ALBURY Council produced a sensational back-flip on the Uiver memorial plane local heritage assessment last night.
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The council voted 6-3 to re-visit the unanimous decision made by its planning and development committee only a fortnight ago not to prepare a case for the aircraft to be an item of local heritage significance.
The about-face was led by Cr Ross Jackson, who originally joined committee chairman Graham Docksey and fellow committee members Cr Daryl Betteridge, mayor Alice Glachan, Cr Patricia Gould, Cr Kevin Mack and Cr Henk van de Ven in ruling against the local listing.
In a stunning about face, Cr Gould, Cr Mack and Cr van de Ven supported Cr Jackson along with Cr Darren Cameron and Cr David Thurley.
Cr Jackson, who supported the retention of the Uiver during the election campaign, said he had been contacted by “several” people within the last fortnight about trying to retain and restore the plane in Albury.
“Those people should have their chance to talk,” he said.
“The Uiver is a large part of the Albury history and I am here to represent the people who have talked to me.”
The matter has been deferred to the next planning and development committee.
Cr Docksey said he was stunned.
“I am concerned that in 14 days the ball game has changed dramatically from 7-0,” he said.
The council is currently conducting an expressions of interest process for the disposal of the aircraft.