Case Study - Liverpool City Council

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One of the key questions to be asked about democracy in Wollongong, is what are the future directions for this city in terms of local government. Who will run for Council when the time comes, and who will the public vote for?

Politics expert Anthony Ashbolt noted that Wollongong is an area with ironed on Labor voters, and this carries the risk of the same kind of candidates being elected.

“It’s highly likely in Wollongong that you’ll get some of the same sort of people elected, and there’ll be the same sort of risks, he said.

“I hope however, that the highlighting of corruption will mean that those some that are elected are well outnumbered by people who are in fact elected by the community at large on a ticket of responsibility and accountability.”

When asked if he’d run again, sacked Councillor David Brown conceded that even if he did want to run for Council, support levels for members of the former council in the community would be low.

However, 80km north of Wollongong another working-class Labor stronghold - Liverpool – provides an interesting case study that raises questions about whether or not four years of administration can really cleanse a Council.

Liverpool Council was sacked in 2004 after ICAC found corruption in regard to the Oasis project. Oasis was an $850 million project that would build a basketball arena, stadium and sporting complex, in conjunction with Macquarie Bank and the Bulldogs Leagues Club.

Read more about the Oasis scandal

After sacking the council, the State Government appointed Gabrielle Kibble – now one of Wollongong’s three administrators – to administrate Liverpool Council for four years.

In 2008, when Liverpool voted in a new Council, one of the key Mayoral candidates was Wendy Waller – former deputy mayor in the sacked Council. The Liverpool Champion reported at the time that some residents and council candidates said Ms Waller shouldn’t stand for mayor, due to her connections to the Oasis issue.

Read the Liverpool Champion article

However, Ms Waller proclaimed her innocence and went on to win the election.

Liverpool Council Mayors page

Ms Waller may be the best woman for the job, and was perhaps voted in as Mayor because she is the person who best represents her constituents in Liverpool. But the fact that the city defaulted back to the same Council candidates so quickly after a period of corruption and administration certainly raises questions about the future of democracy in Wollongong.

What will happen in 2012 when Wollongong once again gets to vote in a local government?

Business leader Mark McDonald said the solution for Wollongong is a strong independent Council, so that elected representatives have to work for and earn the respect of the electorate.

But as a traditionally Labor-voting region, will Wollongong follow in the footsteps of Liverpool and re-elect members of the sacked Council? And what does this say about democracy in Wollongong?

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Read more articles about Liverpool City Council

Dismissal not a barrier

The Liverpool City Champion: Former Liverpool councillor Wendy Waller believes people do not have a negative view of her because she sat on the council that was sacked in 2004.

Liverpool Council's promising performance

The Liverpool City Champion: Some people are probably disappointed our newly elected councillors haven't set the world on fire in the month or so they've been in office. The truth is everyone will need to be patient; we have got to give our democratically elected representatives time to hit their stride.

New mayor Wendy Waller no stranger to controversy

The Daily Telegraph: She will be Liverpool's first mayor in over four years, but Wendy Waller is no stranger to the people of the southwest - she was sacked in 2004 over an $800 million development scandal. Ms Waller was deputy mayor on the Labor-dominated council thrown out over the failed Oasis joint venture with the Bulldogs Leagues Club. But Ms Waller makes no apologies for her time on the council as deputy and chair of the finance committee.

The Sacked Councillor : David Brown

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David Brown was a Labor Councillor for Ward 3 (Wollongong City) when Wollongong City Council was sacked. He was not implicated in the corruption or named by ICAC during the public inquiry.

Mr Brown believes, like many of the other Councillors who were sacked, that the whole Council shouldn’t have been sacked because of the actions of a few people.

It came like a bolt of lightning from the blue. And a lot of people at the time thought it was pretty unjust. There were a number of city Councillors who were adversely named, a small number of staff and business people and the government then took the action to dismiss the entire council, he said.

Mr Brown said he thinks appointing Administrators was the wrong choice for democracy in Wollongong.

“I think you either support democracy or you don’t,” he said.

“And democracy is sometimes a bit messy and sometimes it isn’t all that efficient, but I certainly know in the year or so after the dismissal of Council resident were still asking me for advice about planning matters… and there was certainly a concern that the Administrators weren’t from the area.”

“I think you can rely on the good sense of the voters to sort these things out. If we’d gone to the election a few months after the dismissal, I think you can rely on the voters to get it right.”

