Shellhabour mayor Marianne Saliba has been labelled a hypocrite during a heated exchange with a fellow councillor over whether support should be offered to a fire-ravaged neighbour.
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Councillor Saliba used Monday night’s ordinary meeting of Shellharbour City Council to move a mayoral minute following the raging inferno that tore through the Far South Coast community of Tathra on Sunday.
The fire, fanned by strong and gusty winds, destroyed 65 homes and damaged another 48.
Cr Saliba moved that Shellharbour council’s general manager, Carey McIntyre, contact his Bega Valley Shire Council equivalent to find out how it could assist in the clean-up after the fires.
“They may be feeling quite lonely at the moment, being in the situation that they’re in, with a lot of homes that have been lost and a lot of families that are struggling,” the mayor told the meeting.
“I think it would be entirely appropriate for us to reach out to our neighbours and offer some support.”
The move was backed by Cr Kellie Marsh.
“You wouldn’t wish it upon anybody,” Cr Marsh said of the devastation.
“When it comes to grief and it comes to human beings in need … there shouldn’t be any boundaries.”
Not all of the city’s seven councillors were in favour.
Cr Peter Moran was supportive of the motion’s intent, but said he wouldn’t support it.
Cr Moran spoke of his notice of motion to the December meeting, which called for the state government to spend cash on council’s sporting facilities instead of Sydney stadium rebuilds.
“I quite clearly recall you saying [at the time], madam mayor, that this is not core business of our council,” he said.
“Although I would be entirely supportive of anyone choosing to contact the Bega Valley Shire Council and offer their own support, it is not the core business of this council to go around and offer support to any area in Australia that suffers a natural disaster.”
Cr Moran asked if support would also be given to Darwin City Council in the wake of Cyclone Marcus, or to NSW councils being hit by intense rain this week.
“No. We don’t do that because that is not the core business of council,” he said.
In reply, Cr Saliba said she was disappointed with the comments and the comparison made with an unrelated motion.
She said Bega Shire was, until recently, part of the same joint organisation of councils as Shellharbour.
“They are struggling at the moment and I think the least that we can do is reach out and lend a hand,” she said.
Cr Moran hit back: “You’re a hypocrite, madam mayor.”
He was called to order but continued to speak, saying Cr Saliba had called him a hypocrite twice at the December meeting.
The mayoral minute was put to a vote and supported by all councillors except Cr Moran.