THERE was much debate in Lake Macquarie City Council chambers last week as sea level rise policy talks were back on the table.
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Councillors discussed a submission on Eurobodalla Shire Council's draft sea level rise policy.
The submission drew comparisons between Lake Macquarie's policy, which has proved controversial due to tightening development controls, and Eurobodalla's.
The submission said in 2008 Lake Macquarie became one of the first coastal councils to adopt a sea level rise policy. Then, in 2009, the former Labor state government adopted "an approach very similar" to the council's but the policy was repealed.
The submission also said the planning approach recommended in Eurobodalla's policy was similar to that adopted by Lake Macquarie.
The majority of Lake Macquarie councillors supported the submission and agreed the council should also provide the NSW Minister for the Environment, Robert Stokes, with a copy.
However, councillor Jason Pauling said he was "uncomfortable" with the submission, which he believed came "dangerously close to self-congratulation and propaganda".
"I don't know that this council is in any position to start lecturing other councils on how they should behave [with regard to sea level rise policy]," he said.
"We have had deferral after deferral, internal memos and closed sessions to get to where we are."
Councillor Kay Fraser deflected any suggestion of propaganda, saying the submission merely "notes the work" Lake Macquarie council had done on sea level rise policy.
Councillors voted 10-1 to lodge the submission on Eurobodalla Shire Council's draft policy.