Councillor Aaron Horsman’s bid to suspend e-scooter hire service in Geraldton dismissed by councilStuart QuinnGeraldton GuardianWed, 25 June 2025 10:00AM
A lone councillor’s bid to suspend the hire of e-scooters in Geraldton has failed at the first hurdle, after no one was willing to second the motion at Tuesday night’s council meeting.
Cr Aaron Horsman put forward the motion to immediately suspend the council’s approval for service operator Beam to conduct their hire business within the city.
The move follows the death of a 51-year-old pedestrian in Perth earlier this month, allegedly struck by an intoxicated e-scooter rider, and a number of metropolitan councils subsequently suspending hire services in their areas.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Cr Horsman made a last minute amendment to his motion, calling for the suspension to come pending the outcome and recommendations of the parliamentary advisory committee convened by Road Safety Minister Reece Whitby, which is due for completion by the end of September.
However, no other councillor put their hand up to second the motion, meaning it could not proceed to a vote and was dismissed.
Beam’s current licence to operate in Geraldton expires in January next year.
The council meeting on Tuesday, which was attended by 30 members of the public, was just 30 minutes from being postponed due to the widespread power outage across the region.
In other council news, approval for a duplex property in Mullewa, owned by the council and leased to the WA Country Health Service, was passed unanimously. The units have previously been used for city staff and the local doctor and with upgrades starting at the Mullewa Health Centre, the lease will provide critical housing for health workers and support essential services in the town.
Councillors also voted unanimously for a new peppercorn lease arrangement with the Batavia Coast Miniature Railway Society, which operates in Spalding Park. The new agreement will ensure the group can continue operating on the site until 2035. The group’s activities have contributed to local tourism and community and improvements to the park were noted.
Geraldton Tennis Centre was also granted a new lease for 21 years. This comes after the amalgamation of the Geraldton and Spalding Park Tennis Clubs.
After 10 minutes of questions from the public and a back and forth between councillors, the motion calling for the CEO to convene a special electors meeting regarding COVID-19 vaccines — as heard and passed by the Town of Port Hedland — followed the executive recommendation to not support the motion. Councillors voted 10-1, noting it falls outside local government jurisdiction.
Similarly, the motion to discontinue the use of glyphosate and its derivatives in all weed control activities followed the recommendation, with councillors voting 10-1 to acknowledge concerns but would not support the motion.
The city says it will continue to follow Australian Pesticide and Veterinary Medicine Authority guidelines for safe use of glyphosate, direct the CEO to formally convey concerns and continue the city’s no spray register.
The rates exemption for 85 properties owned and rented out on a charitable basis by Murchison Region Aboriginal Corporation was also passed 10-1, with the stipulation that vacant properties and MRAC offices not be included.
Councils’ climate policy was also voted in 10-1 with Cr Jennifer Critch saying it was a “positive step forward”. Recent initiatives include a gas flaring project at Meru Waste Management Facility, a renewable energy micro-grid at Geraldton Airport, and transitioning the city transport fleet to hybrid vehicles.
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