The Covid concerns raised by people at recent community meetings discussing the impact of vaccinations have been recognised by Council now they have to advocate for answers.
Cr Cristie Yager put forward a motion at the August 21 ordinary Clarence Valley Council meeting, which was seconded by Cr Shane Causley that Council:
- Acknowledges the concerns raised by Clarence Valley residents during a community meeting at Maclean held on the 13th of July, regarding the safety of Covid-19 vaccines, particularly mRNA- based vaccines.
- Writes to the following representatives: The Federal Minister for Health and Aged care, The Hon. Mark Butler MP, The Federal Member for Page, Mr Kevin Hogan MP, The State Member for Clarence, Mr Richie Williamson MP.
Requesting that they:
- Acknowledge the community concern regarding the safety of mRNA Covid-19 vaccines and provide an update on how adverse events are being monitored and reported;
- Clarify whether recent concerns about DNA contamination have been formally investigated and, if so, share any findings;
- Reaffirm the importance of informed consent, particularly for children and vulnerable groups;
- Reassure the public of the governments ongoing commitment to transparency, safety, and accountability in vaccine regulation.
Cr Yager quoted sources of information in the business papers including Healthy North Coast and Council regarding the motion.
She said it was aimed at formally acknowledging community concerns regarding the safety of Covid-19 vaccines and to advocate for transparency, informed consent, and public reassurance by writing to relevant state and federal representatives to ensure they have heard our local communities’ concerns.
“This motion is a demonstration that council can handle sensitive topics with maturity. Rather than silence community concerns, we can channel them productively promoting open communication with community and all tiers of government,” Cr Yagers motion stated.
Cr Yager stressed that Council has no regulatory responsibility in medical treatments, vaccine approvals or Covid-19 public health orders.
“As Councillors our role is defined clearly under the Local Government Act 1993 section 232 states that as elected representatives our role is to represent the interests of residents and ratepayers to provide leadership and guidance to the community, and to facilitate communication between the community and the Council…and that is exactly what this motion seeks to do,” she said.
Cr Debrah Novak said she was in strong support of the motion, while acknowledging Council didn’t have a responsibility for health orders or vaccine approvals.
“We do hold a clear and vital responsibility to be a conduit for our communities voice,” she said.
She reflected on the about 80 residents who gathered at Maclean to share their concerns.
“Whether or not we personally share these concerns is not the issue,” Cr Novak said.
“What matters is that members of our community are asking questions, reasonable questions about public health, and they deserve answers delivered with respect, integrity, and clarity.
“This motion does not promote information, it does not question scientific consensus, it does not oppose vaccination…what it does is uphold the democratic principles that governments at all levels must remain transparent, accountable, and responsive to the people they serve.”
Cr Novak said the motion was fair, measured, and responsible and called for informed consent as part of ethical medical practice.
“Asking questions is not anti-health, it is pro-democracy,” she said.
Cr Peter Johnstone, whose wife is a GP spoke against the motion, reflecting on how vaccination statistics have increased the life expectancy.
He talked about the success of the smallpox and polio vaccines throughout history and described how vaccines work by building herd immunity.
“Yes, vaccines carry risk, but so does every medical intervention,” he said.
“The TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) confirmed just 14 deaths linked to Covid vaccines, a tiny number compared to the lives saved.”
Cr Johnstone advised people to look at the TGA website and Health Direct about the impacts of long-Covid.
“This motion could fuel vaccine hesitancy on a wider scale,” he said.
“Since Covid, vaccination rates have dropped.
“In Clarence Valley only 82 per-cent of babies are vaccinated at 12 months, down from 95 per-cent (which he said was the figure before Covid).
He said the danger of the motion was that it would further reduce confidence in the immunisation program.
“This motion claims we’re the people’s mouthpiece…I disagree,” he said.
“We’re decision makers.
“The role of a mouthpiece is the role of the press…Australia is a democracy; people can speak for themselves and make a direct representation to all levels of government.”
Cr Allison Whaites then spoke of her friends or tenants who had Covid, stating we all had a choice whether to have the vaccinations, and claimed it wasn’t forced, ‘like some people are saying.’
“I had five injections, and I’d still go back and go and have those five injections even though I got very sick and had a heart condition…I had a heart attack last year because of Covid, not the injections, because I have been very sick since my first Covid,” she said.
Cr Whaites said Covid was ‘done and dusted’ and she would be voting against the motion.
Sympathising with Cr Yager’s intention, Cr Greg Clancy said that concerns raised by community members that they believe had been impacted by Covid vaccines was affecting vaccination rates, which was a worry.
“I’m a scientist, but I also acknowledge the fact that vaccines may cause problems,” he said.
“I’ll think you’ll find that some medical scientists are admitting that some people will have and have had adverse reactions to vaccines, but there’s also those people who’ve had adverse reactions to Covid, and we were hit with a pandemic.
“Quite frankly, it was a risk having the vaccines.”
Cr Clancy said he supported people who wanted to take their fight to the authorities to say they had been affected by the Covid vaccines.
“I do think that the mRNA vaccines are potentially more harmful than the old-style vaccines,” he said.
Cr Clancy said he didn’t accept the beliefs of anti-vaxxers.
Speaking against the motion, Cr Karen Toms said she believed such health issues didn’t come under Council’s jurisdiction, ‘as being a conduit to our community…but health is a very different matter.’
Cr Yager said the motion was about trust in authorities.
The motion was carried five votes to four with Cr’s Cairns, Causley, Novak, Smith, and Yager voting in favour.
This article appeared in the Clarence Valley Independent, 27 August 2025.
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