Newcastle council has banned an 85-year-old community group representative who phoned in a bomb threat last month.
City of Newcastle chief executive officer Jeremy Bath said in emails to staff and councillors on Thursday morning that police had formally cautioned a man who made the threat to a staff member on the afternoon of February 23 but would not charge him.
The threat briefly closed down the council's first full meeting of the year at its chambers in Newcastle West.
Mr Bath told the Newcastle Herald on February 23 that the "person is known to me and called back three minutes after making the threat to staff to apologise and retract it as a misunderstood joke".
The CEO's emails on Thursday said, in part: "The man, who is 85 years old, has written a formal apology to myself on behalf of the organisation.
"I have also spoken to him at length to confirm the seriousness of what he did and the absolute inappropriateness of his phone call on that afternoon."
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Mr Bath said the man would not be allowed to attend City of Newcastle premises and events. The council might rely on the Enclosed Land Protections Act to enforce the restrictions.
The man would also be restricted to contacting the council only in writing.
"Further, he will not be permitted to interact with CN on behalf of the community group he has represented for the past decade," Mr Bath wrote.
"The community group will be required to nominate a new representative."
Mr Bath's message to staff did not name the man nor the community group.
The Newcastle Herald has chosen not to name either.
Mr Bath's emails also made reference to another banned community representative, Newcastle East Residents Group spokeswoman Christine Everingham, though his message did not name the retired academic.
The council kicked Dr Everingham, 73, off a Foreshore Park community reference group and banned her from its premises for a year for allegedly "physically poking and pushing" a council employee at a public drop-in session in February.
Dr Everingham, a former University of Newcastle lecturer, has labelled the allegations "outrageous".
Mr Bath told staff and councillors on Thursday that Dr Everingham's ban likely would be extended.
"Her lack of contrition or remorse to date will almost certainly mean the restrictions placed upon her will not be lifted after a period of years," he wrote.
Mr Bath assured council staff they would be "supported and protected" if they were ever "threatened ... verbally or physically".
"Where it is a case of your word vs their word, your word will be accepted."
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