MORE than 87 per cent of voters answered ‘No’ to the question – ‘Should MidCoast Council fund Local Representation Committee (MCLRC) members to attend the NSW Local Government Conference?’
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The Manning River Times last week posed the question in a poll relating to the issue of seven MCLRC members attending The Local Government NSW Annual Conference in Wollongong on October 16-18. The MCLRC members that will attend the conference with Mr Turner and interim general manager, Glenn Handford are Kathryn Bell, Leigh Vaughan, Katheryn Smith, Len Roberts, Jan McWilliams, Carol McCaskie and Karen Hutchinson.
Mr Turner is the only delegate with voting rights at the conference, MidCoast Council did not put a motion to the conference for discussion and according to former Greater Taree City Council mayor Paul Hogan OAM it is “a great waste of time and ratepayers money” and he tips it will cost a “minimum of $15,000”.
“John Turner shouldn’t allow it. Why are we spending this money? They have no voting rights.
“I would like it explained to me how unelected swill can receive money from MidCoast Council to attend a conference where they have absolutely no say, nothing to do at all. The administrator is the only person who has a vote. To me it is just a free lunch.”
The poll currently sits at 256 votes with 223 people selecting ‘No’ as the response to the question, with 29 ‘Yes’ and four people indicated they were ‘Unsure’.
Click here to read the full story and to lodge your vote in the poll.