Members of the public including former Corowa mayor Keith Barber were locked out as a meeting which started at 9am ran past the scheduled meeting time start of 10am.

Once the meeting started, councillors voted on the matters discussed behind closed doors including confirming it won’t be leasing land to Cleanaway to build an $8.5 million compost plant on the outskirts of Howlong, future council meetings would start at 9.30am and awarding a $1.36 million contract for a bitumen re-sealing program.

Mayor Pat Bourke said after the meeting councillors were given an update in relation to the Howlong saga after council withdrew its support for the project at its first meeting last month.

The move has created a potential legal landmine for council after the joint regional planning panel granted development approval during the recent election campaign.

“We don’t know where we stand with Cleanaway because we’ve heard nothing really from them,” Cr Bourke said.

Cr Bourke revealed three councillors had recently met with the Howlong Community Committee which has led the fight against the compost plant.

“We want to give them more confidence and direction and see how we can get more information to them,” he said.

The HCC has lodged paper work with NSW Land and Environment Court for its appeal.

 – Border Mail