Councillor Tony Quinn nominated for mayor, but was beaten 7-2, while one vote determined the deputy.

The ballot returned 5-4 in favour of Cr Doug Meyer over sitting deputy Cr Matt Hicks, flipping the results of the pair’s bid for the position in 2017 when votes tied and Cr Hicks’ name was drawn from a box.

As his first action restored as deputy, Cr Meyer successfully passed a motion that staff investigate uses of Jingellic Road and work towards a business case to upgrade Jingellic Road.

“One billion dollars worth of timber has to come out of the region on that road … we should be identifying how much of the Upper Murray is dependent on that road for transport,” he said.

The public gallery was full for the elections with speakers presenting from the NSW government, ARTC, and residents concerned about a development application for the extension of an industrial shed within the Kotzur complex in Walla by 20 metres.

The extension, with a sound barrier, was put forward to accommodate a new laser cutting machine, which would operate 24-hours.

An amendment was floated for the application to extend past a single laser-cutting machine in order to prevent the need for further approval of other machinery within the extended area, but failed with some concern it could be taken advantage of.

But there was general support for the extension, subject to a number of conditions, with Cr Denise Osborne pointing out Kotzur had always followed the correct processes with council.

“They are people who have operated here for a long time and I don’t think they want to do anything detrimental to the people around them,” she said.

During the meeting it also became clear the Culcairn footbridge will not be retained as single structure when it’s removed, though ARTC are willing to work with council on options to gift parts of the structure for community use.