The NSW government’s decision to plunge the new merged council likely to be known as the City of Greater Wollongong into administration means local politicians in Wollongong and Shellharbour have not served a full elected term since 2004.
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With elections to be put off until September 2017, the council faces 16 months under an administrator – a situation all too familiar for many residents.
It’s hard to forget 2008’s infamous council sacking, which came amid claims of corruption and an explosive sex-for-development scandal which came to light in ICAC hearings.
All Wollongong councillors – not just those named in the scandal – were chucked out in March 2008 by the then Labor government.
A few months later, Shellharbour councillors were also sacked due to dysfunction, after a public inquiry found relations between staff and councillors had soured irrevocably.
Between then and 2011 – when the new Liberal government delivered the local democracy it had promised (and has now removed) – both cities were run by administrators.
And while these public servants certainly helped put the cities’ affairs in back in order, many councillors have warned about the “lack of momentum” that comes with administration.
Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery said he was “bitterly disappointed” to see the city falling back into administration, as he believed the city had been heading in the right direction in recent years.
“I’m very saddened, because while the things in the pipeline will continue to progress through, when the administrators were in previously they left a lot of things on hold until there was an elected body to make decisions.”
He said he hoped the policies put in place by councillors would keep the momentum going for 16 months.
“We pulled it out of administration when we got in and I think we’ve achieved a lot,” he said.
He also said the sacking of councillors to install administrators gave “the appearance we have done something wrong”.
“My councillors feel they’re being punished for essentially doing the right thing,” he said.
“That’s worrying me, because the last time Wollongong was in administration was because of corruption within the council and the implication is that somehow or other we have done something wrong.
“We have had varying opinions, but we have been cautious about doing our correct governance and our decision making had tried as best as possible to reflect the needs and aspirations of the community.”
“And we ticked all the boxes for Fit for the Future – so it seems you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.”
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