The Illawarra's Labor Party system has been held hostage to factional infighting and branch stacking, according to ALP delegates who unanimously endorsed root and branch reform on Saturday.
Wollongong's corruption scandal sparked a round of soul searching at Labor's annual conference over the weekend, with delegates admitting that Illawarra residents had been let down by the party.
Wollongong became a byword for corruption and cronyism at the conference as party officials from the ground up said the branch system needed fixing.
UnionsNSW deputy assistant secretary Chris Christodoulou put forward a motion condemning branch stacking, factional infighting and corruption allegations.
Contained in the motion were a number of measures aimed at restoring public faith in the party.
These included a new Illawarra collaborative body to advise and form policy on major issues, twice yearly political training to members and fresh reforms to combat branch stacking.
He said the party had ignored the branch stacking allegations as far back as 1994.
"It was clear to many of us that inappropriate behaviour within the ALP . . . would eventually have a major public impact," he said.
"What (the Independent Commission Against Corruption) uncovered in Wollongong was disgraceful and demonstrates just how vulnerable the ALP is when we put factional interests ahead of what should be the interests of the party."
The issue revealed deep divisions between senior ALP figures in the region.
Factionally aligned MPs Noreen Hay and Lylea McMahon supported the motion, but said branch stacking was a thing of the past.
Others disagreed.
Ms McMahon said the issue of branch stacking was old news.
"Many of these issues come from 1994. These are old war wounds that haven't healed.
"Recent events have torn the scab off these war wounds and left them exposed," she said to delegates.
But South Coast Labour Council secretary Arthur Rorris disagreed. He said Illawarra MPs had their heads in the sand if they believed branch stacking was no longer an issue.
"Anyone that says that this issue has been resolved is having themselves on because the community doesn't buy it," he said outside the conference.
Ms Hay said branch stacking was dealt with more than ten years ago.
"Those stacking allegations in the '90s . . . exemplified the interfactional waring at the time."
She said the reforms would allow the Illawarra branch of the Labor Party to move forward.