The matter relates to the community-devised roadmap for the region's future, Imagine2050.

Port Macquarie-Hastings Council adopted the community strategic plan in April but requested its chief executive officer replace references to "climate change" with "sustainable resource management". That motion was carried six to three.

Crs Lauren Edwards, Rachel Sheppard and Nik Lipovac lodged a rescission motion, which went before the Thursday, June 16 council meeting, with an ultimate aim to consult with the community before altering the words within community strategic plan.

The status quo remains as the rescission motion was lost four to five.

Cr Edwards said the council amended the community strategic plan on the floor of council without any notice to the community.

She said importantly, no feedback received from the community while the community strategic plan was on exhibition conveyed a want to remove or replace the reference to climate change from the document.

The community strategic plan is the culmination of an extensive community engagement program, which sought to document priorities and aspirations.

Cr Edwards said removing the words climate change from the plan amounted to removing the community's own words without consultation.

Cr Lipovac supported the rescission motion, saying perhaps they had misread or not fully appreciated the community's stand on this.

The rescission proposal was not a debate about climate change but about how the council engaged with the community, Cr Sheppard said.

Climate change has been a hot topic for the council. It revoked its Climate Change Emergency Declaration at its February 2022 meeting, becoming the first council in the state to do so.