CITY of Coffs Harbour Council had another packed agenda for its 11 December meeting, with a number of development applications approved unanimously and other motions contested.
Mayor Nikki Williams also welcomed the new General Manager, Mr Murray Wood, who started in the role last week.
The draft meeting minutes and a video recording of the meeting can be found on the City of Coffs Harbour website.
Climate Adaptation
Council’s objective of showing climate leadership was questioned during an update on its Adaptation Strategy.
Councillors Jonathan Cassell and Tony Judge moved that Council note the progress being made on the strategy, while deferring a decision on future membership of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) pending a workshop and more consideration.
The GCoM is a coalition of city leaders addressing climate change by pledging to cut greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for future impacts.
The motion and a subsequent amendment were defeated.
Councillors Cecato’s and Fowler’s alternative motion to note progress on the strategy, acknowledge human activity as being a contributor to global warming, but not join the GCoM because of data and reporting requirements, was carried six votes to two, with one abstention.
During the debate, Cr Cassell quoted the National Climate Risk Assessment in saying: “By the end of this century there will no longer be any bushfires because the forest will have all been burned by then.”
He later noted that, “Council dumped an opportunity for independent support to help reduce the City’s emission [which] Bellingen Shire and 35 other NSW Councils have adopted.”
Homelessness Strategy
A motion to amend, then adopt, the City’s Homelessness Strategy and Homelessness Policy from Mayor Williams and Councillor Fowler was carried 6 votes to 3.
The motion also asked Council to advocate to NSW Government and Community Housing Providers to add to the supply within the Coffs Harbour Local Government Area (LGA), request an update on the Local Area Action Plan for the LGA and inform those who made a submission about the Draft Homelessness Strategy and Draft Homelessness Policy.
Cr Williams emphasised that the State Government should be building more homes, not re-purposing existing housing because that could actually push more people into social housing.
“We have a problem not just with homelessness we have a problem with housing right across the scale.”
Mayor Williams added that rental pressures on families, and older women in particular, were putting pressure on social housing.
Cr Judge asked councillors to imagine what it must be like to be homeless.
He said of the strategy, “There are 12 initiatives, but no actions.”
He pointed out that Byron Bay, with a smaller population than Coffs Harbour, has put more than $600,000 towards assisting people experiencing homelessness and that the Tweed Council has an Outreach Officer to assist them.
Cr Fowler talked about her own experiences of homelessness and commended council staff for their work in developing the strategy.
Cr Cassell suggested that early intervention increases the chances of success and that Council had money to contribute to facilitate the acquisition of government grants.
Mayor Williams indicated that Council would be ready to contribute when firm commitments were made by the Government.
Council Codes
Crs Amos and Sechi moved that Council note the Code of Conduct Complaints Statistics report for 1 September 2024 through to 31 August 2025.
It was carried unanimously.
Crs Fowler and Oxford moved that Council adopt three documents derived from the draft Code of Meeting Practice.
This was placed on public exhibition between 29 September 2025 and 10 November 2025, but there were no submissions.
Internal consultation determined that the best approach was to divide the document into a Code of Meeting Practice, a Council Meeting Practice Note and Schedule of Meetings for 2026 and the rules for conducting the public forum.
The motion was carried five votes to four.
Memorial and Cultural Plan
Council also resolved to put the Woolgooga War Memorial in the Woolgoolga Beach Reserve, six votes to three.
A recommendation to endorse the amended Coffs Harbour Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Management Plan was changed to a motion from Crs Cecato and Oxford to arrive at “an appropriate fee structure that is agreed to between the parties by March 2026”.
Cr. Cecato indicated that he had received numerous representations about the management plan.
“There was one thing that kept repeating itself … and this was the cost and sometimes the uncertainty,” he said.
In answer to a question from Cr Judge, Cr Cecato said he had not consulted with the local Aboriginal Land Council.
Crs Amos and Judge both said that the motion could undo the good work of Council staff and the Aboriginal organisations with whom they had collaborated.
Cr Cassell pointed out that the work had taken almost six years.
Cr Fowler suggested, successfully, that the original wording to repeal the memorandum of understanding be changed to council staff simply report back if agreement cannot be reached by next March.
The motion was carried five votes to four.
By Andrew VIVIAN
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