In the midst of the Liberal Party imploding, on Tuesday night Campbelltown Council held its last business meeting for the current term.
Let’s just say it was a feisty meeting, indeed the first like it in the entire term of two years and eight months.
It did finish on a positive note, especially for Glen Alpine residents, who may soon get a dog park, thanks to Cr Cotter and his dog Rambo.
But we’ll leave Rambo and dog parks for a moment to return to the start of the meeting, which witnessed a robust verbal exchange between Labor leader Darcy Lound and a former mayor, who left the party when he lost the mayoralty in 2022.
Both councillors talked over each other for a few moments, something that has not really happened before this term.
The good news is that this will be the last such stoush because the former mayor will not be on the council after September 14 because his name is not on the ballot paper.
On Tuesday night things also got a little out of hand again when council debated a report on an investigation of a complaint by the Australian Muslim Welfare Centre (AMWC) that Campbelltown Council had discriminated against it.
The complaint was lodged after council ordered the centre, located on Eagleview Road, to stop using its premises for prayer meetings.
The original approval of the centre did not include using it as a prayer meeting.
According to the independent investigation ordered by Mayor George Greiss, “council and council staff did not discriminate nor deliberately target or set out to disadvantage the AMWC’’.
When council voted to note the report, just one councillor voted against that, Masud Khalil, currently serving as deputy mayor.
There was no debate on a proposal to spend $400,000 from council’s infrastructure reserve to establish a café in the recently opened Campbelltown Billabong parklands in time for the summer months.
According to the report, the money will be paid back to the fund over a five year period.
Also sailing through without debate was a proposal to change the title of council general manager to chief executive officer.
It was argued this was moving with the times, and only the title would change.
The proposal was defeated when it first came to council in the previous term.
Councillor Josh Cotter received council support for his and running mate Cr Warren Morrison’s bid to have council “investigate and report on the return of the Fisher’s Ghost Parade to Queen Street or other nearby suitable location in Campbelltown’’.
However, Cr Cotter had one other notice motion up his sleeve, which no doubt will be welcomed by residents of Glen Alpine and surrounds.
He successfully argued that Glen Alpine needs a dog park, and council will now look into how to implement such a plan.
“It’s definitely needed, and I know from personal experience,’’ Cr Cotter told council.
“I take my dog for a walk but basically can only do it in the evening, so it would be nice if there was a dog park, with lights, that all of us dog owners in Glen Alpine could take our dogs for some exercise,’’ he said.
