Mayor folds on threat to ban tradies

TWEED Mayor Katie Milne has back away from her proposed ban on contractors who tender for work at the controversial $534 million Tweed Valley Hospital.

Cr Milne proposed the ban when she was one of 130 protesters who blockaded trucks from entering the Cudgen Rd construction site on Monday.

During the protest, Cr Milne agreed with Save Cudgen Farmland leader Hayley Paddon to exclude contractors associated with the hospital from council jobs.

After backlash from business owners and tradies, Mrs Paddon withdrew her support for the ban late Monday night.

This was followed by Cr Milne yesterday afternoon.

“Organisers yesterday withdrew their request for support from the council for a boycott and blockade yesterday, so a

debate on this at the council will not proceed at this stage,” she said in a statement.

Late on Monday night Mrs Paddon said she wanted to send a “strong and forceful message” to the government but didn’t “want to see local tradies or subbies denied work”.

“The large majority of us are not natural protesters, we are community members who have been pushed to take drastic actions because nobody in our Government are listening,” she posted on Facebook.

“I apologise for anyone I may have upset and this was never the intention.”

National Party Tweed MP Geoff Provest has called for the Mayor to step down.

“The Mayor should not only provide a full apology to the Tweed community, but I believe she has shown her inability to lead an effective council, and therefore should tender her resignation,” he said.

Cr Milne declined interview requests from newspaper and TV journalists, instead releasing a statement late yesterday.

In it she commended the protesters for their efforts on Monday.

“In any democracy it is vital the community holds the Government to account,” she said.

“Inquiries, protests, boycotts and blockades are a necessary part of the community’s ability to make governments accountable.”

Cr Milne said she had put a motion calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the hospital site selection process and diagrams of the current hospital site to assess its capacity to be upgraded.