The residents of Cessnock are seething with anger at the Cessnock City Council, following allegations that seats were removed from the gallery of last night’s extraordinary meeting only allowing 42 people into the meeting, leaving around another 30 to 40 people out in the cold watching the live stream on their phones. The meeting, convened to address a rescission motion regarding a $1.7 million tender for the Wollombi Road upgrade, left dozens of concerned residents locked out, further fueling tensions.
The gathering saw Independent Councilors launching a dissent motion in an effort to override the General Manager’s decision, which had denied residents the opportunity to voice their concerns during the meeting. Regrettably, this motion was voted down, further frustrating the residents.
The spotlight of the night shone on an Independent Councilor who spearheaded opposition to Mayor Jay Suuval and Labor’s plans for the Wollombi Road upgrade. His microphone was controversially silenced several times during the meeting as he passionately advocated for the residents and businesses who stand in opposition to the proposed developments.
Tensions ran high as two Councilors, including the Deputy Mayor and an independent Councilor, switched their votes from the previous meeting, effectively quashing the motion to defer the $1.7 million tender with a final vote of 7 against and 5 in favor.
A noteworthy revelation came from Liberal Deputy Mayor John Moores, who highlighted information from the NSW Government website indicating that the Wollombi Road upgrade plan involves expanding it to four lanes. This was in contrast to Mayor Jay Suvaal’s previous assertions that the plans were unknown until further work was carried out.
Crucially, it became evident that the Wollombi Road upgrade hinges on a specific trigger – the construction of approximately 450 homes at Bellbird North by developers. Once this threshold is reached, the trigger for the road upgrade will be activated, halting further housing construction until work on Wollombi Road commences Cessnock Council believes the threshold will be reached in 2024.
Cessnock Council had previously greenlit this development, complete with conditions agreed upon by the council at the time, and has been accepting developer contributions, as disclosed during last night’s meeting.
The financing of this ambitious project is multi-pronged, with government grants, developer contributions, and contributions from ratepayers all forming a part of the funding package.
Mayor Jay Suvaal’s commitment to this project, which the vast majority of Cessnock residents and businesses oppose, poses a significant challenge. He is determined to honor a contract forged by a previous council. Should the project ultimately be abandoned, Cessnock Council not only faces the return of government grant funds but the looming specter of costly legal battles with the developer. The road ahead for this contentious project remains fraught with uncertainty, leaving the community deeply divided.