Battle over coat of arms

By Alison Noonan
CASEY councillors were warned about name calling after childish taunts hit a nerve at last week’s council meeting.
Balla Balla Ward councillor Colin Butler was cautioned by mayor Kevin Bradford following comments made during a debate on developing a coat of arms for the city.
Councillors at the 7 February meeting voted to abandon plans to design a coat of arms, proposed by River Gum Ward councillor Wayne Smith in September.
Cr Butler said the city was well represented by its existing logo and claimed the creation of a new emblem would be a waste of money.
He accused councillors of wanting to become too much like their British counterparts in the wake of recent overseas trips to Casey’s sister city Berwick Upon Tweed.
“A new coat of arms would cost about $7000 to design and register and what would we do with it?” he said.
“Too many councillors are travelling to England and all of a sudden start turning into them. Next thing they’ll want the Queen up there.
“We should have a coat of arms of rabbits, jackasses and turkeys up there because that’s what we have sitting here.”
His comments angered Edrington Ward councillor Mick Morland who said councillors had agreed that nasty remarks held no place in council.
“We agreed that we would not make remarks like that in council and Cr Butler persists in making stupid remarks like that,” he said.
Cr Bradford asked Cr Butler to retract his comments.
However, Strathard Ward councillor Lorraine Wreford supported Cr Butler’s claims that a coat of arms was unnecessary and said it had no relevance to the community.
“A coat of arms is outdated. It reminds me of the 18th century.
“We are a progressive council. We want to be portrayed as modern and forward thinking and not regress to the 18th century,” she said.