General News
1 September, 2024
Age of consent: Mayor's casting vote brings back pronouns
LODDON Shire councillors have clashed over pronouns and recreation facilities in a marathon sitting on Tuesday. Mayor Gavan Holt used his casting vote to again allow councillors to address directors and officers as Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms ... if prior...
LODDON Shire councillors have clashed over pronouns and recreation facilities in a marathon sitting on Tuesday.
Mayor Gavan Holt used his casting vote to again allow councillors to address directors and officers as Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms ... if prior consent is given.
The vote came at the longest meeting in at least four years as councillors debated eight decision and nine information reports over two hours.
Cr Dan Straub had last month called for a report on changing council governance rules adopted last year and reinstate the use of pronouns. Tuesday’s recommendation from corporate director Michelle Stedman was only to receive her report.
Cr Straub and Cr Neil Beattie combined to bring back pronouns. But Cr Linda Jungwirth promptly labelled the move a waste of council’s time. “This isn’t about community,” she said.
Cr Wendy Murphy said: “I think we are just sweating the little things here, the small stuff.”
She said there had been no community feedback to the omission of allowing pronoun use when new governance rules were adopted last year. “I don’t think it’s a big issue.”
Cr Straub said his motion was about increasing inclusivity and if “a minor issue why do we review governance rules”.
Cr Holt said” When we make decisions as councillors, most of the time we attempt to reflect the views of the community ... on other occasions take leadership and make decisions that may be controversial in the community.”
Soon after the motion was carried, Cr Holt: “In 71 of the 80 council meetings I have chaired, I have been refered to as Mr Mayor and I would like to be referred to as Mr Mayor again.”
He also received consent from CEO Lincoln Fitzgerald and operations director Steve Phillips to call them “mister”. Ms Steadman and community wellbeing director Wendy Gladman did not consent, saying they wanted to be addressed as “director” or “officer”.
Earlier in the meeting, Cr Holt dismissed a point of order that Cr Jungwirth was using council debates for election campaigning.
The Tarnagulla Ward councillor, facing three challengers in October’s election, moved a motion to approve the draft recreation, open space and aquatic strategy and put it out for public comment.
But Cr Jungwirth said she only agreed with seeking comment, claiming the strategy along with the social infrastructure strategy would impact Tarnagulla Ward towns with its focus on larger shire communities.
“It’s divisive to make decisions by town population,” she said. Cr Jungwirth said the ROSA strategy was based on a top-down and out-dated model. She voted against the social inclusion policy.
The documents and a report on swimming pool attendances last summer raised questions about the long-term sustainability of Loddon’s five pools, the cost of maintenance and ultimate replacement.