Packed gallery for final council meeting for 2019

The public gallery at the final Narrabri Shire council meeting for 2019 was packed to the rafters with community members attending to hear about a number of items on the agenda including the Vickery Coal Mine Extension Project, the Narrabri Gas Project and the Narrabri Bunnings development proposal.

Narrabri Shire Councillors voted 5 to 1 in favour of making a submission to the NSW Government and Independent Planning Commission to object to the Vickery Extension Project on the basis that it is ‘not in the public interest’.

Pat Murphy was one of many Boggabri residents who travelled to the meeting and he also addressed the Council.

“This specific project has the potential to detract from the Narrabri Shire’s ability to progress sustainably into the future,” said Mr Murphy.

“It is not in the best interests of the Narrabri and Boggabri community, economy and environment.”

The vote followed a report by council that assessed the community benefits associated with Whitehaven’s proposed project.

“The proponent has not demonstrated that the Vickery Project will promote the social and economic welfare of the Boggabri and wider Narrabri Shire nor that it has sufficiently addressed the relevant economic, environmental and social considerations in its proposal,” read the report.

“At this stage they don’t have the social licence for this project,” said Cr Campey who put forward the addition that Council make a submission objecting to the project.

A rescission motion put forward to reverse Council’s recent decision to support the Santos Narrabri Gas Project was not successful.

The meeting attracted people from both sides of the gas project debate.

Stuart Southwell from Narrabri Real Estate spoke on behalf of his clients and the Narrabri Industrial Group.

He said the prosperity of the gas project would mean more jobs, better education and healthcare services, and attract people to move to and stay in Narrabri.

“I am growing very tired of selling houses for lovely young families who are leaving town because there is not enough here for them and I can tell you they don’t make that decision lightly,” said Mr Southwell.

There was a large group of people at the meeting who did not support the gas project and brought ‘no gasfields’ signs to display their opinion.

“The motion that Council passed at the last meeting was to support a project that is extremely unpopular,” said Boggabri farmer Sally Hunter.

“The sensible approach would be to maintain Council’s previous approach to such projects and remain neutral while the project is being assessed.

“Surveys of 104 communities surrounding the Narrabri town, recorded less than five per cent of people who want to live in a gasfield.”

The hot topic of a Bunnings store in Narrabri was also discussed at Tuesday’s meeting.

“This is not a decision-making recommendation, this is just an update on where the application is up to,” said Mayor Cathy Redding.

“At this point in time, the DA (Development Application) is unable to be determined because the applicant hasn’t provided the land owner’s consent,” said the

Narrabri Shire Council’s executive manager of planning and environment Daniel Boyce.

“Without owner’s consent Council can’t determine that application.”

It’s understood the applicant Bunnings, does not have the consent of the grain terminal in the property next door to the proposed site to use an alternative Newell Highway access point.

Owner’s consent is an essential precondition to the granting of development consent and any consent granted in its absence will be declared invalid.

More to come.