Push for Palliative acknowledged the feedback from the 400 who attended the forum as crucial to the formulating of a comprehensive report which was presented to Orange Health Service (OHS).

Since that time a series of productive meetings have been held at OHS together with Orange Health Service Palliative Care community consultative group.

At the first AGM of Push for Palliative recently I expressed my deep appreciation to the passionate members of the Orange Push for Palliative for their commitment to improving palliative and end of life care in Orange and district.

I would also like to thank on behalf of our committee the people of Orange and district who have shared their personal stories of palliative care in this city which has provided the momentum to take these issues forward to senior executives of OHS.

We greatly appreciate the efforts OHS in engaging in fruitful discussions with our group and now we look forward optimistically to improved services.

My final thanks go to Orange City Council, The Ionian Club, the Rotary Club of Orange Daybreak and OCTEC for donations.

This support from our community is part of a groundswell across the state reflected in the recent presentation to NSW Parliament of 83,000 signatures by founder of Push for Palliative Dr Yvonne McMaster.

That petition called on the NSW Government to significantly increase palliative care funding. In Orange alone we have collected over 6,000 signatures reflecting the importance of improved palliative care services to everyone in this community.

Orange Push for Palliative assures the people of Orange and district it will continue a strong advocacy role.

I REFER to the address I made in the public forum at last week’s council meeting. It related to development application 293/2015(2) which has been approved under delegated authority.

I urged councillors to review this decision, which was not only contrary to the guidelines in the Shiralee Development Control Plan, but also contrary to what the proponents, ourselves, and Council’s Planning Assessment report concurred would have been the better option; all because the proponents did not wish to negotiate an easement through our property.

During the Planning and Development Committee meeting, Councillor Jones asked whether it was possible for councillors to revisit a decision made under delegated authority and you responded that it was not.

How can this be? On a number of occasions in the past, council has voted on an issue, then subsequently had a rescission motion and changed the original decision. Why then is council unable to rescind a decision made by delegated authority?

If your answer was correct, it effectively makes the person in whom the delegated authority resides – the general manager – more powerful than council.

Please provide clarification, by pointing out exactly where in council’s regulations this is set out.