COFFS Harbour City Councillor Rodger Pryce has formally requested a leave of absence from his Council duties until the end of September.

The councillor, who also owns a farm in Brooklana, has cited issues arising from this year’s extraordinary rain events as the reason for his request.

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He said the latest bout of bad weather was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

“We thought we weren’t looking too bad in June, but then we got the latest rain event of another 160 mm.

“We’re certainly not in as bad shape as some of the farmers in the Northern Rivers, but that event really put us back to where we were in May which means we’ve got a massive repair job ahead of us.

“We’ve had to euthanise a number of stud cattle from abscesses in their feet, and then they get pneumonia and can’t get up.

“We also can’t access some of our paddocks, and some of our fence posts are literally falling over because the ground is so wet.”

Cr Pryce said that, with the amount of additional work required on his farm, it would not be possible to give his Council role requisite effort.

“If you really want to do the best that you can by the community, you really require a high level of engagement.

“There have been some really positive outcomes from my role as a Councillor and I was looking forward to continuing to contribute as best I could, hopefully by the end of September I can take up the role again.”

It’s not the first time Coffs city councillors have taken extended leave from their role, with several councillors in the previous administration needing time off.

The council will now be made up of eight councillors, including Mayor Paul Amos, until Cr Pryce returns.

By Sam PARKER