There's been an immediate backlash over Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg's comments on Four Corners that the council should be sacked and an 'autocractic' body put in charge of the flood recovery.
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There's been a deluge of comments on social media and one of his fellow councillors has questioned why he put himself forward as mayor in the first place.
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Cr Elly Bird, who has been heavily involved in flood recovery efforts with Resilient Lismore, said she was "appalled" by the mayor's comments.
"Our community needs strong leadership to get through this but what we've got is someone who thinks it's all too hard and that our community doesn't deserve a voice," she posted on Facebook.
Speaking to reporter Adam Harvey on the Four Corners program entitled, Washed Away, which went to air on Monday night, Krieg said he understood the anger and frustration of flood victims but reinforced council simply couldn't handle the recovery by itself.
"We need the state and the federal government to help us," he told Four Corners.
"This is a very personal opinion, this is not a council statement, but really you can't do the work that needs to be done in Lismore through the council.
"You actually need an autocratic approach and if you want me to be totally honest, and I hope you probably will put this to air, but you actually need to sack the council to make this happen."
Krieg had only been elected mayor a month or so before the February 28 floods and his two CBD businesses and residence were directly impacted by the disaster.
"I understand the frustration, the anger. I feel it myself," he said on Four Corners
"I'm living through it myself. I don't have answers for it.
"I can't make things go faster than what they already are."
Cr Bird said the community was crying out for strong leadership.
"If the mayor doesn't want to do that then why did he put himself forward for the job?" she said.
"Our community needs strong leadership to get through this but what we've got is someone who thinks it is all too hard and that our community doesn't deserve a voice."
I'm a media professional with over 34 years of experience in public relations and journalism, including a decade setting Lismore's news agenda as the editor of The Northern Star. I have proven track record in growing audiences and improving engagement by delivering quality local stories for and about the Lismore community.
I'm a media professional with over 34 years of experience in public relations and journalism, including a decade setting Lismore's news agenda as the editor of The Northern Star. I have proven track record in growing audiences and improving engagement by delivering quality local stories for and about the Lismore community.
