A rescission motion on a decision at last night’s Council Meeting has been lodged by the Mayor Neil Reilly, with the support of Councillors Croxford and Steel, due to concerns about it calling for expressions of interest for the sale of Council’s Barney Street Quarry [Administration: can Kiama dodge the bullet?].

The Quarry has been leased by local business Burnetts on Barney for ten years, and has developed into a thriving landscaping and gardening hub.

Last night’s decision to put that site out for public tender shocked Elizabeth Burnett, given they had recently made a formal approach to Council as tenants to negotiate the purchase of the site to secure the future of their business.

“That councillors decided last night to seek to sell the Burnetts on Barney site without even the courtesy of giving us notice is a sign that some councillors aren’t committed to keeping local businesses like ours, employing 25 people and contributing to the local economy, open,” says Ms Burnett.

“Council has breached its own policies by making that confidential proposal public.

“It also shows they don’t understand the seriousness of their situation if they think that a decision on the run to sell this small site will go anywhere near solving Council’s financial crisis.”

Elizabeth Burnett (right) with some of her team when they won best Garden Centre in NSW last year

She feels there is some hope now that the Mayor and Councillors Croxford and Steel have lodged a rescission motion.

“I am disappointed that the first we heard this was on the table was when it was discussed last night in open council meeting.”

The rescission motion means that all new actions in the motion, which looked to improve Council’s cashflow and restore reserves, will now be in limbo until the issue is discussed and resolved again at the October Council Meeting.