Council votes to defer Black Rocks decision

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Black Rocks Sportsfield

COUNCIL HAS voted to defer the decision of whether to approve the licence for the Pottsville Men’s Shed at Black Rocks Sportsfield to a workshop.

The amendment was put up by Cr Cooper and was carried 4 to 3 with Mayor Katie Milne, Deputy Mayor Chris Cherry, Cr Reece Byrnes voting for the matter to be deferred to a workshop. 
There was lengthy debate with comments coming in from the gallery.
Mayor Milne called for silence in the chamber and both Cr Warren Polglase, Cr Pryce Allsop and Cr James Owen spoke in support of approving the licence.
All councillors said they were in support of a Men’s Shed in Pottsville but were divided over the location
Deputy Mayor Chris Cherry asked the community to cut the new councillors some slack on the matter and recognised the matter was creating deep disivions amongst community members in Pottsville and across the Tweed
Cr Cooper said the State Government and MP Geoff Provest need to be engaged to consider whether the state should be assisting with the matter.

Debate has raged for months about the proposal with arguments from both for and against, with the site’s licence approved by the previous council, but still requiring public consultation.

Council received 409 public submissions which included 234 submissions supporting the licence at Black Rocks, while 175 submissions were against the licence at Black Rocks.

Councillors were given two options in relation to the Black Rocks licence which include; to accept the broad local community support to grant the licence and in accordance with Council’s resolution of August 21, 2014.

Or option two, to not approve the finalisation of the granting of the licence to the Pottsville and District Men’s Shed Inc at the Black Rocks Sportsfield.

In council’s conclusion, it was “recommended that Council proceeds to finalise the granting of the licence to the Pottsville and District Men’s Shed Inc at the Black Rocks Sportsfield in response to the majority community submissions in support of this location, demonstrated by the submissions received in response to the notice of intention published by Council.”