COUNCILLOR Jacqui Rudge has accused a fellow councillor of "making a mockery" of Bathurst's climate issues.
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Although she didn't mention him by name at Wednesday night's meeting, Cr Rudge took aim at Cr Alex Christian over a post on his Facebook page.
The post she referenced featured a photo of an article that reported on a notice of motion pushing for Blue Mountains City Council to phase out meat products at council events and functions.
Cr Christian accompanied the photo with the following: "After the screeching that went on about man caused climate change at last weeks meeting, I wonder if a similar motion to this from the Blue Mountains will be tabled at our next one? Stay posted!"
The "screeching" he was referring to was a discussion at the November 20 Bathurst Regional Council meeting, about a notice of motion put forward by councillor Monica Morse that council "acknowledges that current weather patterns are outside the normal because of a change in the climate".
That motion narrowly passed with a five-four vote.
While Cr Christian has told the Western Advocate he was using sarcasm, Cr Rudge made it clear on Wednesday that she didn't find it funny.
"I personally think this is making a mockery of what we're trying to do here. We do have a situation at the moment where water is a problem, we have irrigators who can't plant their crops and we have fires throughout Australia," she said.
"I think it needs to be taken seriously, whatever terminology you wish to use, whether it be climate change, drought, whatever the case may be. We are in dire straits at the moment and it looks like it's going to get worse."
This is not the first time Cr Christian's social media posts have caused a stir.
In September, he made several damning posts about councillors John Fry and Jess Jennings.
When asked about Cr Rudge's comments, Cr Christian said that anything he posts on his public Facebook page is "fair game" for others to comment on.
However, he did not agree with Cr Rudge linking his post to water and fires.
"I think she went down the path of hysteria, to be honest," he said.
"To start mentioning these horrible fires and linking it to that policy from the Blue Mountains is just absurd.
"...At the end of the day, it's commenting on a news article from another council and I put my own spin on it. I don't really have a problem with what she said, other than the fact that she linked it to a lot of ridiculous points."
He said that he does take the water and climate situation in Bathurst very seriously, and he was merely commenting on a "ridiculous" notice of motion from another council.
