From ABC 97.3 website:

“Earlier this week, Independent Commission Against Corruption commissioner Jerrald Cripps QC referred to a situation under the previous elected council, where a planner, four levels below councillors, effectively approved by herself a $30 million development, under delegated authority.

She was involved with the developer at the time.

Administrator Gabrielle Kibble says it is no longer possible for one person to sign off on a development application (DA).

“The processes have now been firmly established in the planning area that will leave no one person in control of a DA in a way that may have happened in the past,” she said.

“There is to be scrutiny and a second person at least involved.” “

(from http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/30/2405633.htm?site=illawarra accessed 31 Oct 2008)

2008 Local Government Association Annual Conference
Broken Hill Sunday 26 October 2008
Cr Genia McCaffery
President, Local Government Association of NSW

Extract:

The Commissioner of ICAC, who will address our conference, released his report into
Wollongong City Council with the message that the corruption he found was
unprecedented.

Shocked as I know we all were at these revelations, we can take some comfort in these
words.

The unprecedented extent of corruption in Wollongong stands as a lesson to us all in
understanding our role as councillors, behaving ethically and maintaining the
community’s trust.

But where the Government has got this wrong is in denying the Wollongong community
the opportunity to pass judgement on the people who breached their trust.

The Commissioner may have used strong language, but believe me, the voters of
Wollongong would have been savage.

Yet their fundamental right to judge their council has been denied.

Voters in Wollongong and in the other sacked councils, including Broken Hill, deserve
the earliest opportunity to pass judgement on the performance of their elected councils.
And this should be at the next election or within twelve months of the dismissal.

I invite Minister Perry to bring legislation before Parliament as soon as possible to
achieve this.

The Association supported the Government’s changes, in response to Wollongong, to the
way election donations and party funding are managed.

(full speech available from http://www.lgsa-plus.net.au/www/html/2668-presentations.asp?intSiteID=2 )

Local Government Association of NSW Annual Conference

Speech of ICAC Commissioner Jerrold Cripps available from

http://www.lgsa-plus.net.au/www/html/2668-presentations.asp?intSiteID=2

“Engagement Officer

Are you a great communicator with experience in community engagement? Working as part of a small team, you will drive Council’s engagement policy. You will provide creative solutions, support and engagement and communication advice to council staff on a variety of projects.

Recruitment No:        8104
Division:     Communications Strategy
Contact Person:     Susan Wardle
Contact Phone number:     0242 277280
Closing Date:     10/11/2008

Salary up to $1369.61 per week plus superannuation
(Depending upon qualifications and experience)

For further information please contact Susan Wardle on 4227 7280.
Applications close at 5pm on Monday 10 November 2008″

http://www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/council/1149.asp#id8104

see http://www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/documents/08104.pdf for information package including selection criteria and job desciption
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“Bulli Tops visitors’ centre swallows another $1m
Illawarra Mercury BY MARIO CHRISTODOULOU 25/10/2008

The price tag for the Bulli Tops visitors’ centre has jumped by another $1 million in the latest cost hike for the problem-plagued project.

A last-minute request for additional road works by the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) has pushed up costs for the already over-budget building project known as the Southern Gateway.

Costs have now reached a dizzying $11 million – $8 million of which will come from ratepayers – from an original 2003 estimate of $1.5 million.”

full story

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news/local/news/general/bulli-tops-visitors-centre-swallows-another-1m/1342958.aspx

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WCC Council Meeting Tuesday 28 Oct Agenda Item 13

REVIEW OF PUBLIC ACCESS FORUM POLICY
Report of Manager Technology and Administration (BC) 14/10/08 SU21163

PRECIS

Due to the recent establishment of the Independent Hearing and Assessment Panel (IHAP), as well
as the consultation processes provided within the Development Assessment and Compliance
Notification Policy, it is considered that Council has in place appropriate forums for the community
to have input into the determination of development applications. All relevant information arising
during the notification and consultation process for development applications is taken into
consideration in the determination process. Further presentations at Council meetings are
inappropriate.

In light of this, it is proposed to amend the Public Access Forum policy to remove the ability for the
public to address Council in relation to any development application in the process of being assessed
and remaining undetermined.

RECOMMENDATION
The updated Public Access Forum Policy be adopted.

