CITY’S WATER CHAIR QUITS
SPLIT EMERGES IN TEAM HILL
CRACKS have appeared in Team Jenny Hill with Cr Paul Jacob resigning his post as chair of the council’s water and waste committee, claiming he is being cut out of decision making.
But a shell- shocked Mayor Jenny Hill, who was in Canberra yesterday with a Townsville Enterprise del- egation, said as far as she was concerned the team was working well together.
Cr Jacob announced his decision to councillors in an email yesterday.
Cr Jacob told the Townsville Bulletin he had resigned, effective immediately, because the water and waste chair was a “figurehead position only” and “not really a position of information that should be going through the chair”.
“Items have occurred that the chair had no knowledge of whatsoever,” Cr Jacob said.
Cr Jacob referred to an announcement by Townsville Golf Club, published yesterday, that it was involved in talks with the council about plans to draw water from Aplins Weir.
“They’ve had an engineers report done and had a community consultation done. None of this has come across my desk whatsoever,” Cr Jacob said.
“I’ve been caught out by phone calls as the chair of water from concerned residents that there is going to be a pipeline run along the walking track of the area between the golf course and Aplins Weir.
“I’ve totally been cut out of that process as the chair of water and I believe I should have been included in the community consultation, in the decision- making process.”
But Cr Hill said no report had come to the council and no decisions had been made.
“( Townsville Golf Club) are going through community consultation. They are putting their case together. I don’t know why he wasn’t contacted by them,” Cr Hill said.
“His committee has been involved in all decisions made around water and wastewater.”
Cr Jacob said he believed it stemmed from his opposition to the council’s plan last year to help fund construction of an airstrip for energy group Adani.
Cr Hill said she was disap- pointed Cr Jacob had “done it the way he has”.
“I think he has given good service. We have worked well together,” Cr Hill said.
But whether Cr Jacob will remain in Team Jenny Hill is unclear.
Cr Jacob said he would apply a “more independent persona” at council meetings.
Cr Hill said she had always encouraged councillors to speak freely, “which they do”.
A temporary water and waste chair is expected to be appointed for its committee meeting on Thursday until Cr Hill returns from Canberra when nominations will be called.