At the most recent ordinary monthly meeting Clarence Valley local government councillors voted themselves a 3.45% pay rise - 5 votes to 4

 

How this decision went down......

Clarence Valley Council, Ordinary Monthly Meeting, 28 May 2024, Minutes, excerpt:

OFFICE OF THE GENERAL MANAGER ITEM 07.24.068

REMUNERATION FOR MAYOR, DEPUTY MAYOR AND COUNCILLORS FOR 2024/2025

SUMMARY

Council is advised of the Local Government Remuneration Tribunal’s determination of an increase of 3.75% to mayoral and councillor fees and allowances payable for the 2024/2025 financial year, with effect from 1 July 2024.

OFFICER RECOMMENDATION

That

1. council note the determination of the Tribunal.

2. fees and allowances payable to the elected members increase by 3.75% for the 2024/2025 financial

year.

3. the Deputy Mayor’s allowance be $7,354 plus 3.75% to be funded from the Mayor’s allowance.

MOTION

Day/Smith

That

1. Council note the determination of the Tribunal.

2. Council does not increase the fees and allowances payable from the amount applied in 2023/2024.

Voting recorded as follows

For: Day, Novak, Smith, Tiley

Against: Clancy, Johnstone, Pickering, Toms, Whaites

The Motion was put and declared LOST

____________________________________

COUNCIL RESOLUTION - 07.24.068

Whaites/Toms

That

1. council note the determination of the Tribunal.

2. fees and allowances payable to the elected members increase by 3.75% for the 2024/2025 financial year.

3. the Deputy Mayor’s allowance be $7,354 plus 3.75% to be funded from the Mayor’s allowance.

Voting recorded as follows

For: Clancy, Johnstone, Pickering, Toms, Whaites

Against: Day, Novak, Smith, Tiley

CARRIED

____________________________________

Clarence Valley Independent, 29 May 2024:

Adopting the recommended 3.75 per-cent increase which would see remuneration in the 2024-2025 financial year increase to $26,512 for councillors, $34,087 for the Deputy Mayor, and $84,422 for the Mayor, increasing the annual wage expenditure by $10,989 to $304,093.

Is this going to be one of the shorter 'neutral' periods in that dance Australia's weather conditions do between El Niño and La Niña climate patterns - approximately 44 days before the pointer swung towards "La Niña Watch"

 

It appears that Australia has a 50-50 chance of entering a La Niña event in the second half of 2024.

La Niña typically means:

• Increased rainfall across much of Australia

• Cooler daytime temperatures (south of the tropics)

• Warmer overnight temperatures (in the north)

• Shift in temperature extremes

• Decreased frost risk

• Greater tropical cyclone numbers

• Earlier monsoon onset

According to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology: In eastern Australia, the average December-March rainfall during La Niña years is 20% higher than the long-term average, with eight of the ten wettest such periods occurring during La Niña years. This is particularly notable for the east coast, which tends to be less affected by La Niña during the winter months but can experience severe flooding during La Niña summers.

The record breaking NSW Northern Rivers floods of February-March 2022 occurred in a La Niña event - part of the 'triple dip' La Niña which occurred in 2020-2022.

Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), Climate Driver Update: Climate drivers in the Pacific, Indian and Southern oceans and the Tropics

14 May 2024

SUMMARY

La Niña Watch—some signs of La Niña formation later in 2024

La Niña Watch

The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is currently neutral. There are some early signs that a La Niña might form in the Pacific Ocean later in 2024. As a result, the Bureau's ENSO Outlook has shifted to La Niña Watch. When La Niña Watch criteria have been met in the past, a La Niña event has subsequently developed around 50% of the time. There is about an equal chance of neutral ENSO conditions in the same outlook period.

Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the central Pacific have been steadily cooling since December 2023. This surface cooling is supported by a significant amount of sub-surface cooling in the central and eastern Pacific. Recent cloud and surface pressure patterns are ENSO-neutral.

The Bureau's modelling suggests that ENSO will likely remain neutral until at least July 2024. It is important to emphasise that early signs of La Niña are most relevant to the climate of the tropical Pacific, and that the long-range forecast for Australian rainfall and temperature provides better guidance for local climate.

The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is currently neutral. The most recent 2 weeks have seen the IOD index within neutral thresholds, and follow 7 weeks of the index being above the positive IOD threshold (+0.40 °C). The current SST observations suggest that recent development of a positive IOD may have stalled. If a positive IOD eventually develops, it would be earlier in the calendar year than is typical historically.

Global sea surface temperatures (SSTs) have been the warmest on record for each month between April 2023 and April 2024, with April 2024 SSTs warmer than April 2023. The global pattern of warmth is affecting the typical historical global pattern of sea surface temperatures associated with ENSO and IOD variability. As the current global ocean conditions have not been observed before, inferences of how ENSO or IOD may develop in 2024 that are based on past events may not be reliable.

The Southern Annular Mode (SAM) is currently neutral (as at 13 May). Forecasts indicate the index is mostly likely to remain neutral or become positive in the coming fortnight.

The Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) is currently weak. Most models forecast indicate that the MJO will remain weak before re-strengthening over the eastern Indian Ocean or Maritime Continent region from mid- to late-May.

So what is happening on the rain front as NSW enters May 2024

 

In the last week of April 2024 coastal New South Wales was warned about a high pressure system building over southern Australia which could cause a "blocking high", the name given to a high-pressure system that stalls from several days to several weeks, and blocks the typical eastward movement of weather.

This could lead to 10 days of rain falling on coastal NSW.

ABC News reporting: The showers initially will not generate heavy falls or severe weather, however when combined with a developing trough later this week, an area of rain will form across western NSW on Thursday and Friday, shifting to the coast during the weekend.

Modelling indicates the event could bring anything from 50 to 200 millimetres to the NSW coastline, and possibly over 50mm across pockets of the west, potentially enough to trigger flood watches and warnings.

Although rainfall since 30 April has not yet resulted in flooding (with the exception of of continuing minor flooding in a section of the Warrego River in north-west of the state), the initial Bureau of Meteorology modelling forecasting this expected rainfall spread by Sunday 5 May 2024 is:

Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Issued 7:03pm AES 1 May 2024

So far this year the NSW Government has declared two natural disaster periods.

The first for Clarence Valley NSW Bushfires, 21 January – 13 February 2024 and the second NSW East Coast Flooding from 1 April 2024 which covered 33 local government areas - including the Clarence Valley, Lismore City and Byron Shire.

Fingers crossed that situation does not escalate beyond current meteorological predictions.