Mr Brown now works as a Media Officer for the South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Area Health Service, and said he couldn’t give a concrete answer on whether he would stand for re-election as a Councillor in 2012.

“It’s still a long way away, the next elections, it’s not something I’ve made my mind up about. I think it will be very hard for anybody in the last Council to nominate and run again,” he said.
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What happended to democracy in Wollongong in 2008?



What is the future of democracy in Wollongong?



Extended interview

The General Manager : David Farmer

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David Farmer has been the General Manager of Wollongong City Council since June 2007.

This appointment represented a return to his hometown – he graduated from the University of Wollongong in 1987.

Before serving Wollongong Council, he was Mudgee Shire Council’s General Manager between 1998 and 2000, and CEO Cairns City Council from 2000 and 2007.

At the time of the ICAC enquiry, Mr Farmer told ICAC he was "astonished and appalled by the revelations of this public inquiry."

“We knew there was an investigation going on into corrupt activities, and we’d been working with, or providing information to, the ICAC and so with that we were able to put together some sort of an idea about what issues were going to be raised,” Mr Farmer said.

“And on the information that we’d been providing we felt it was going to be a reasonable contained issue about misbehaviour of one or two people.”

Moving forward from the events of 2008, Mr Farmer said he believed Administrators were an important way to cleanse the Council of a corrupt culture.

“What you get with administration is highly experiences public officials guiding you and driving you forward – getting a lot of things done,” he said.

“The shock treatment of the removal of the Council gives a real opportunity for a healthy rebirth of democracy.”
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Administrators vs. elected council - the General Manager's perspective

What is the future of democracy in Wollongong?

Extended interview

The Community Group : Neighbourhood Forum 5

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Wollongong Council Administrators established eight different Neighbourhood Forums in 2009.

Each forum meets once a month and is open for anyone in the local community to attend. An elected convener coordinates the forum, and a Council worker attends each forum to report back on issues raised within the forums.

Neighbourhood Forum 5 covers the Wollongong City area, and also includes Gwynneville, Keiraville and Mangerton. Felix Bronneberg is the convener of the forum, which meets at Wollongong City Library on the first Wednesday of each month.

“The neighbourhood has an opportunity to voice their opinions on, if you like, the Council’s agenda and they can also raise their neighbourhood issues,” he said.

“This is an attempt to establish some linkage with the community, and whether you call it democracy, or something else… It’s commendable in that at least they’re making some effort.”

In this interview Mr Bronneberg talks about the way the Neighbourhood Forum works.
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Felix Bronneberg - Neighbourhood Forum 5 convener



September NF5 - Keith Tognetti on Civic Plaza

At Neighbourhood Forum 5, community members have the chance to raise issues that are important to them. Keith Tognetti is passionate about the environment, and in September he raised his concerns about the way Wollongong City Plaza is being developed without Illawarra rainforest plants. This was put forward as a motion to the Administrators.

By the time the October meeting came around, Keith was in talks with Council planners about the types of plants being placed in the new plaza.

The Public : Vox Pops

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The public is perhaps the most important player in the debate about democracy in Wollongong – they are the ones missing out (for better or worse) on an elected local government, and are who will make democracy in the Illawarra work when the time comes to vote.

During these interviews most people had a good background in what happened with ICAC, and many had strong views about what should happen in the town.

These interviews took place at North Wollongong Beach and inside the Administration Building at the University of Wollongong. Each person was given a brief background (if they needed it) and then asked: what do you think – are the Administrators to right choice for Wollongong now, or should we have an elected local government?”

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North Wollongong Beach




University of Wollongong

The Ex-Federal MP - Michael Organ

What do you think of the Administrators?



What is the future of democracy in Wollongong?



Extended Interview

Timeline

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Some key events of the last year and a half for Wollongong City Council, from day one of the ICAC public inquiry to present.

18 February 2008 - ICAC inquiry begins

21 February 2008 - Councillors and some of Wollongong's most prominent identities named in inquiry - nicknamed Gong-gate

24 February 2008 - The infamous Beth Morgan sex scandal puts Wollongong on the map around Australia

3 March 2008 - Former Premier Morris Iemma announces he will sack Wollongong City Council

4 March 2008 - Gabrielle Kibble, Dr Colin Gellatly and Robert McGregor appointed as Administrators of Wollongong City Council.

