MAYOR CAN’T STAY MUTE
TWEED Mayor Katie Milne is not bothering to respond to questions about her stance now the shire’s new state-of-the-art hospital project is under way.
As we report today, Cr Milne was one of four councillors – known as the Rainbow Four – who fought hard to stop the construction of the badly needed hospital at Cudgen, just outside Kingscliff.
The project was so controversial that the recent NSW election was deemed by both sides to be a local referendum on siting the hospital on the “state significant farmland” at the centre of the storm.
History now shows Nationals MP Geoff Provest won the seat of Tweed for a fourth term, the Coalition Government was returned to power in NSW, and voters wanted the new $534 million hospital.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard flew from Sydney this month for the project’s sod-turning ceremony. None of the Rainbow Four attended, so despite what Cr Milne might think of Bulletin coverage of this issue, it was perfectly reasonable for us to ask the councillors where they now stood and whether they would use the hospital if they needed medical treatment.
Three have shown they have accepted the verdict and are prepared to move on.
It might be that Cr Milne, who has taken a hardline Greens stance in opposing several projects that would benefit her shire, is continuing a contrary view on the hospital. We cannot be sure.
It would be churlish to suggest therefore that like King Canute, she cannot hold back the tide of local opinion in this matter.
But digging in and opposing anything that does not suit her agenda is not helping her shire, which should be welcoming investment that generates jobs and boosts the Tweed economy.
In the past Cr Milne has sought to review an important decision to raise the local dam wall to droughtproof the shire.
She and her mates risked jeopardising shire projects by wanting to ban contractors linked to the Adani mine project in Queensland. They opposed the instrument landing system at Gold Coast Airport. There has been a shortfall in delivery of new homes to meet demand, hurting provision of public housing. They tried to stop filming at Hastings Point of a scene for the Aquaman movie. And there was the debacle over traffic linked to production of the I’m A Celebrity television show.
Cr Milne owes it to her shire to accept the people’s wishes on the hospital. And as Mayor she should appear at ceremonies like the one she failed to show at, even if she lost the fight.