If they are fair-dinkum, and not a put-up job, recent comments praising the decisions of the WCC Administrators and General Manager as something positive in comparison with the decisions resulting from having elected Councillors provides food for thought.

For example, I sometimes wonder if there is some essential mineral missing in the soil in the Wollongong area which would account for the corresponding lack of something vital in local life here. What creative sparks there are – and there are a few – are drowned in the damp squib of the wider population.

Alternatively, it may be due to the fact that NSW was a convict settlement – with brutal use of the cat – which has inscribed a passive and cringing acceptance of ‘authority’ on the local psyche. A conceptual prisonhouse has replaced the former prison colony.

Whatever the cause, any ‘peoples’ who prefer Administrators over their own chosen representatives are worthy only of pity, not respect. They are not freemen who regard democracy as something worth fighting for but mere slaves to curious masters.

Indigenous peoples across Australia show more backbone (and against far harder odds) than what we have seen here. This lack of non-indigenous backbone is combined with a complete lack of leadership for a campaign to restore local democracy.

MANA/ NO MANA

In Aotearoa/New Zealand there is a concept called ‘mana’. Google it up. I have to use it as I cannot find a local equivalent. Mana is the power we all have to accept life’s challenges – however difficult they may be. Mana provides a protective shield around those who have it.

People without mana have no standing and are fair game for all sorts of ongoing attacks.

It is my assessment that if the people of Wollongong don’t stand up for themselves and insist that we see a return of elected Councillors by September this year so we can govern ourselves, then we deserve to regarded as people without mana by those in other parts of Australia.

The NSW ALP donkey vote in some Wards gave us the corrupt Council – and the larger Wollongong donkey acceptance of a state election in September 2012 will seal the image of this region as unworthy of respect for many decades to come.

No amount of spin from those in power will change this – since it will be a real picture of the true character of the region. Pity, since there are some proud traditions in Wollongong based on standing up and fighting for our rights.

Wollongong residents win fight against urban plans
BY LAUREL-LEE RODERICK Illawarra Mercury
27/05/2009

Wollongong City Council administrator Gabrielle Kibble has vowed to fight to keep medium-density development away from Woonona and North Wollongong railway stations.

Administrators last night voted in favour of reduced height limits for residential areas and an amended proposal for medium-density development around railway stations.

The recommendations were among those contained in the first of three reports on the draft Wollongong Local Environmental Plan.

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news/local/news/general/wollongong-residents-win-fight-against-urban-plans/1523726.aspx

See “comments” on this Illawarra Mercury story for discussion about the ‘improvement’ over previous Councils by not having elected representatives. How very sad for people in Wollongong to have such a low opinion of themselves and low self-esteem so as to prefer State control to democratic engagement (with all its problems).

Region’s councils stuck on skid row
BY HARVEY GRENNAN, MATTHEW MOORE AND PAUL BIBBY
Illawarra Mercury 26/05/2009

Wollongong City Council remains financially unsustainable, according to an expert report to be released today.

Kiama Council’s financial policies have also been rated ”unsustainable” and Shellharbour’s ”vulnerable” to becoming unsustainable in the third annual Review of NSW Local Government Financial Sustainability.

…

Wollongong and Kiama councils will have to raise their rates and charges by more than 80 per cent over the next 10 years to become financially sustainable, the report says.

This does not mean they are insolvent because councils can’t go broke, the authors say, as they can tax or borrow their way out of trouble.

Wollongong’s finances did show some improvement since last year with its operating deficit ratio – the degree by which expenses exceed revenues – falling from 8 per cent to 4 per cent. However, its overall rating remains ”unsustainable”.

…

Roads, buildings, footpaths and bridges are crumbling across NSW, with more than a third of the 100 biggest councils unable to meet their maintenance costs, according to a study to be released today.

Full story

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news/local/news/general/regions-councils-stuck-on-skid-row/1522491.aspx

It was recently reported in the Illawarra Mercury (16 May) that:

“Minister for the Illawarra David Campbell … cited the hefty cost of elections, saying the city needed to be “careful not to run out of cycle”, with NSW local government elections scheduled for September 2012.”

I hear on the radio that a nearby local government is having a by-election to replace two Councillors who have to retire for health reasons.

It is just so much nonsense to invoke the local government election cycle as a reason to deny the people of Wollongong our rights to be democratically represented in the workings of our local government.

As it is, the next scheduled elections are three years away from the coming September – and this is plenty of time to justify the costs of a full Council election in Wollongong. Three years is a good period for a new Council to be bedded down and learn about the reforms as they are put in place.

In the absence of compelling reasons why the ongoing reform of Wollongong City Council cannot take place with elected Councillors, we have to ask “Who really benefits from such an arrangement?”

The answer I increasingly get is the NSW ALP – who seek to retain their stranglehold on Wollongong by delaying the return of democracy here because it was the core of ALP Councillors who were corrupt – and they would like us to forget that before we next vote again.

As for the expense – that is another total furphy. We can use the money for Wollongong Council elections which was set aside to be used last September. (And just where is that money now?)

So, in place of the NSW ALP rot in Council, we get NSW ALP rot from the NSW State government.

As a demostration of good faith between the NSW State Government and the people of Wollongong the Rees government should be preparing for us to have Wollongong Council elections in September 2009.

