“The cost of the committee was borne on us by the State government who said that we had to pay them councillor’s fees. I don’t believe that should have occurred quite frankly but that was what the State government said,” Mr Turner said.

The spotlight is on the role and remuneration paid to 12 members of the LRC in the wake of the shock resignation of Robyn Jenkins. The former Greater Taree councillor and deputy mayor recently resigned from the committee citing that “it is not ethical” for her to accept an annual payment of around $19,000 for the work required of her on the LRC. She contends the LRC “is not achieving” and “is being sidetracked to talk about things that are not fundamentally important to the people.”

Click here to read the story and see the video relating to Ms Jenkins resignation.

“It was really a matter of conscience for me in that I am being paid the same amount of money to be a member of this committee as I was to be a councillor. I don’t feel that the ratepayers are getting value for their money.”

Ms Jenkins in her letter of resignation to Mr Turner states “you do not subscribe to the existence of the committee under the terms of the current Local Government Act however, I think it would have been more principled of you to use this opinion as a reason to not establish the committee in the first place.”

Mr Turner rejects the statement and says “the Premier of NSW (former NSW Premier Mike Baird) said he wanted the committee.”

“If the Premier of NSW says he wants the committee, bearing in mind that this merger process has occurred under the direction of his government, then you have that committee.”

Mr Turner says the LRC is an “advisory committee at best” and it has no binding or voting rights in relation to any matters before MidCoast Council.

“They never had power. There is no such thing as the power of the committee,” Mr Turner said. 

“I think the council has gone outside the terms of reference to provide more information to them than we would have been required to do so under the terms of reference and are happy to do that to get input from them.”

Mr Turner says he attends the meetings of the LRC “where possible” to listen to their input on matters being considered by council.

“Have we got benefit from it (the committee)? Yes, I believe by and large we have because we have had the committee working by and large to make comment on matters that come before it,” he said. 

“The committee has gone out and done community consultations and its members talk to people and feedback into council on an adhoc basis the things that people say to them in the street.”

Mr Turner says the contribution of Ms Jenkins to the LRC will be missed and describes her as “very forceful ... in relation to some of her views.” 

“Overall I think Robyn gave her best and I think she was very sincere in what she put before the committee and she worked damn hard and I’ll miss her but she has to make her own decisions.”

Mr Turner says he will seek advice about filling the position on the LRC and “consider it in due course”.