8 October 2008 - ICAC recommends charges be laid against 11 people involved in the scandal.

2009 - Council Administrators begin work on the new Local Environment Plan for Wollongong

15 June 2009 - New Thirroul Neighbourhood Centre opens

21 July 2009 - ICAC asks Director of Public Prosecutions to consider criminal charges against those implicated in corruption.

22 July 2009 - Work begins on refreshing Dapto Square

26 August 2009 - Construction begins on upgrading Wollongong's Civic Plaza

28 September 2009 - Local Government Minister Barbara Perry confirms that Administrators will stay until 2012

16 October 2009 - NSW Premier Nathan Rees announces Wollongong's sportsground will receive a $28.9 million makeover

17 October 2009 - Former Council General Manager Rod Oxley, who was heavily implicated in the ICAC scandal, announces in the Illawarra Mercury that he will publish a book to clear his name.

19 October 2009 - ICAC confirms that Kiril Jonovski, Zeki Esen and Frank Gigliottti are being prosecuted.

The Youth : Jessica Saad

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Jessica Saad is a student at the University of Wollongong. She also works full-time as a Management Cadet in the Environment Unit at the University, and has won a number of accolades as a young businesswoman. She has been a Director on the board of the Illawarra Business Chamber since 2008.

She is President of Junior Chamber International Illawarra, which took her to a UN climate change summit in Geneva this year. In September, Jessica was appointed to the Wollongong City Centre Advisory Committee, established to provide advice to Council on important the future of Wollongong’s City Centre.

As an Illawarra local, Jessica is passionate about encouraging students at the University of Wollongong to stay in the town after they graduate – instead of leaving to work in Sydney. She says that the events of 2008 led students to believe Wollongong was a corrupt town and hasn’t helped keep graduates in the local area.

“As a student I really want to stay here and use my skills here after I study,” she said.

“But when you here that that’s going on it doesn’t make it a place that you want to stay and build a career in because you feel like your building a career in a corrupt city.”

Jessica is enthusiastic and positive about the future of democracy in Wollongong, because she believes young people will lead the way when elections come around in 2012.

“For youth, I don’t think we’ve quite woken up to the fact yet that by the time that does come through and Councillors are getting elected, some of us – you know I’m 23 – we’re up for it,” she said.

“We can do it, we can put our hands up for it!”

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What happened in Wollongong in 2008?

What is the future of democracy in Wollongong?

Extended Interview

The Business Leader : Mark McDonald

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Mark McDonald is a Partner at local law firm Maguire & McInerney, and is also on the board of the Illawarra Business Chamber.

He is known to the community as a strongly independent business leader, and was recently put forward in a mock poll in the Illawarra Mercury as one of the leading candidates for future Mayor.

Mr McDonald has strong views about development and economic prosperity for Wollongong and believes we need to move forward with an elected, independent local government.

“The bottom line, in my view, is that we need local government to return here – we need elected local government… We’re not going to get it before the next election, we’ve got to acknowledge that.” Mr McDonald said.

“But I would like to see an independent Council, and independent Lord Mayor, take stock of this city or anyone other than those entrenched.”

“The political parties have to be made to work for and earn the respect and support of the local people.”

Note: In his interviews, Mr McDonald speaks about the need to update Wollongong’s ‘disgraceful’ sporting facilities – WIN Stadium. It should be noted that in the time since this interview, Premier Nathan Rees has announced a $28 million refurbishment for the stadium.

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What are the big issues in Wollongong in 2009?

What is the future of democracy in Wollongong?

Extended Interview

The Journalist : Paul McInerney

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Paul McInerney is a Senior Journalist at the Illawarra Mercury, and has worked at the paper for 20 years.

During the ICAC inquiry and ensuring scandal, Mr McInerney was Chief of Staff, a role where he oversaw hundreds of pages of coverage on the issue.

“I was very much at the front line. ICAC, when it was opened, I was there for the opening day,” he said.

“It came as a bit of a shock when the councillor assisting got to his feet to outline what the hearings would be all about. My jaw hit the deck, and it was over a forty page indictment of many of our most prominent citizens.”

In this interview, Mr McInerney talks about his experience as a journalist covering the ICAC scandal. He also speaks about his experience with the current Administrators, and about the public opinion of the current Council.

