Anti-Rally councillor may lose job

Joanna Gardner speaking to crowds at a protest meeting against the Repco Rally at Cudgen on the weekend.

Craig Sadler

AN ELEVENTH hour bid for a Federal Court injunction to halt the Repco Rally could see the woman behind the legal action kicked off her position as a councillor.

Tweed Shire residents could be headed for a costly 'bankruptcy by-election' if Greens Party councillor and anti-rally campaigner Katie Milne cannot pay her mounting legal bills.

Checks by senior Tweed Shire Council officers on the fine print of the NSW Local Government Act of 1993 yesterday confirmed Cr Milne could be thrown out as councillor if her continuing legal battle bankrupts her, despite earlier advice to the contrary.

Cr Milne, however, remains determined to push ahead and has voiced disappointment that she has been unable to achieve much as a councillor in any case.

She has previously warned she is prepared to go bankrupt in her bid to stop the rally.

Today Cr Milne plans to apply for an injunction in the NSW Land and Environment Court to stop Repco Rally Australia holding its world championship car rally in the Kyogle and Tweed shires this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

On Wednesday she must front the Federal Court of Australia for a costs hearing after failing last Thursday in that court to get an injunction.

Rally Australia organisers have vowed to chase her for their legal costs in that case which they estimate 'in the vicinity of $26,000'.

Cr Milne said she does not have that amount of money 'at this stage'.

More than 50 protesters assembled near the Repco Rally Australia pit-lane area at Cudgen Leagues Club on Saturday morning to protest against the holding of the international championship car rally.

They said the protest was the start of peaceful demonstrations against the event which was 'forced on the region' by special legislation overriding existing laws.

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