Councillors were asked at Tuesday’s meeting to nominate four delegates to vote for a vice president of the Rural/Regional Councils on the board of the Local Government and Shires Association of NSW.

Deputy Mayor Sally Halliday was the first to move on the motion, nominating herself and fellow Liberal councillors Ben Mitchell, Mitchell Griffin and Kanchan Ranadive for the role. 

It was a sentiment opposed by Labor Cr Robert Aitchison, who said “I won’t be seconding that” in regards to the motion. 

He went on to suggest that a “more diverse idea of what Maitland’s population wants” could be gathered by instead taking representatives from each of the three parties parties on council. 

He moved an amendment that the delegates should instead included a Labor councillor, a Penfold Independent and a Liberal, with Mayor Loretta Baker the fourth. 

However, the move was swiftly crushed when put to the vote – while supported by his fellow Labor councillors, the three present Penfold Independents as well as the four Liberal representatives voted against it. 

The same Liberal-Penfold block went on to vote for Cr Halliday’s original motion, meaning Maitland’s four Liberal councillors will represent council at the vice president election. 

Also at council, construction giants Lend Lease have had an application for 28 villas at Morpeth’s Closebourne Village approved.

The latest additions will be the sixth stage of development of Closebourne Village at Morpeth Heritage Estate.