LAKE Macquarie council has sidelined its decision to review works at a local footy club during heated debate at an extraordinary meeting on Monday.
Three councillors moved a rescission motion after they discovered the president of Lake Macquarie City Football Club, Steve Graham, is standing on Independent Cr Kate Warner's ticket in the upcoming council election.
Cr Warner declared she had a non-pecuniary, less than significant conflict of interest when she moved the original motion just two weeks ago, stating she knew Mr Graham in a professional capacity through volunteering.
Liberal Cr Jason Pauling, who was one of three signatories on the rescission motion, said he had learned information since the last meeting that "did not sit well" with him.
"I want to be really clear from the onset that this isn't about not supporting the club and it's not about supporting common sense," he said.
"... I don't want one of the last decisions that I made on council to sit uncomfortable with my conscience or potentially in the view of the public."
Lake Macquarie council had already committed $950,000 to upgrades at the Macquarie Field stadium and facilities at Speers Point across the next two financial years.
The club had also secured a $500,000 grant to improve the playing surface, which has to be used within the next 12 months.
Cr Warner urged the council to review the works to see if upgrades could be completed at the same time, to avoid leaving the club homeless for two seasons in light of its debut season in the region's top female competition, the Women's Premier League.
A memo would have also been provided to councillors about the outcome of the review, but it would not necessarily see the works prioritised.
Cr Warner said she was "disappointed" to see the rescission motion had been filed.
"It is the election period and we're here to revisit a decision that was unanimously made, again in the best interests of the community, and so I'm not quite sure why we could not have waited I suppose, until the next term, if there were concerns raised about the particular issue," she said.
"I do think that it's sad that it's come to this, because I do think that an extraordinary meeting at this time and dealing with this is a waste of ratepayers' resources quite frankly, and I do think this is the only one we've had the whole term.
"So interesting around the timing."
Cr Warner said the original motion was put forward with the best intentions to help a community organisation and support women in sport.
At the meeting, councillors were told council staff regularly review its capital works program on a weekly or monthly basis.
Staff look at the current condition of an asset, the availability of staff and materials when deciding which projects move forward and when.
Mayor Kay Fraser spoke against the rescission motion and argued the council had prioritised a number of other projects when issues were brought to them.
"I think that it's a sad day for Lake Macquarie, it's a sad day for women in sport, it's a sad day that we're back here to debate something that to me, I thought it had a lot of merit," she said.
Cr Pauling said he felt the argument against the rescission motion was based on "smoke, mirrors and fluff" and said he did not feel the "emotional blackmail piece" was genuine, arguing it was not an attack on the club.
The upgrades at the club will still go ahead despite the rescission motion.
