Council appoints Leda mediator

Leda regional manager Reg van Rij is happy council have agreed to mediation.

Mairi Manley

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TWEED Shire Council will go into third-party mediation with one of the region's largest developers.

Leda Developments, developer of Cobaki Lakes and Kings Forest, requested mediation after claiming an anti-development bias from council's planning officers.

The motion to enter mediation was defeated in January's council meeting because councillors thought it was unnecessary as Leda's projects were moving forward.

Leda regional manager Reg van Rij asked at the community access meeting last week for councillors to reconsider their position on entering mediation if mayor Barry Longland brought up the motion at the next council meeting.

Cr Longland did put the motion to council again yesterday and councillors unanimously voted to enter mediation.

Cr Dot Holdom was a strong supporter of mediation.

"The opportunity was lost in January," Cr Holdom said.

"We need to be all facing in the same direction.

"We need to stay at the table and we need to continue talking to each other."

Mr Van Rij attended the council meeting and he said he was happy with the outcome.