Today saw the Mayor of Eurobodalla stay at home and attempt to quell the ground fire that have caught the council staff off guard following the announcement around the probable cancellation of the Sculpture on Clyde annual event. Comment on the streets of Batemans Bay this morning indicate that the event has been threatened and compromised by overzealous, senseless, bureaucratic council demands and has become "unworkable". It is understood that the Mayor called for a meeting with the organisers this morning and seemed to be surprised and even naive of the fact that Council's interference had ruffled the feathers of so many in the community where all they wanted was access to financial records that were clearly commercial in confidence, a seat on the judging panel and the insistence that the winning sculpture of 2018 be located along Beach road without knowing the size, the material or whether the piece that is actually acquired by the Bay Chamber is best located in such a salt ridden environment. It is understood by those that the Beagle spoke to of the Batemans Bay business community that if Council insists on its newly demanded conditions and continues with its general disdain for the event it will either fold or be remodelled to ensure that Council is not involved "as Council has done very little for the event to date and now want all the glory of everyone else's hard work". On a more positive note today we hear of three of Eurobodalla councillors attending the National Assembly of Local Government in Canberra, delivering a motion encouraging the national adoption of greener investment portfolios by member councils moving away from fossil fuels. Councillors Constable and Tait are in the able hands of Deputy Mayor Anthony Mayne and the three are giving good representation of the Eurobodalla amongst their 200 plus, Australia wide peer councils also attending the two day event.
Above: Day 1: Ian Campbell of About Regional caught up with Cr Anthony Mayne from Eurobodalla Shire Council at the National Assembly of Local Government in Canberra. In his article "Bullying from within – a top issue for women in local government" Ian Campbell gives a wrap up of Day 1 Jo Dodds , a councillor from the Bega Valley Shire, speaking on the opening morning of the National General Assembly of Local Government, has suggested that ‘bullying’ is an issue Local Government needs to address in order to protect existing women Councillors and encourage a new generation of leaders telling the 875 delegates at the National Convention Centre that bullying was one of the top issues facing female Councillors. You can read Ian's full account of Day 1 HERE
