[Greens-Media] (Sylvia Hale MLC) Wollongong ICAC Report Doesn’t Go Far Enough

[Christopher Holley]

Wollongong ICAC Report Doesn’t Go Far Enough
 
 
NSW Greens MP Sylvia Hale has welcomed the ICAC’s final report into
the Wollongong Council corruption scandal but says it points to the need
for a broader investigation into systemic corruption in the state’s
planning system.
 
“I welcome the ICAC’s findings of corrupt conduct against various
Wollongong Council officers, Councillors and developers, and look
forward to the DPP’s consideration of prosecutions of those people who
have acted corruptly or have created the conditions where corruption has
been allowed to take hold at Wollongong Council,” said Ms Hale.
 
"I also welcome the anti-corruption measures proposed by the ICAC for
Wollongong Council, an issue that I know the Wollongong Against
Corruption community group has been pushing hard."
 
“I believe however that the ICAC report has merely scratched the
surface in looking at the causes and extent of this sort of corruption.
Public mistrust of the planning system is widespread and it extends well
beyond Wollongong to other councils and to the state level.”
 
“One of the problems emerging from this report is that the definition
of corrupt conduct under the ICAC Act is very narrow. For example the
ICAC chose not even to ask Wollongong MP Noreen Hay about an alleged
meeting with developer Frank Vellar and Labor Councillor Frank Gigliotti
to discuss a possible Council recision motion in favour of one of Mr
Vellar’s developments because  “The details of the meeting contained
in paragraphs 4 to 12 of Mr Gigliotti’s statutory declaration and his
evidence to the Commission on 1 August 2008 concerning that meeting do
not identify any impropriety on the part of any person.” (ICAC Report
Part 3 p.117)
 
“Ms Hay’s attendance at the alleged meeting has not been proven and
the ICAC has made no adverse findings against her.  However most people
would not consider it appropriate for an MP to play the sort of hands-on
role described by Mr Gigliotti, in assisting a campaign donor with a
development application. Yet the ICAC did not even bother asking Ms Hay
for her version of events.”
 
“This demonstrates clearly that the broader issue of the relationship
between development applications and political donations is not dealt
with in this ICAC report and given its narrow definition of corrupt
conduct it appears to be beyond the ICAC’s scope. Yet it is that issue
goes to the heart of public distrust of the planning system and that
needs a thorough, open and independent investigation.” 
 
“That is why the Greens and the community are calling for a Royal
Commission into the relationship between developers, political donations
and development decisions at both local and state level, ” said Ms
Hale.
 
 Further information: Chris Holley 02 9230 3030 / 0437 779 546