Lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes used her casting vote on Tuesday night as Newcastle council appointed her to a $50,000-a-year position on the Newcastle Airport board.
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In a sometimes ugly debate, independent councillor Allan Robinson accused Cr Nelmes of "plonking yourself" on the board "for an extra $1000 a week of our money".
The council voted to adopt new instruments of delegation which allow the lord mayor and chief executive officer Jeremy Bath to sit on the boards of Newcastle Airport Pty Limited and Greater Newcastle Aerotropolis Pty Ltd, two of the entities that control the airport after a corporate restructure last year.
The board positions pay $45,000 a year plus superannuation.
The general managers of Newcastle and Port Stephens councils, the airport's joint owners, have sat on the airport board since 2013.
The NAPL board voted unanimously on February 1 to amend its constitution to allow the councils to directly appoint a second representative to the NAPL and GNAPL boards. Port Stephens Council has not appointed its mayor, Ryan Palmer, to the boards.
Independent councillor Kath Elliott moved unsuccessfully on Tuesday night for the lord mayor's and chief executive's airport board fees to go to the council's charity partner, Got Your Back Sista, arguing the payments were "inappropriate".
"I cannot remember this council making a recommendation to approach NAPL to have an elected representative included, so I can only assume that this approach to change the constitution has come from either the CEO's or lord mayor's offices," she said.
Deputy mayor Declan Clausen (Labor) said it was important for the council to have "high-level representation on the board of one of the most important assets of the city while maintaining an independent board overall".
"They're ASIC-listed. There's quite a degree of responsibility. It's really important, just like every other director on the airport, that they're appropriately remunerated as well," he said.
Cr Church (Ind) said he had "real concerns" about the appointment.
"We have these two strange boards mirroring one another meeting at the same time with the same people at the same place largely discussing the same issues, and yet there are two sets of directors' fees being generated," he said.
Cr Robinson accused Cr Nelmes of being greedy and likened her board appointment to the extra floor added to the council's new offices in Newcastle West. The extra level includes executive suites for the lord mayor and chief executive.
"Just fill me in ... is it $50,000 a year for you and Jeremy Bath? Is it $50,000 each? And did you two initiate, or one of you two initiate, the changing of this board?" Cr Robinson asked Cr Nelmes.
"Are you just plonking yourself on this board? Do you get $50,000 a year? I think the greed, the gall, of someone to do that is disgusting.
"I think it half mirrors the top level of our new building that we're renting. I think it all coincides. I think it's disgusting that someone could ..."
Cr Clausen interjected with a point of order and Cr Robinson told him to "sit down and shut up".
Cr Clausen said Cr Robinson had violated the council's code of conduct, a view Cr Nelmes upheld, but Cr Robinson continued his attack.
"And I'll say another thing: What would you bring to the table?" he asked Cr Nelmes.
"What experience have you got to sit on a board the calibre of Newcastle Airport?"
Cr Carol Duncan (Labor) raised another point of order that Cr Robinson's "extremely concerning" remarks were "hinting at accusations of impropriety".
Cr Nelmes said to Cr Robinson: "I know you want an open opportunity to absolutely tear shreds off me, which you've taken many, many times in a public forum.
"You just need to abide by the code of meeting practice.
"You're going to have to find a way to use language that isn't derogatory to other councillors to express your point of view."
Labor did not have its usual majority at the meeting as Cr Matthew Byrne was absent. The vote was locked at six-all, forcing Cr Nelmes to use her casting vote as lord mayor to approve the changes.