A heated political clash erupted at Ballina Shire Council after Greens councillor Kiri Dicker accused opponents of a Big Scrub rainforest motion of being “meanspirited”, “nasty” and “dinosaurs”.

The comments came after Mayor Sharon Cadwallader became the first councillor to express reservations about a proposal from Greens councillor Simon Chate seeking greater council focus on protecting and expanding remnants of the Big Scrub rainforest.

Cr Chate’s motion called on council to promote the protection, enhancement and expansion of Big Scrub remnants, seek additional grant funding for rainforest restoration and work with willing landholders to identify opportunities to expand remaining rainforest pockets.

Cr Chate argued the proposal would strengthen council’s commitment to protecting one of the Northern Rivers’ most significant ecological assets.

However, Planning and Environment Director Matthew Wood warned councillors the proposal could influence how environmental priorities were assessed in future.

Mr Wood told the meeting that council already undertook extensive restoration work through its Healthy Waterways Program, Biodiversity Strategy and vegetation management programs.

He said resolutions directing staff towards specific environmental outcomes could affect future decision-making where competing projects were being considered and that could see important work on waterways and coastal wetland projects miss out.

Mayor Cadwallader said council was already heavily engaged in environmental restoration and should avoid redirecting resources away from existing priorities established through community consultations.

“We’ve got to continue to make those strategic decisions and not move away from what we already have as an adopted strategic policy,” she said.

The mayor’s comments triggered a passionate response from Cr Dicker.

“I just don’t know why people even bother to oppose it,” she told the meeting.

“It makes us look like a bunch of dinosaurs.”

She went on to describe opposition to the motion as “mean-hearted behaviour” and “nasty”.

The remarks prompted Cr Simon Kinny to raise concern that the comments amounted to personal aspersions which is forbidden under the council code of meeting conduct.

Despite being the apparent target of the remarks, Mayor Cadwallader offered Cr Dicker an opportunity to withdraw the comments. 

When Cr Dicker refused, the mayor chose not to pursue the matter further and allowed debate to continue.

Cr Meehan successfully moved an amendment replacing Cr Chate’s original proposal with a simple acknowledgement that the objectives of the motion were already broadly encompassed within existing council programs.

Cr Meehan’s amendment finally passed, with all three Greens party councillors voting against.

Cr Chate expressed disappointment at the outcome, arguing a previous council resolution supporting koala habitat expansion had helped facilitate an additional 60 hectares of habitat through partnerships with landholders and state funding.

“My original motion was just about trying to direct council attention towards finding the remnants of the Big Scrub and opening communication with surrounding landholders,” he said.

Above: Cr Simon Kinny

Main image: The Big Scrub Rainforest area map (credit: Big Scrub Rainforest Conservancy), Greens Councillors Kiri Dicker and Simon Chate (credit: Facebook)