Another day, another week, another twist, another turn.
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Just when you thought the relationships between the possibly soon-to-be-wed Shellharbour and Wollongong councils couldn’t get any worse, along comes a new development. This time over an actual development – Calderwood.
Even before the Shellharbour and Wollongong councils formalise their wedding vows they are headed for divorce court – or rather the Land and Environment Court.
While not specifically related to the merger proposal by the Baird NSW Government, this will do nothing to ease tensions between the two major local government areas of the Illawarra.
The two most public combatants, Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery and Shellharbour mayor Marianne Saliba, were again squaring off, but this time on a new battlefront.
“Taking us to court … is shocking to me, especially when the Lord Mayor of Wollongong recently accused us of wasting ratepayer money for appealing the proposed merger of our councils in court,” Mayor Saliba said.
At the heart of this matter is a dispute about costs relating to the development at Calderwood which sits between both municipalities.
And yet, ultimately, the two councils will most likely become one. Lord Mayor Bradbery said Wollongong had no option.
“We have no choice, otherwise our ratepayers will be subsidising a development in Shellharbour,” he said.
“And ultimately, when the merger takes place, both councils will have to find the money for this infrastructure, so I think it’s shortsighted on behalf of Shellharbour council.”
While there is a directions hearing next month, this is not going to go away in a hurry.
LABOR’S CAPTAIN’S CALL
Elected Labor members stood united behind NSW Opposition leader Luke Foley as he declared Paul Scully his party’s candidate for the battle for the seat of Wollongong. It sent a strong message and one many of his party will find hard to swallow. Retiring Wollongong MP Noreen Hay was critical of course. What would you expect though.
Now it only remains to be seen as to who will step up to wage the battle in attempting to wrench the seat from the hands of the Labor Party. The war has only just begun.
