The atmosphere in the Taree council chambers was tense at the beginning of Wednesday’s ordinary meeting, and when a motion to rescind the decision of July 25 to endorse the destination name Barrington Coast was rejected, it exploded.
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This followed the decision to endorse Barrington Coast as the destination name at the July 25 meeting, after extensive discussion by councillors and a number of submissions from the public, with Crs Len Roberts, David Keegan, Claire Pontin, Karen Hutchinson, Troy Fowler and mayor, David West voting for the motion.
However, within 24 hours a rescission motion was received by council, putting a hold on the name taking effect until the rescission motion had been dealt with at the August 22 council meeting.
Eight residents, supported by a majority of the packed gallery spoke in support of the rescission motion and one spoke against it, before Cr Epov spoke to the motion.
But debate was halted when Cr Roberts moved a procedural motion that the rescission motion be put, ending the discussion.
Crs Roberts, Keegan, Pontin, Fowler, Hutchinson and mayor West voted for that motion to be put and it was passed with no further discussion, before councillors moved onto the original motion to rescind the decision.
The rescission motion, put forward initially by Crs McWilliams, Bell and Epov, was rejected, six votes to four.
The decision invoked a frustrated response from many in the gallery, with some residents commenting that council had lost the community’s support with the decision.
