Wodonga councillors address termination of development agreement for Junction Place

Councillors were to only note a report on Development Victoria ceasing an agreement with a developer, but mayor Kev Poulton moved an alternate motion, stepping aside as chair.

Cr Poulton was seeking to rescind council's resolution from December 13 and request a meeting with Development Victoria to determine their consultation strategy and what planning provision changes may be needed.

But the motion did not go further as Cr Ron Mildren called a point of order, raising that requirements around recision motions had not been fulfilled.

That call was upheld by staff consulting local government documents.

Cr Kat Bennett, who joined the meeting remote along with Cr Poulton and Cr Graeme Simpfendorfer, expressed frustration at the move during suspended standing orders.

"Councillor Poulton sent this motion out yesterday ... for me, it feels like we're not acting in the best interest of our community when every single month, things don't get raised beforehand, they just get raised when the cameras come on," she said.

Cr Mildren rejected that and raised the amendment would give council a stronger position.

"My position on this would have been voted down and everything would have sailed right through without this conversation that we're having, without taking full account of everything that our community's been saying to us," he said.

Both Cr Mildren and Cr Libby Hall supported the council's December position to amend the planning scheme and did not want it rescinded.

"I think it would allow for better provision in planning for what people are looking for," Cr Hall said.

Cr Olga Quilty said council needed to create some sort of board or structure involving councillors and the community, while Cr John Watson said councillors needed to go to Spring Street.

"Last week when I was acting for the mayor ... Minister Jaclyn Symes was asked a direct question about Junction Place and her response, and it's on the record in the media, was that they knew about what was happening in Junction Place some time ago," he said.

"We need to be in the same room with them, just to get some briefing on it (Junction Place)."

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Cr Poulton said councillors wanted the same thing - for the community to be listened to - and he had hoped to be proactive not reactive.

"A lot of his (Cr Mildren's) concerns would have been resolved, but obviously he's picked me up on a technicality there," he said.