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 Frank and Beth's secret email relationship 

Frank and Beth's secret email relationship

12/07/2008 5:00:00 AM
Disgraced developer Frank Vellar received confidential information on almost 20 sites across Wollongong in emails from his lover, former Wollongong planner Beth Morgan.

Mr Vellar and Ms Morgan were found to have engaged in "serious corrupt conduct" by the Independent Commission Against Corruption when they engineered the approval of the mammoth Quattro development on Wollongong's Flinders St.

But contained in the more than 115 exhibits tendered to ICAC are emails which show that Quattro was one of many sites the two were trading information about.

The emails expose how the pair traded privileged information, alongside flirtatious quips, on several sites across Wollongong.

In the messages, Ms Morgan uses her position to send detailed and confidential information about sites including prime beachfront land on Wollongong's Cliff Rd, property in Crown St and other prominent locations such as Fairy Meadow's Fraternity Club.

With access to aerial photographs, lot numbers, landowner details, status reports, payments, plans and maps, Ms Morgan was able to access and then leak information to Mr Vellar, who was searching for sites to develop.

The sometimes salacious emails reveal the pair was in daily contact about a range of potential development opportunities.

"Just had to say you looked absolutely outstandingly edible at lunch..!!!!!!...Oh was that DA 2003/5104 or DA 2002/1358 you wanted me to look at?", Ms Morgan said in emails in April 2005.

In the emails Ms Morgan also leaked internal staff telephone numbers and councillors' contact details, along with internal correspondence from senior council figures.

The more than 60 emails were tendered to ICAC as part of their investigation of corruption allegations into Wollongong City Council.

Ms Morgan was suspended from the council in June 2007 after an internal investigation. At the time general manager David Farmer said the council would take whatever steps were necessary to deal with any inappropriate behaviour.

"We want to stress again that Wollongong City Council is not an organisation that has or will support corruption or the perception of corruption," he said at the time.

Yesterday neither the council nor Mr Vellar, through his lawyer, would comment on the emails.

Both Mr Vellar and Ms Morgan are awaiting the third and final ICAC report due in coming months.

SEE SATURDAY'S MERCURY REVIEW FOR AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT FRANK AND BETH'S COSY ARRANGEMENT

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Comments


Date: Newest first | Oldest first
How low can you go?
Posted by Fergie on 12/07/2008 10:56:28 AM
After reading the article in today's paper, I find the scope of Mr Vellar's access to confidential information staggering. I cannot imagine the dollar value that this individual was able to amass due to his privileged access to information that would generally be unavailable to his competitors.

I thank the Illawarra Mercury for its coverage of the ICAC investigation from the start, but do we seriously believe that these two individuals were the first to engage in corrupt behaviour at Wollongong council?

There really does need to be a retrospective investigation into the history of corruption in the Illawarra, because there must be others who have benefited greatly and are just sitting back chuckling because they think they've got away with it.

Posted by Jim on 12/07/2008 4:29:43 PM
This story has been published nationwide and is very disturbing. However, has any action been taken by the council to find out who hired Ms Morgan or promoted her to such a senior position? If the selection process was flawed then it could happen again.
Posted by Paddy on 13/07/2008 11:54:58 AM
Jim and Paddy both make excellent points. Nobody can seriously believe these are the only two involved in this grubby affair (pardon the pun) who deserve the closest of scrutiny or that the investigation should ignore the people who were at the top of this organisation over the past decade or more. ICAC must act on them all or the stench will remain.
Posted by Peter O'Brien, Balgownie on 14/07/2008 11:41:05 AM

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Former Wollongong town planner Beth Morgan.
Former Wollongong town planner Beth Morgan.

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