and being constructive”.
All but councillor Greg Petty – who did not speak on the motion – voted to adopt the council’s 2016-17 budget and end of term report.