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Cap on council rates may go

Sydney Morning Herald 28 Oct 2008
Jano Gibson Urban Affairs Reporter

THE Premier, Nathan Rees, has indicated that he is considering scrapping rate-pegging, meaning ratepayers may have to pay hundreds of dollars more each year to fund council projects.

….

Councils have been complaining for many years that the rate-pegging policy has hamstrung their ability to deliver services and fund capital works and maintenance programs.

But in July the former local government minister Paul Lynch dropped the annual rate increase from the previous year’s 3.4 per cent to 3.2 per cent.

Mr Lynch cited the need to protect families in hardship from further difficulties.

Mr Rees said the Local Government Association should come to him with a proposal to scrap rate pegging.

“If it represents your united view, and is backed by your communities, and it meets the tests I’ve just outlined, then we’ll give it a very serious consideration.”

Mr Rees also told delegates the Government wanted to end hostilities with councils, who have been angry about changes made to planning laws.

“The enmity of the past is finished and we draw a line under that,” Mr Rees said.

full story http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/cap-on-council-rates-may-go/2008/10/27/1224955948639.html

(Read the comment to this post).

Ordinary Meeting of Council
28 October 2008

ITEM 12 Review of Community Consultation Framework Policy and Options (CM175/08).

see http://www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/council/papers.asp for copy of full report

Extract:

“PROPOSAL

Council is committed to encouraging and enabling community interest, involvement and participation on the planning, delivery and review of services and facilities. As part of the ongoing review of Community Consultation it is proposed to adopt the draft Consultation Policy, draft Neighbourhood Forum Charter and draft Community Leaders’ Meeting Charter for implementation in early 2009.

The draft Consultation Policy (Attachment 1) aims to communicate the purpose of community consultation and proposes a process of delivery by Council.

The draft Neighbourhood Forum Charter (Attachment 2) proposes a set of governing principles for new Neighbourhood Forums. Eight Neighbourhood Forums have been proposed after consideration of geographic and community boundaries as well as population densities. The number of Neighbourhood Forums is consistent with feedback from the community that stated that more than 6 groups were needed to service the local government area. Council officers will work closely with existing Local Area Meeting members and convenors and in areas where a Neighbourhood Forum does not exist before February 2009, to ensure smooth implementation of Neighbourhood Forums.

The draft Community Leaders’ Meeting Charter (Attachment 3) proposes guidelines for a new informal network meeting that will facilitate discussion between Administrators, senior Council staff and the leaders of Neighbourhood Forums and other community groups. This new consultation opportunity has been well received by the community with positive feedback being provided during the consultations.”

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NSW Ombudsman Annual report 2007─2008

Local Government chapter:

“Case study 66

A resident complained that Wollongong City Council took a long time to deal with their application to close an unformed road and did not act on their complaints about another resident doing illegal work on the road reserve.

Our inquiries revealed inadequate investigations and record-keeping, poor communication between sections of council, failure to progress a development application that had to be determined before other decisions could be made, and failure to advise the complainant.

After we met with senior management, council properly investigated the allegations of illegal work, determined the development application, progressed the road closure application, wrote to the complainant, set up a regulation and enforcement division within their organisational structure, and started to develop a compliance policy to guide the work of that division.”

(Source:

http://www.nswombudsman.nsw.gov.au/publication/AR08/Chapter%209%20-%20Local%20government.pdf)

Report at http://www.nswombudsman.nsw.gov.au/AnnualReport2008.html

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Illawarra Mercury 24/10/2008

“Wollongong council $11.5 million in debt
BY MARIO CHRISTODOULOU

Wollongong City Council’s finances have continued to nosedive with an $11.5 million deficit announced for the past financial year.

Further service cuts are likely to improve the bottom line, but it still equates to a $153 loss for every Wollongong ratepayer.

If grants are included the deficit is about $3.2 million.

The situation is likely to get worse before it gets better, according to the council’s annual report, details of which were released yesterday.

“A continued trend of deficit results means that over a period of time council will not be able to carry out its existing levels of service, and maintain and replace its assets … at the time when they need to be replaced,” the report said.

“Continual losses may indicate concern about council’s ability to be financially viable in the longer term.” “

full story http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news/local/news/general/wollongong-council-115-million-in-debt/1341949.aspx