WCC Media release: Wednesday, 20 May 2009

Challenging negative stereotypes in our community

Wollongong City Council is continuing its pursuit to reduce negative stereotypes in
the community by introducing the Living Library collection to the Corrimal Library on
Thursday, 28 May from 10am to 1pm.

‘Living Books’ are people from the community who have volunteered to share their
life stories and experiences with other members of the community. Residents
interested in taking part in this interactive experience are encouraged to reserve
‘books’ before the session.

Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on the WCC Draft Strategic Direction 2009-2012
And Draft Management Plan 2009-2012

COUNCILLORS? WHAT COUNCILLORS?

The thinking contained in Council’s Plans for the period 2009-2012 fails to provide proper recognition of the fact that, during this period, our Council will have to operate without the benefit of elected Councillors to represent the people of the City of Wollongong.

Anyone reading the Draft Strategic Directions 2009-2012 document, for example, would not learn about this major constraint on how Council must operate over this coming crucial period.

Reading the Strategic Direction document adds weight to the view that, despite the ongoing and great disadvantage placed on the people of Wollongong by the actions of the ALP, there is now a working cosy relationship between the State appointed Administrators and the General Manager and his senior staff – all unelected by us. Just which master do these public servants obey?

And all this at our expense, both in terms of using our rates (and taxes!), and in marginalising our interests and participation in the workings of our local government.

Whatever happened to “No taxation without representation?”

Nor could a reader of this document learn what measures WCC will be making to overcome the great disadvantage the lack of elected representatives entails for the people of the City of Wollongong.

OBSOLETE THINKING

Secondly, and this makes matters worse for the people of Wollongong, the organisational thinking contained in these draft Strategic and Management Plans belongs to a previous century.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Local Government Minister has revealed Wollongong City Council administrators will stay until 2012 with no plans for an early election.

Yesterday, the results of a Mercury-IRIS poll found 47 per cent of Wollongong residents wanted the council run by elected representatives. Of that number, nearly one-third wanted councillors returned immediately, while a further 39 per cent wanted an election within a year.

But the minister, Barbara Perry, was quick to quash any speculation of an early end to the administrators’ reign.

“The timetable for local government elections in Wollongong remains 2012,” she said.

Council administrator Robert McGregor said yesterday the “process of reform is continuing”.

Full story

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news/local/news/general/administrators-to-stay-in-wollongong-until-2012/1514549.aspx

From WCC weekly update “Wollongong’s draft Local Environment Plan (LEP) 2009

The community has the opportunity to address Wollongong City Council’s Administrators on the Wollongong’s Draft LEP 2009. Council will be holding three public access forums at the Town Hall over the next three months.

• Forum 1 – 26 May, 2pm-4.30pm: residential height and density issues, Port Kembla School
• Forum 2 – 23 June, 2pm-4.30pm: specific rezoning proposals
• Forum 3 – 28 July, 2pm-4.30pm: heritage, flooding and escarpment matters

A complete list of issues can be found on Council’s website.

Residents are invited to read the Council report on the draft LEP and recommendations available on the website the Friday prior to the meeting) and if interested, register with Council on 4227 7631 to speak prior to the forum. Priority will be given to those who have made a submission on the draft LEP.

A separate report addressing 7(d) issues at Helensburgh and Otford will be sent to Council in coming months.”

From WCC weekly update: “Draft Wollongong City Council Enforcement Policy
Public exhibition: 1 May 2009 – 1 June 2009

Council welcomes the community’s viewpoints on this Draft Wollongong City Council Enforcement Policy. The Draft Policy is based on the NSW Ombudsman’s ‘Enforcement Guidelines’. The Policy is primarily directed at the regulation of development activity, pollution control, regulation of parking, animal control, public health and safety and food safety. This Policy will also apply to other compliance and regulatory areas that Council has responsibility.

Please visit Council’s website or contact the Regulation and Enforcement Division for more information.
Copies of the draft Enforcement policy are available at:

• all Wollongong City libraries
• Council’s City Planning Division on Level 4 of Council’s
Administration Building, 41 Burelli Street, Wollongong
• the Former Integral Building – 81 Burelli Street, Wollongong
• Council’s website under the Have Your Say tab.
All submissions must be received by 1 June 2009. Submissions can be sent by email to consultation@wollongong.nsw.gov.au or letter to Council’s Community Engagement Unit, Locked Bag
8821, Wollongong NSW 2500. Please quote file no. 04.12.01.009.”

“Wollongong residents want council back

BY MICHELLE HOCTOR 15/05/2009

Wollongong council’s corruption scandal may have rocked the city to its foundations, but a year later it seems many residents have either forgiven or forgotten.

An exclusive Mercury/IRIS poll has revealed 47 per cent of residents in the Wollongong Local Government Area wanted elected councillors to run the city, and almost 70 per cent of those wanted them returned within 12 months.

However, another 40 per cent found it hard to leave the taint of corruption behind, preferring the leadership of the council’s three administrators.

“Overall, as a city, we’re still very split in terms of representation. We’re quite divided,” said Illawarra Regional Information Service (IRIS) CEO Simon Pomfret.”

Full story:

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news/local/news/general/wollongong-residents-want-council-back/1513626.aspx

Apparently the northern part of Wollongong was less enthusiastic for the return of local democracy than in the south. If this is correct – Shame!