Refreshed Council sets tone with strong debate and new approaches

Monday night’s Ordinary Meeting of the newly formed Lithgow City Council saw several important topics discussed and productive debate held about how the Council can better serve the community.

A vote to oppose the inclusion of the Lithgow LGA on the NSW Governments Energy from Waste Infrastructure Plan was successfully passed, marking the Council’s position on future waste incineration projects. The Council also resolved to oppose the proposed pumped hydro project at Lake Lyell, establishing the new Council’s position on both proposals.

The Council’s engagement with the Community was a key topic of conversation, with a notice of motion passed that will see a trial undertaken where students from schools around the LGA are invited to act as an Honorary Young Mayor at future Council meetings. Another motion was also passed which would see the appointment of a monthly Duty Councillor who will assist speakers in the public gallery at Council meetings and help the Honorary Young Mayor’s in their presentation to Council.

The Council agreed to support a Legislative Assembly Petition which is being submitted by the Lithgow Community Power Project, to have The Lithgow Locomotive Workshop returned to public ownership and transformed into a manufacturing hub for rail.

Council also resolved to meet with Fire and Rescue NSW to assist in addressing contamination and flooding concerns with the proposal to build a new fire station on Lithgow Street, and to work on identifying potential alternative sites that meet the requirements of Fire and Rescue NSW.

Administration reports discussed and passed at the meeting covered a range of Council activities including new services at the J.M Robson Aquatic Centre, the installation of new toilets at the children’s playground in Queen Elizabeth Park and a proposal to name the Burton Street Causeway as the George Pearce Memorial Crossing. The naming proposal will be publicly exhibited for a period of 28 Days before it is returned to the Council.

The awarding of two contracts were approved, one for the relining of sewer mains around Birdwood Street and Hassans Walls Road and one for road rehabilitation and repair works covering 4km on Hampton Road.

The full Council meeting can be viewed, and the full reports accessed, online at www.council.lithgow.com

The next council meeting will take place on Monday, 25 November at the new time of 6:30pm in the Council Chambers, 180 Mort Street, Lithgow.