THE June meeting of Port Macquarie-Hastings Council was no different to any other.
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There was an agenda full of items for discussion on important community issues, budgeting matters and planning.
What was out of the ordinary was the public gallery. Normally sparsely occupied, at this meeting, it was bursting at the seams.
Residents came because they were invested in two of our region's most fiercely debated issues - the "most viable" option presented by council for the orbital road; and the future of the ailing waterway at Lake Cathie.
What transpired over the next four hours made it an important council meeting for many residents who normally would not have personally invested their time on a Wednesday night to be a part of the process.
They got a first-hand glimpse at the complexities of the decision-making process faced by our elected leaders, but also the dynamics at play between them. All of it was on public display and up for scrutiny.
And it was tense, for many reasons - some more obvious than others.
Hundreds of placard-wielding ratepayers, a record 10 speakers expressing their opposition to the orbital road, 17,000+ submissions on the table, an alliance of community action groups with one very loud voice and a united community fearful for the future of their lake came together - this was a meeting of significance for our council.
Did they get it right?
Many residents left unhappy and deflated by the 'process', firing off a few expletives to the front of the room on their departure - the road plan they didn't want remains an option, and the lake received no funding in the 2019-20 operational plan.
For many, months of community engagement was for nothing and some faith in that process, and our leaders, appears to have been lost.
We have to accept however, that decision-making will not please everyone.
But if council is in fact listening, they would have heard loud and clear their engagement strategy might be flawed. There are lessons to be learned about genuinely involving the community, but also working effectively with each other.
Residents at that meeting witnessed a mayor fighting back tears as she declared to her fellow councillors they "must listen to what the community is telling us".
There was a warning from the general manager to the gallery to follow the rules or leave, and an interesting interplay on several matters between councillors and the mayor. These included niggly remarks about the Code of Conduct and a more trivial debate about where councillors should sit, that might suggest not all is well on the team.
One resident suggested on the Port News' rolling coverage of the meeting that a voting block is in play.
Anyone who witnessed this meeting should consider if there are fractures appearing.
Mayor Peta Pinson, who with seemingly good intent stood as a voicepiece for a community demanding action, was put in her place several times by her peers, pulled up for not following process and accused of not working collaboratively. All of it stifled debate and left the public gallery somewhat bemused, a few were groaning, and others were calling out individual councillors as "bullies".
This meeting was the first real glimpse by the public of our elected councillors in action on big issues and their ability to work together.
Resident, Peta Watters, offered this advice: "If you are our leaders you need to lead and hear us...be brave and courageous in your actions."
From Phillip Lloyd: "Port Macquarie deserves better."
Come the September 2020 local government elections, those relationships and that leadership will become far more apparent.