People have the right to choose who is mayor.
- Cr Robyn Bain
It may be early days in the term of the new council but some councillors are already getting their feet under the table and proposing motions that could see major changes in relation to two particular issues.
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At the next council meeting on Wednesday, November 2, councillor Robyn Bain said she had two motions relating to both the Australasia Hotel, Eden and the mayoral elections.
Cr Bain wants to see the Australasia back on the market for expressions of interest and also wants to have a popularly elected mayor in Bega Valley Shire Council.
“I want to return the Hotel Australasia to expressions of interest for private developers, but with the proviso that the facade is restored and the laneway is kept for council to use for access,” Cr Bain said.
“There were people who had put in an expression of interest; the issue now is council owns it and the DA is on public display. $550,000 has been spent building the building and $450,000 of ratepayers’ money is earmarked for work on the hotel,” Cr Bain added.
The DA on exhibition shows that work will cost $1.45 million but this is the total cost of all work to make it rentable. Council has agreed to spend a maximum of $1 million on the hotel ($550,000 to buy it and $450,000 for renovation of the facade and tidying up the site).
Given that council previously resolved to spend the money on the Australasia, the original motion may have to be rescinded before any changes could be made.
Cr Bain’s second motion relates to the election of the mayor.
“I would like to see us hold a constitutional referendum for a popularly elected mayor. We go into an election and nine people decide who the mayor is but I think the people have the right to choose who is the mayor,” Cr Bain said.
“The referendum can take place at the next election so that in the 2020 council election there will be a popularly elected mayor.
“What I am doing is putting up things that people have asked for,” Cr Bain said.
The matter of a popularly elected mayor has been raised before but councillors voted to stay with the system of voting for their own mayor.