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What happened to democracy in Wollongong?

The Academic : Anthony Ashbolt

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Anthony Ashbolt is the convenor of the politics program in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Wollongong. He is often quoted in the Illawarra media on issues of politics, and has most recently weighed in to the debate about political donations at a state level.

His extensive knowledge of the Australian political system meant he was able to comment on the benefits and pitfalls of Australian democracy.

“No system of government, in a sense, is a guarantee of genuinely popular representation simply because certain interests have access to the means of communication much more directly than other people,” he said.

In this interview, he spoke about the cross-over between local, state and federal politics in Australia, and how duplication at all three levels of government can lead to corruption in the system.

Dr Ashbolt said that, while democracy is sometimes a ‘forlorn hope,’ he hopes the sacking of Wollongong Council will have alerted the voting public so that they don’t re-elect corrupt councillors in the future.

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How should a democratic local council work?



What is the future of democracy in Wollongong?



Extended Interview

The Historian : Glenn Mitchell

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Dr Glenn Mitchell runs the History program in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Wollongong.

As a resident of the area and historical research, he has an extensive knowledge about the workings of Wollongong City Council and provided an insight into some of the history of corruption in the Council.

"2008 was really the tip of a very large iceberg, an iceberg that had been growing for some time," he said. "The difference between 2008 and 2007 or 2006 is that finally someone has accumulated some evidence.

Dr Mitchell's published works and research have focused on migration policy in the Illawarra and the environmental aspects of Port Kembla steelworks. In this interview he spoke about his belief that democracy has been lost in the Illawarra for some time.
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What happened in 2008 with Wollongong Council?

What is the future of democracy in Wollongong?



Extended Interview

Democracy in Wollongong - Moving on from ICAC

This blog follows the progress of my Master of Journalism project, looking at the idea of Democracy in Wollongong.

I will be doing a practical multimedia project looking at the topic democracy in Wollongong. This will be a comprehensive investigation of the state of democracy in Wollongong, looking at how the fact that Wollongong has no elected Council (and is unlikely to have an elected Council for some time) has affected democracy in the region. One year on from ICAC, where do we stand?

Are residents happy with how the city is being run now? Are the Administrators doing a better job than the former elected Council? What do former Councillors, sacked Councillors and current business leaders think?

Why ask about democracy in Wollongong?

Questions about democracy are bubbling below the surface in the local consciousness. For example, several letters published in the Illawarra Mercury over the past months have praised or questioned the role of the administrators.

On the beachfront construction work is rife, with huge changes happening to the “Blue Mile” to improve the beaches and harbour. In the city, a huge block of land that promised a cinema complex and department stores has grass growing behind tall fences and no sign of when construction might begin.

About a year and a half ago, Wollongong City Council was sacked and replaced by three Administrators who now make all the decisions of the Lord Mayor and elected Councillors . This event made for dramatic front pages and weeks of coverage on shady figures and sex scandals in papers around Australia but since then there hasn’t been much coverage on the fallout. If the Illawarra region is to go without elected representatives for up to three years, surely questions about the state of democracy are important. Are we being fairly represented?

It is also important to look at the idea of democracy because of the alleged failings of the former Council. Was democracy working, or does the unelected Administration do a better job? What questions does this raise about democracy and local government?

Practical outcomes

The centerpiece of my project will be about eight 4 - 5 minute multimedia pieces, which will be a combination of video, audio and pictures. The pieces will be posted to this blog, but will be designed to work within a news website, for which I will design the shell/interface.

Similar examples, of multimedia projects linked to a common theme include:
• Fire, Footy, Fate - Triple J's Hack
• Islam in Australia - SMH Multimedia
• Sexual Warfare - SMH Multimedia

My project is intended to present a range of views, and allow the diverse talent that I will be interviewing to tell the story – rather than drawing my own conclusions. However, to frame the interviews and multimedia pieces, I will be doing a small amount of written analysis to accompany the audio and video pieces.

To complement to multimedia pieces I will research a timeline of Wollongong’s local government, as well as a researched ‘case study’ on another town that has had the council sacked.

Front covers and articles from the Illawarra Mercury during ICAC will be used to give context to my pieces. These aspects of my project will be included as links from the main website, so that users can explore the issue of democracy in Wollongong as broadly or as narrowly as they wish.