Former Gundagai mayor Abb McAllister has been stood down from council’s Implementation Advisory Group (IAG) for refusing to resign from Gundagai’s Council in Exile.
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The purpose of the IAG is to provide advice to Mrs Ferguson on implementing the merged council.
Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council Administrator Christine Ferguson confirmed the decision saying it is her belief that he cannot sit on both committees as one is trying to undo the amalgamation while the other to trying to make the amalgamation work.
“I think this is only logical,” Mrs Ferguson said.
She said at the last IAG committee meeting the majority of members concluded that sitting on both committees was a conflict of interest.
The two members of both groups, Mr McAlister and David Graham, were given a week to consider which committee they wished to remain part of.
Mr Graham chose to stay on the IAG and resign from the committee of Council in Exile, while Mr McAlister refused to resign from either body
“After much consideration I stood Abb down from the IAG,” Mrs Ferguson said.
The decision has Mr McAlister fuming.
He said it is “just ridiculous” that Mrs Ferguson was prepared to allow him to attend Council in Exile meetings as an observer but not as a committee member.
He is calling on Mrs Ferguson to reinstate him or at least replace him with another Gundagai local in order to keep the IAG balance between the two towns.
Other members of the IAG are Carla Barton, Paul Braybrooks, Rod Chalmers, David Graham and Doug Phillips.
Mrs Ferguson told the Cootamundra Herald this week, she is not presently considering adding anyone to the committee.
The Council in Exile group has been established to continue to push Gundagai’s bid to return to a stand alone council.
Mr McAlister said he had been able to put his desire for Gundagai to stand alone to one side when representing the IAG.
“From day one, Christine knew where myself and David stood,” Mr McAlister said.
“We said if we had to, we would work to make a decent go of the amalgamation,” he continued.
Mr McAlister added that he does not believe the IAG, and similarly council’s Local Representation Committee, are being allowed to achieve what they should in terms of bridging the gap between council staff and the community as there is a lack of communication flowing down to members.
“At present, it’s just a front of a committee,” he said.
He said the decision for Mr Graham to remain on the IAG and step down from the Council in Exile was made so another voice was not lost from the IAG.
Mr McAlister remains committed to seeing Gundagai Shire Council restored.
“You could unscramble the egg for less than $1 million,” he said.
