Port Macquarie-Hastings Council

Port Macquarie-Hastings (formerly Hastings) is a local government area in New South Wales, Australia. It is on the Hastings River, the Pacific Highway, the Oxley Highway and the North Coast railway line.

Major population centres in the district are Port Macquarie, Camden Haven, Wauchope, Lake Cathie and Kendall. The mayor is popularly elected for a four-year term, and nine councillors represent the entire district, it not having been subdivided into wards. At present, the council is under administration, having been sacked on 27 February 2008 by the Minister for Local Government.

History

Local government in the Hastings region started with the passage of the District Councils Act 1842, which allowed for limited local government in the form of a warden and between 3 and 12 councillors to be appointed by the Governor. Between July and September 1843, 28 such entities had been proclaimed by Governor George Gipps—the Macquarie District Council, the 8th to be declared, was proclaimed on 12 August 1843, with a population of 2,409 and an area of 10,174 square kilometres (3,928 sq mi).^[3] Due to various factors, the District Councils were ineffective, and most had ceased to operate by the end of the decade.^[4]

After the enactment of the Municipalities Act of 1858,^[5] which gave the councils more authority and which allowed for residents to petition for incorporation of areas and also to elect councillors, the town of Port Macquarie, population 984, petitioned to be incorporated as a municipality twice—in 1859 and again in 1867—but on both occasions, counter-petitions from other residents prevented it from being incorporated.^[6] Finally, on 15 March 1887, the Port Macquarie Municipal District was proclaimed, with the first elections on 25 May 1887 electing James McInherney as the first mayor.^[7]

The Local Government (Shires) Act 1905 enabled the Shire of Hastings, based in the town of Wauchope, to come into being in June 1906, in time for elections in November 1906. The first Shire President was James O'Neill.^[7]

In 1981, the two councils were amalgamated to form the Municipality of Hastings, with Norm Matesich becoming the council's inaugural mayor. In 1991, the council moved into its present premises in Burrawan Street, Port Macquarie. With the enactment of the Local Government Act 1993, which changed the responsibilities of the Mayor and Councillors, the Hastings Council was created. In 2005, the name was changed to Port Macquarie-Hastings following a community survey, showing that many people thought that the new name would better reflect the area.^[7]

Glasshouse controversy

On 27 February 2008 the council was sacked by the Minister for Local Government and replaced with administrator Dick Persson, who is also administrator of the Warringah Council, after alleged mishandling of a project initiated in 2001 to build a cultural and entertainment centre, known to locals as the Glasshouse.^[2] The project, initially a joint venture with the management of the neighbouring shopping centre, Port Central, was initially expected to cost the council A$7.3 million, but by late 2007, despite the centre not yet having opened, the costs had blown out to over $41.7 million, with interest repayments likely to extend the council's liability to $66 million. On 27 July 2007, a full public inquiry was announced by the Minister for Local Government, which reported back in February 2008.^[8] It found that the council had failed to provide appropriate financial and project management and had lost control of the costs, that the project costs had harmed the council's ability to provide services and amenities to the community, and that the council's "communications management strategies" had resulted in inadequate consultation with the public or appropriate regard to their concerns. The outgoing Mayor, Rob Drew, was critical of the process throughout, maintaining that errors had been made and misinformation had been accepted as fact; however, the New South Wales Urban Task Force, a property development lobby group, believed the sacking served as a warning to other councils to stick to "core responsibilities".In 2009 it was revealed that the Glasshouse would cost ratepayers around $6 million dollars a year to run.^[9]

Towns and localities

Mayors

• Councillor Rob Drew (2003–2008)
• Councillor Wayne Richards (1998–2003)
• Councillor Frank Harrison (1997?)
• Alderman Ray Cooper (?)
• Alderman Bob Woodlands (1987?)
• Alderman John Sterndale
• Alderman Norm Matesich (1981–?)
• Alderman 'Mac' (C.C.) Adams

References