THE TWEED SHIRE
ON TWEED
Volume 1 #51 Thursday, August 27, 2009 Advertising and news enquiries: Phone: (02) 6672 2280 Fax: (02) 6672 4933 editor@tweedecho.com.au adcopy@tweedecho.com.au www.tweedecho.com.au
PA AGE GES 12 12 & 13
LOCAL & INDEPENDENT
Another bid to muzzle Milne Ken Sapwell
Nimrod founder breathes new life into local scene Roxanne Millar
It was over a few drinks on a Friday night in the 1970s that Ken Horler (pictured above at home) and actor John Bell decided to start their own theatre company. Out of that drunken idea the innovative Sydney theatre Nimrod was born, which changed Australian theatre and contributed to Ken being awarded an Order of Australia. The former Sydney barrister, also honoured for his services to civil
liberties, is now breathing new life into Murwillumbah’s own dramatic scene. Up until this week, he was preparing a new production of the satirical farce What the Butler Saw by Joe Orton for the Murwillumbah Theatre Company, which has unfortunately had to be put on hold. Ken has long been a familiar face in the arts and legal scenes, defending contentious objectors and high-profile demonstrators for many years. He moved to the Tweed about 10
years ago, building an award-winning home at Clothiers Creek designed by architect Elizabeth Watson Brown. Ken and his wife Lillian, also very involved in theatre and law, now split their time between their rural home and their actor daughter Sacha Horler’s home in Sydney. ‘Sacha is a very busy actress these days, so we fill in as babysitters,’ said Ken. In fact, Sacha recently starred in the acclaimed feature film My Year Withcontinued on page 5
A renewed push by Tweed councillors to silence Greens colleague Katie Milne has hit an unexpected hurdle with the shock resignation of another high-profile panel member. Human resources lecturer Roslyn Cameron quit the panel on Monday, as Council staff scrambled to reschedule Tueday’s hearing into a joint complaint accusing Cr Milne of breaching a new hardline media policy. If the charge is proven, the poll-topping councillor who beat a similar rap two months ago faces possible sanctions ranging from a simple warning, counselling or even a suspension from duties. Dr Cameron, who declined to comment on her resignation, joins local police chief Michael Kenny who also quit suddenly last month as the panel was gearing up to hear misconduct allegations levelled against Mayor Joan van Lieshout. ‘I have a couple of reasons why I decided to resign but I don’t want to discuss them publicly,’ said the Tweed academic, who along with Supt Kenny and ex-LGSA director David Gibson, was a senior member of what was once a six-man panel. Their defections come amid concerns that the panel, along with a restrictive new media policy, is being used as a tool to sideline outspoken councillors and keep a lid on the release of any information unless it is already in the public domain. Although council chiefs won’t confirm the latest hiccup, it’s believed the panel was set to hear a complaint by all six councillors alleging Cr Milne breached the policy by releasing an internal report exposing flaws in vari-
ous impact statements in support of next week’s world rally event. She acted just days after the council adopted a controversial media policy which closed loopholes that allowed her to beat a similar complaint to the panel after she released an internal memo about a panel selection process. Cr Milne this week defended her actions, saying the report was in the public interest and that she had a legal duty under the Act to ‘facilitate communication between the council and the community’. Senior council staff appeared to support her stand when they belatedly made public the report by including it in last week’s agenda, citing public interest considerations. Cr Milne, who risks another policy breach by disclosing she’s subject to an inquiry and identifying the complainants, issued a brief statement questioning why the report was now on the council’s website if it was classified ‘as not publicly available.’ It is the second time in recent weeks that the panel, formed last December, has been called on to consider complaints against a councillor. The panel declined to make a finding after Crs Holdom and Phil Youngblutt alleged Joan van Lieshout breached the rules by publicly disclosing she had asked council boss Mike Rayner to resign his rally board post because of conflict of interest concerns. Although panel chairman, David Gibson, characterised it as a case of bickering, he warned the mayor that she was not to raise the issue in public again. Cr Lieshout, who is regarded as one continued on page 2
INTRODUCING SOLOMONS NEWEST RANGE
THE RENOVATORS COLLECTION
MESSINA $45/m2
ARGYLE $49/m2
JERICHO $55/m2
ANNABAR $59/m2
'6--: */45"--&% '6
'6--: */45"--&%
'6--: */45"--&%
'6--: */45"--&%
RENOV A ROLL O TOR UT! 5IFTF Q SJDF T BSF MJNJU FE m P FOE 4FQ G G FS NVTU U FNCFS
◆ 15 YEAR WEAR WARRANTY ◆ 15 YEAR STAIN RESIST WARRANTY ◆ 15 YEAR COLOURFAST WARRANTY ◆ 15 YEAR INSTALLATION WARRANTY
40-0.0/4 '-003*/( r (SFFOXBZ %SJWF 5XFFE )FBET 4PVUI <echowebsection=Local News>