Three administrators take over Wollongong council

By Aap
Updated November 5 2012 - 4:59pm, first published March 4 2008 - 5:13am

Three administrators will oversee Wollongong City Council for the next four years under the terms of its dismissal. Confirming the council's sacking today, Local Government Minister Paul Lynch said he would attend an executive council meeting at 5pm, at which NSW Governor Marie Bashir would sign off on the dismissal. It follows an interim recommendation from the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) Commissioner Jerrold Cripps to dissolve the council. The recommendation was made after an investigation into planning processes at the council, including allegations of sexual relations between developers and a planner, and bribes solicited for approving a development. "I don't need to make a comment about the council because the ICAC has already given us an interim report that described systemic corruption and it's upon that basis that we are taking that action," Mr Lynch said. Mr Lynch said the appointment of administrators for four years was warranted "based on the seriousness of the problem". Wollongong residents would not vote at this September's local elections, he said. "Anyone that suggests that an issue of systemic corruption that could be resolved within six months is fooling themselves," Mr Lynch said. "It is preposterous to suggest that you would be able to proceed to an election this September granted the findings of the ICAC." The administrators are established state bureaucrats Col Gellatley, Gabrielle Kibble and Robert McGregor. Mr Lynch said he would ask the three to look to appoint a planning panel, which would be an independent body making development determinations for the city. He said the future of current council staff would be a matter for the administrators. It is the second council the NSW Government has sacked within a week, following the axing of Port Macquarie-Hastings Council for financial mismanagement. The Port Macquarie council was sacked after the costs of the Glasshouse entertainment centre blew out six-fold to about $42 million. An administrator will also oversee the local government there for four years. There were now seven councils out of 152 under administration in NSW, but four of those would hold local government elections in September, Mr Lynch said.

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