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Councillors have adopted a meeting schedule for the remainder of the term.
The new schedule, adopted at last Thursday’s ordinary Council meeting, was developed following the recent NSW Government decision to postpone the local government election by 3 months.
The election will be held on Saturday 4 December 2021.
All meetings will go ahead as per usual practice – Planning Committee meetings will be held on the first Thursday of the month from 5:30 pm. Council meetings will be held on the third Thursday of the month from 5:30 pm, with the exception of the meeting on Thursday 28 October which will deal with Council’s annual financial statements.
The Public Forum will also proceed as normal, starting an hour before the Planning Committee or Council meeting at 4:30 pm, offering residents an opportunity to address Councillors on matters included on the meeting agenda for the day.
Attendance via audio-visual link can be arranged for anyone wishing to address the Public Forum and who is unable to attend in person due to public health orders.
Ordinary Council meetings will be held on 19 August, 16 September and 28 October, while Planning Committee meetings will be held on 2 September and 7 October. A combined Ordinary Council and Planning Committee meeting will be held on 4 November before the commencement of the caretaker period on 5 November.
Manager Corporate Governance Stephanie Papadopoulos said Council was doing all it could to ensure decision making continues in the Shire while complying with COVID-Safe guidelines.
“To accommodate as many community members as possible while allowing for COVID-Safe physical distancing requirements, all meetings for the remainder of the term will be held in the Harvard Room at Tweed Heads Administration Office,” she said.
“Anyone wanting to attend the meetings in person must book via our online booking system or watch the meetings from the comfort of your own home via the livestream service which will be available for all of these scheduled meetings.
“If you are subject to public health orders please ensure you comply. If you are not able to leave home, we encourage you to access the meetings via the livestream.”
In keeping with legislation, current Mayor of Tweed Shire Chris Cherry will remain in her role for the remainder of the term. The role of Deputy Mayor will be recontested at the Council meeting on 16 September when the one-year term of incumbent Councillor Reece Byrnes ends.
Councillors elected in December 2021 will serve a reduced term of 2 years and 8 months, with subsequent elections expected to remain on schedule. The next election will proceed as planned in September 2024.
For further information, visit the NSW Electoral Commission at elections.nsw.gov.au or phone 1300 135 736.
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