“A ball-park figure for what you have sought for 2007/8 would be around $600,000 per annum and includes Councillors fees, travel and conference expenses, telephone expenses, and salaries for the Assistant to the Lord Mayor and Mayors Secretary but excludes expenses associated in providing and running the mayoral motor vehicle and any salaries associated with the provision of administrative support to Councillors which is undertaken on an as required basis.

However this ball-park figure for 2007/8 would now be reduced as a consequence of the Councillors removal from civic office in March 2008.

Please contact me should you require any further assistance.

Regards.

Barry Cook

Administration Manager

Wollongong City Council”

PERSONAL SUBMISSION

Wollongong City Council Engagement Framework Policy review

A WARD BASED and COMMUNITY CENTERED APPROACH

This submission on the Wollongong City Council Engagement Framework Policy review focuses on the need to repair the damage done to the fabric of our civic society by the loss of our elected Councillors.

While the loss of our elected Councillors is not a ‘national emergency’ it is a ‘local emergency’. The restoration of full community confidence in WCC requires prompt action from our decision-makers in dealing with this crisis.

In this Reconciliation Week (at the time of writing) Council is urged to call a meeting to consult with local indigenous peoples regarding their requirements for an effective Engagement Framework policy and to do this before the report is finalised and presented to Council in June.

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SUBMISSION TO WOLLONGONG CITY COUNCIL ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT (MAY 2008)

ON BEHALF OF RECLAIM OUR CITY (ROC)

PREAMBLE

This submission asks for three maim reforms to enable a rebuilding of community trust in local government processes

1. A change within the culture of Council itself to develop an open and

accessible administration at all levels.

2. A system of ten or more consultative groups throughout the local

government area. Further, that these groups be supported by Council with

such provisions as secretarial and financial assistance.

3. A supporting system of council branch offices or hubs whereby people

located a long way from “Burelli Street” can have regular access to a

Council staff member.

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http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/05/28/2258156.htm?site=illawarra

MINUTES _ ORDINARY MEETING OF COUNCIL HELD ON TUESDAY 27 MAY 2008 AT 5.00 PM

PRESENT Administrators Dr C Gellatly (in the Chair), G Kibble AO and R McGregor AM

IN ATTENDANCE General Manager – D Farmer, Acting Executive Manager Operations – G Whittaker and Executive Manager Governance and Planning – P Kofod

ITEM 8 – REVIEW OF COMMITTEES AND REFERENCE GROUPS (13.05.04.002) – REPORT OF MANAGER TECHNOLOGY AND ADMINISTRATION (BC) 9/5//08

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY that Council adopt the recommendations as set out in the attachment to the report, with the exception of the Aboriginal Reference Group, which is deferred pending further consultation.

(EXTRACT from that report)

Executive Management has recommended that various Reference Groups be disbanded and the reasons for the recommendations are as follows -

Bicycle Planning Taskforce

It is recommended that the Bicycle Planning Taskforce be disbanded. The taskforce and its predecessor have worked with Council to prepare and adopt a Bicycle Path Plan. The individual cycle groups will be consulted at regular intervals or as required when major revisions or regular reviews of this document occur. Major cycleway projects will continue to be prepared in accordance with adopted RTA standards, peer reviewed when submitted to Council’s Traffic Committee and advertised as part of Council’s wider consultation strategy.
Operational and maintenance issues which are sometimes raised through the Taskforce are best handled through Council’s normal action request system.

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“Fast forward 3 weeks…

You open the local paper to see that your council has been forced to announce a hit list of local services such as libraries, childcare centres and environmental programs that are now either postponed or cancelled entirely.

This picture could easily become a reality in the next two weeks if the State Government’s pro-developer laws are passed. These laws could cut an average of $4 million in funding for essential services from every local council in NSW. One council is reporting a potential $116 million loss.

The legislation is sitting in NSW Parliament right now and we only have a small window of opportunity to make a difference. Success or failure is on a knife-edge and we need your help.

These laws have more holes than a rusty bucket so we are calling for an Upper House Inquiry so we can put them under the microscope. Will you join our call?

With one swift click you can email every NSW Upper House member here! “
www.keepitlocal.org.au

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Fri 23 May 08

The Manager

Communications and Strategy

Wollongong City Council

Locked Bag8821

Wollongong NSW 2500

Dear Sir,

WCC Draft Management Plan 2008-2012

I acknowledge the traditional owners of the Wollongong City area.

I encourage Council to consider the creation of an Indigenous Ward with a man and woman Indigenous Liaison Officer and to engage in negotiations with our Koori cultural partners to re-instate the Aboriginal Liaison Committee and to determine indigenous needs and priorities for the 2008-2012 period.

SECTIONS 1 & 7 – CITY LEADERSHIP/ CORPORATE SUPPORT PROGRAM

The period of this plan is co-extensive with the period in which citizens and residents of Wollongong are to be denied representation by way of democratically elected Councillors.

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Richard Tognetti Violin Performance -
Wollongong Town Hall 12 Noon Tuesday 27 May

“I write to invite supporters of the ROC campaign and particularly those
concerned with the future of the Town Hall, to a “demonstration of the
acoustic potential” of the Wollongong Town Hall. We are privileged and
delighted to have Richard Tognetti from the Australian Chamber Orchestra and
an internationally renowned violinist perform for us and to demonstrate the
acoustic qualities of this building. The Administrators have also been
invited to attend if they are able to squeeze it into their busy schedule.”

(Message from Arthur Rorris, Reclaim Our  City Campaign)

It is accurate to say that the Corrimal WCC forum last evening came within a fraction of being a complete farce last evening (Tuesday 20 May).

The forum was set down for 5 – 7 pm and was one of two fora/forums being conducted as part of the WCC Engagement Framework Policy review. The other was held in Dapto. I don’ t know how many attended the Dapto forum.

I almost didn’t go myself, as I had received some unsettling news about a family member’s health at 4:30 pm just before setting out from Coledale to Corrimal for the forum.

As there was nothing I could do to help my relative in the next few hours and since I had untaken to report back to Sonya, who was unwell, and to meet with Vicki, and since council-community consultation is a crazy passion of mine, I hopped in the car and negotiated the traffic through the congestion of Bulli-Woonona, where road works and peak hour traffic make for some tricky driving at the moment.

And I was there with a few minutes up my sleeve just before 5 pm. (read on…)

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