Cobar Shire Councillors efficiently moved through a lengthy agenda at their February Ordinary Meeting last Thursday.
A number of agenda items had previously been workshopped by councillors with many only requiring “a tick and flick” at the meeting.
Cr Janine Lea-Barrett praised an “in depth” report submitted to the meeting on the Aurelia Metals’ proposed Great Cobar Decline project at the Peak Gold Mine with councillors voting in favour of having further consultations with all relevant stakeholders.
They also instructed council to write to Aurelia Metals to insist that council be consulted in regards to all aspects of the project and also voted to write to the Resources Regulator advising that council objects to the exploration application lodged by Aurelia.
Councillors only had a couple of questions of the 37 page report submitted to the meeting regarding Khan’s proposed supermarket development with Cr Julie Payne questioning if a bottle shop was to be included in the development.
Council’s director of planning Garry Ryman told the meeting the application does not include a bottle shop however that didn’t mean a second application could not be lodged.
The development application was conditionally approved by council at the meeting.
Also at the meeting council voted to commence consultations regarding the Cobar Biohub project following notice from the Department of Planning and Environment confirming that Renewed Carbon Pty Ltd has applied to construct a proposed biomass processing facility on the Barrier Highway, Cobar.
At the meeting Cr Bob Sinclair suggested a way of attracting health professionals to the region could involve the Federal Government paying university HECS fees for doctors and medical staff who choose to relocate to a regional area for periods of 5-7 years.
Council’s general manager Peter Vlatko advised councillors this idea was also discussed at the Western Division meeting in Bourke last week with calls also made to the government to consider increasing Medicare benefits.
