Today's Extraordinary Lismore City Council meeting lasted less than 10 minutes, as both rescission motions were easily defeated due to the absence of Councillors (Crs) Knight-Smith and Waters, with Cr Guise not in attendance again.

Cr Dalton-Earls raised the question of the appropriate time to move an urgency motion.

Mayor Krieg said, "It's not on the agenda for an extraordinary meeting. You can't move an urgency motion."

Cr Dalton-Earls asked for the code of meeting practice to be checked because he was of the understanding it could be moved. To which Mayor Krieg said it had been checked and on top of that, he determined that the urgency motion put forward could wait until the ordinary September meeting.

"If you're desperate for an outcome before the 9th of September, that's what makes it urgent at an extraordinary meeting. But I've read your proposal, and I think it can wait until the 9th of September."

The first rescission motion was to reverse the decision during the ordinary meeting on August 12 about withdrawing old policies:

1. withdraw policies 1.4.2, 1.5.1, 5.2.1, 5.17.5
2. rewrite policy 8.5.1 as a Sport, Tourism, Culture and Art Policy
3. review the Biodiversity Strategy with a report to come to Council by March 2026

As an example of age, 1.5.1, the Annual Rental Applicable to Non-Profit Organisations with Buildings on Council Land Policy, was last reviewed by council staff in 1996.

The vote was a 7/3 defeat, with Cr Guise not in attendance. This was always a long shot that this rescission motion would be successful due to the first vote.

Cr Hall asked a question of the General Manager about Council having a policy about making policies. GM Eber Butron said that because the policies are pretty old and he believes council staff have not referred to them in such a long time, he doesn't "Believe it's an urgent item that is required in relation to undertaking business. But I'd have to seek further advice."

The three absent councillors were the ones who put forward the rescission motion, and all three were absent, so the motion was defeated unanimously today.

The second rescission motion was to reverse councils vote about the Temporary Housing Pods in East Lismore:

In August, it was moved that Council:

1. writes to the Member for Lismore, Janelle Saffin MP, requesting an update on any current or planned negotiations between State and Federal Ministers, agencies, and relevant stakeholders regarding the future use of the temporary housing pods located in Lismore
2. requests that these negotiations explore options for retaining some or all pods within the Lismore Local Government Area for purposes including:
   1. transitional housing for flood-affected residents
   2. temporary accommodation for individuals and families experiencing homelessness
   3. crisis accommodation for survivors of domestic and family violence
   4. other identified community housing needs such as key worker housing
3. acknowledges that the pods form part of a joint Federal–State program initiative and that their continued use could provide significant community benefit.
4. states its position that Council supports the retention of some or all of the pods within the Lismore Local Government Area for ongoing transitional, crisis, and community housing purposes, and affirms this position in writing to the Member for Lismore and Minister for Recovery, Janelle Saffin MP, as well as relevant State and Federal Ministers and agencies as required

When it came time to debate and vote on the rescission motion that Council request an Update and Retention Options on Temporary Housing Pods of the 12 August 2025 Council meeting, Cr Dalton-Earls said he believed that the two supporting councillors (Waters and Knight-Smith) had moved to withdraw the motion. He also wanted the motion withdrawn based on the code of meeting practice because, "I believe if the two supporting councillors also say that they will withdraw, it will be withdrawn."

Mayor Krieg told Cr Dalton-Earls this had been researched, and if all three councillors who put in the rescission motion were here to rescind, they had to be here in person. "It can't be done via email or before the actual meeting. Therefore, because you're the only person here, it can't be withdrawn."

Cr Dalton-Earls began to talk about the reason for submitting the rescission motion and how close the vote was at the last ordinary meeting, when Cr Rob raised a point of order that Cr Dalton-Earls was trying to debate the original motion rather than the rescission motion.

Cr Dalton-Earls reinforced his thoughts that he would have preferred to debate the motion when all councillors were present. "I believe that this is an extremely important motion that would increase housing options, and I believe in the rescission for that reason."

The rescission motion was easily defeated 7/1.

The two rescission motions can not be brought back to council for three months.

What was extraordinary about this council meeting was that it was complete in under 10 minutes.

The next ordinary Lismore City Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 9 at 10am.