For Kempsey Shire Council to claim that the agreement struck with AIAC was not made in secret and that the income received under the ‘agreement’ is more than $12,000 per year is certainly ‘disingenuous and erroneous’.

Background: AIAC had been operating under a conditional 2015 Development Application that was due to expire on June 10 2018. AIAC sought to extend the expiry date to 2020 and increase the operating hours.

The independent assessor commissioned by council recommended that the amendment be rejected, as the increased operating hours were not ‘minor’. AIAC then withdrew the amendment.

Media reports subsequently indicated that council might enter into discussion with AIAC to enable it to “maintain a presence” and continue operations outside the constraints of a DA.

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Key facts missing from the general manager’s response to SKAAG’s claims:

 SKAAG wrote to council on May 16 requesting clarification of council’s intent. An evasive and obfuscating reply was received dated June 4.

 SKAAG representatives met with councillors, the mayor and the general manager on June 6 and proposed a compromise, enabling AIAC to continue operations under the same conditions contained in the 2015 DA (ie maintain the status quo), pending finalisation of the NMP.

 Unbeknown to councillors, the general manager was already in negotiations with AIAC. The general manager failed to disclose this fact in council’s letter of June 4 or during the June 6 meeting with SKAAG or during a subsequent meeting of councillors after SKAAG had left.

 SKAAG again wrote to council on June 13 seeking straight answers to the straight questions raised in its letter of May 16.

 SKAAG representatives met with the general manager on June 15 and were informed that an agreement had been signed with AIAC that included operating hours greater than those in the 2015 DA.

 The agreement disregarded the findings of the independent assessor regarding the increased operating hours sought under the rejected 2015 DA amendment.

Although the negotiations were conducted under delegated authority, the process excluded input from councillors or community stakeholders. SKAAG was provided with a redacted version of the agreement, but only after it was signed off and endorsed as part of the Mayoral Minute at the June council meeting.

Fact: The agreement was negotiated without the knowledge of councillors. Unfortunately, this unilateral action demonstrates that some elements of council still do not grasp the concept of open and transparent governance.

As for income:

Fact: The income under the agreement is approximately $12,000 per year. This is the value council seemingly places on the well-being, health, safety and amenity of the 3000 or so residents near the airport.

If this figure is ‘erroneous and understated’, as claimed by Mr Milburn, I’m sure the community would be interested in the correct figure.

Fact: There are no longer any DAs on the table from AIAC, so the much exaggerated multi-million-dollar economic injection to Kempsey has evaporated.

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