By JONATHON HOWARD
A BACKLOG of un-actioned resolutions from Tenterfield Shire Council – some believed to be dated before 2010 – has raised community concerns as to whether councillor’ votes are being enacted.
Several residents are calling for an urgent audit of Tenterfield Shire Council’s resolution records, dating back as far as 2008 or earlier, to determine the magnitude of the issue.
Several concerned Tenterfield residents approached the Free Times last week to express their worries and break the issue wide open for the community.
Some of the residents said several folders, dated from February 2010 to February 2012, allegedly contain “many” un-actioned resolutions.
Under the NSW Local Government Act, motions which are put before council, and those which are adopted or carried by councillor’ votes, are to be enacted or be in a state of action.
The Free Times made repeat attempts to contact Tenterfield Shire Council’s General Manager, Lotta Jackson, to explain the situation – but no response was provided before the print deadline.
Mayor Peter Petty was available for comment and said he did not know the number of un-actioned resolutions before council.
“These documents are always available for councillors to view, by appointment,” he said.
“I have not seen these documents myself, as I am dealing with current council matters.”
Mayor Petty said that councillors and council staff had been “extremely busy” since taking office last year in September, and while the issue of un-actioned resolutions was a serious concern, he said he was confident in council’s general manager and directors to handle the matter.
“Some of these resolutions could have been delayed due to the availability of proper resources, and the need for more funding, or further decision-making, before they can progress,” he said.
“I have full confidence in our general manager and directors to carry out these duties.”
The Free Times will continue attempts to view the folders once contact is made with Ms Jackson.
Meanwhile, Tenterfield Shire Councillor Blair Maxwell said he was concerned that the issue of un-actioned resolutions was not being made public, and what effect this could have on council.
Council agendas revealed that Cr Maxwell had made several attempts to gain more information provided to councillors (and the public they represent), on these issues and address council decisions from the recent past – which prompted the Free Times to contact him.
“There’s no easily accessible record of where council is currently in relation to these motions,” he said.
“These folders should be made public, or at the very least a short one-liner list of motions and the council should come clean on the number of resolutions requiring action or further action.”
Cr Maxwell said the “lack of Tenterfield Shire Council’s transparency and response was raising serious community concerns”.
“There needs to be a better tracking system in place to determine at what stage each council resolution is, and whether more needs to be done, such as digitalising through computer programs that then could go to online tracking, to ensure that transparency is maintained,” Cr Maxwell said.
Mayor Petty said Tenterfield Shire Council was grappling with mounting debt, but was maintaining a “good position” for the future.
His comments were made despite Tenterfield Shire Council being found a high risk of unsustainability by the NSW State Government.
There are also fledgling plans to raise Tenterfield rates by up to 50 per cent over the next four years, to pay for the mounting debt and pull Tenterfield Shire back from the precipice.
Tenterfield Shire has also been noted in a Fairfax newspaper as being in the lowest 10 socio-economic areas in NSW, and bottom 20 in the country.
Questions are now being raised over how Tenterfield Shire residents will pay for the mounting loans.
“We’re meeting all our repayments,” Mayor Petty, who was the deputy mayor under the previous council, said.
Mr Petty admitted that more money would be needed in order to raise the Tenterfield Dam wall, continue investment to improve waste management facilities, improvements to roads and bridges following recent floods, and the Main Street Master Plan – which could all cost well in excess of $10 million in further loans and grants.
Mayor Petty said the council had a lot on its plate, but vital projects were progressing.
“There is a need to be stringent, but there’s no reason to suggest that any of these projects cannot progress,” he said.
Mayor Petty also fended off suggestions that the struggling Glen Innes Severn Council and Tenterfield Shire Council amalgamate, to form one local government.
“There’s no point in two struggling councils merging to form one struggling council,” he said.
“I’ve spoken with the Glen Innes Severn Council mayor (Colin Price) and he is of the same view.”
