Cessnock MP Clayton Barr has sensationally cancelled all of his community barbecues on Cessnock City Council land for the foreseeable future, after learning that he would be charged to hire the space.
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Mr Barr has held the free community barbecues (nicknamed Barr-BQs) since he was first elected in 2011 as a way to engage with his constituents.
He uses his own barbecue, gas bottle and tent, and even takes his own rubbish with him - all he wants is a patch of grass.
The Barr-BQs have recently resumed after a break during the pandemic, and Mr Barr was surprised to receive notification from Cessnock City Council that he must pay $11 an hour to hire the space as it is a "publicised community event".
Mr Barr's electorate takes in parts of the Lake Macquarie and Singleton local government areas, and he says he is not charged by those councils to hold barbecues in their parks.
"I am not sure why Cessnock City Council are seeking fees and charges this year, given that I am doing what I have been doing for the past 11 years," he said.
"Admittedly these are my first barbecues since COVID arrived back in early 2020, so perhaps council is a bit more focused on who does what, where and when these days."
Council says the fee for organisations and businesses to use open spaces and park facilities helps to offset the cost of making these facilities available to the community, and with cleaning and maintenance costs.
Not-for-profits and community groups can apply for sponsorship and a fee waiver for the use of these facilities, but a mobile electorate office for political purposes does not fall under the eligibility criteria for the fee waiver.
But Mr Barr argues that the point of his barbecues is "community service".
"I simply want to be an MP that is out in our various villages, meeting people in their neighbourhood, to discuss issues important to them. I would have hoped that the nature and purpose of my barbecues would have fit quite nicely with the nature of council's work - to serve the community."
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Mr Barr said he has had "many generous offers" for space since he announced the first Barr-BQ cancellation on Facebook last Tuesday night. He said he is working on a new schedule and will post updates once it is locked in.
He said if council had charged him for every barbecue he has held in the Cessnock LGA in his 11 years in office, it would have added up to "thousands of dollars" just to be "available to the community".
"The sad and dark irony here is that I have worked incredibly hard over the past 11 years, with council, to secure millions of dollars in NSW state government grants for many of these parks and playgrounds, and now as the local MP, wanting to use a small patch of the grass, I am going to be hit up for a hire fee," Mr Barr said.
"Page 12 of council's Fees and Charges booklet tells us that council can choose to reduce or waive the fees, if they so desire. So the ball is well and truly in their court."
Cessnock mayor Jay Suvaal weighed in on the debate, saying he was surprised Mr Barr has responded this way to such a simple request.
"Anyone applying to hold an advertised public event on council land needs to submit a short form and pay a small administration fee of $11 per hour," he said.
"It would be inappropriate for council to waive this fee for politicians. During previous council elections, my team has also paid the fee to hold similar events.
"I understand the Member for Cessnock receives a $92,000 electoral allowance on top of his salary to allow him to pay for community events like this, so I was quite shocked to hear of his concern on Facebook about the small $11 fee.
"I'm really disappointed by his commentary attacking the council and our staff, and I regret he's chosen to do it so publicly.
"Moving forward, I hope we can continue working together to address the real issues facing our local community."
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Krystal Sellars
Krystal Sellars is the Senior Journalist at the Cessnock Advertiser. Born and raised in Cessnock, she started her journalism career at the Advertiser in 2006 after completing a Bachelor of Communication at the University of Newcastle. Contact her on krystal.sellars@cessnockadvertiser.com.au.
Krystal Sellars is the Senior Journalist at the Cessnock Advertiser. Born and raised in Cessnock, she started her journalism career at the Advertiser in 2006 after completing a Bachelor of Communication at the University of Newcastle. Contact her on krystal.sellars@cessnockadvertiser.com.au.
