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JULY 2008 NEWS ARCHIVES Click here to return to the current News page
30 July 2008 Hatton to address Ulladulla meeting: former Member for South Coast and an outspoken critic of Shoalhaven City Council, John Hatton, will return to Ulladulla next week to address a public meeting organised by the Shoalhaven Action Campaign, on next Wednesday night (August 6) at the Ulladulla Civic Centre [we are not sure of the evening start time, try the contacts below]. Mr Hatton will use the meeting to present research from the past 12 months, which he will argue proves that the current Shoalhaven City Council is the worst in 50 years. He said his findings would shock those people attending. “Proper practice, meaningful public consultation, due diligence and common decency have been ignored by the majority of our current councillors,” Mr Hatton said this week. “Small business cannot compete against favouritism. Citizens, especially retirees, can have a lifetime’s investment in their home, lifestyle and community destroyed by improper town planning practices.” Other speakers on the night will include “alternative candidates”. From the South Coast Register. Read more... More info from SAC - Web: http://www.shoalaction.org.au/ Email: info@shoalaction.org.au Tel: 02 4441 5735
28 July 2008 Letter prompts calls for sacking: the release of the letter from the Department of Local Government on Friday morning was quickly followed by calls for Shoalhaven City Council to be sacked. The first came from John Hatton, former Member for South Coast, who with Vincentia resident Mark Corrigan took his concerns over the deal to the Independent Commission Against Corruption in November last year. “This alone is reason to sack Shoalhaven City Council,” said Mr Hatton. “What we appear to have is an illegal sale of land that could be worth $2 million, where proper process was ignored, where legal advice was ignored. Mr Hatton said that had such information been passed to him when he was an MP he would have called for the immediate sacking of the council from the floor of the Parliament....Mayoral candidate John Fergusson described the letter from the department as dynamite. “This reveals a cancer eating at the core of Shoalhaven Council with regard to accountability and process. In expressing these concerns and instructing the council not to proceed with the Bridge Road land sale, the department has brought into the open the questionable nature of ‘in confidence’ dealings with Huscorp over this site. Previous concerns have been raised over council’s dealing with the same developer over major developments in Huskisson.” Another mayoral candidate, Dennis Argall warned councillors and staff not to collude in presenting the facts of the matter to the Department of Local Government. From the South Coast Register. Read more...
Councillors may be liable for Huscorp bill: individual councillors may be personally liable for costs arising from any legal action taken by Huscorp over the suspended deal to build a hotel on the Bridge Road-Princes Highway site in Nowra. In a letter to Shoalhaven City Council from the Department of Local Government, which was made public on Friday, director general Garry Payne referred to sections 435 (1) and 435 (2) of the Local Government Act. Under Section 435 (2) “A departmental representative may also surcharge on a councillor, the general manager or any other member of the staff of the council the amount of (a) any deficiency or loss incurred by the council as a consequence of the negligence or misconduct of the councillor, general manager or member of staff. From the South Coast Register. Read more...
Huscorp debacle needs an inquiry: “Huscorp must be scratching their heads in disbelief over the latest chapter in their dealings with Shoalhaven City Council. They had found a council that was willing to grant them sole negotiating rights after submitting a late development proposal for the Bridge Road site…..Not only that, they were given access to more land at a fraction of the total market value - a subsidy courtesy of Shoalhaven ratepayers.....We now find that council was not legally entitled to sell the land in the first place.....If the deal falls over, Huscorp would be expected to seek compensation from council for costs incurred over the last three years. Either way, ratepayers lose. The Department of Local Government must act robustly to put an end to this debacle. The Shoalhaven community needs an inquiry into actions of its council and a process of returning to responsible governance…”. From a Letter to the Editor, South Coast Register. Read more...
25 July 2008 The secret is out: Shoalhaven City Councillor Gareth Ward has revealed what the elected Council would not – letters from the NSW Department of Local Government, detailing an investigation into Shoalhaven City Council concerning Council’s proposed deal with developer Huscorp in relation to the Nowra Hotel site on Bridge Road. “...These documents that I am presenting to the public today vindicate my position of three months ago when I moved a Notice of Motion to suspend dealings with Huscorp, a position which drew castigation by almost all my colleagues at the time. Under the cover of confidentiality, Council did suspend dealings with Huscorp on Tuesday night this week. Today, I reveal these documents in the interests of keeping our community informed about Councils dealings with their assets. The letter of 22 July 2008 from the NSW Department of Local Government states: ‘[The] examination has revealed that some if not all of the land that Council has resolved to sell to Huscorp is classified as community land under the Local Government Act 1993. The resolution to sell appears to be a direct contravention of Section 45(1) of that Act, which provided: A Council has no power to sell, exchange or otherwise dispose of community land...’” From a Media Release: The secret is out: Ward reveals Huscorp letter. Read more...
Read the two letters to Council from the Director General of the NSW Department of Local Government : identification of general concerns about proposed sale of the “Nowra Hotel’” site to Huscorp, on 26 June 2008 Read more.... And an outline of some more specific concerns on 22 July 2008 Read more...
23 July 2008 Shoalhaven City Councillor Gareth Ward has successfully moved a motion in Council to oppose the recommendations of the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART), recommendations that could result in significant increases in rates for Shoalhaven residents. The IPART has recommended that Local Government property rates be increased to cover the removal of Local Government payroll tax exemptions in addition to rate increases to fund contributions towards the NSW Rural Fire Service. “Recommendations 3 and 7 from the IPART review into State Taxation will have a devastating impact on Local Government and consequently, the residents and ratepayers of Shoalhaven City Council,” Cllr Ward said....“In 2006/07, Council paid Payroll Tax of $667,000. If Council was to lose its Payroll Tax exemption, this would rise to approximately $2.28 million – an increase of over $1.6 million. In terms of the additional cost per ratepayer, this would amount to a rate increase of nearly $30 per ratepayer. “The fact that IPART has also recommended that the State Government engage in cost shifting its responsibility for the Rural Fire Service onto Local Government is also very concerning....“Council has made a submission in relation to this draft report and unanimously recommended recommended that the NSW Government not adopt recommendations 3 and 7. ” Cllr Ward concluded. From a Media Release: Ward moves to oppose IPART Recommendations. Read more...
Navy will heed tragic lessons: “I would like to comment on your coverage of the release of the Sea King Board of Inquiry report under the banner headline ‘Navy damned’ (Friday June 22). ...However, I think it important to note that the Navy did not wait for the release of the Report to begin the process of improving safety practices. This has not been as keenly reported. Immediately after the accident Navy acted to strengthen aviation safety. The Fleet Commander initiated a rigorous program to re-invigorate maintenance practice and improve the safety culture. We set ourselves 72 significant tasks and 68 of those are already complete....As a result, we now have in place a number of fleet-wide initiatives that underscore the importance of governance, supervision and compliance with the procedures and processes which make the Fleet Air Arm a very different and more safety aware organisation than it was in 2005....Commodore Tim Barrett, Commander Australian Navy Aviation Group, HMAS Albatross.” From a Letter to the Editor, South Coast Register. Read more...
Call for balance in development: North Nowra resident Barry Horton has come forward as a candidate for Shoalhaven City Council in the September Local Government election. Mr Horton is a candidate for ward one and has been endorsed by the Shoalhaven Action Campaign...“I want to ensure decisions made in the future reflect what the people of Shoalhaven want.” Development and infrastructure were issues high on his agenda, particularly balancing the two with environmental needs of the region. “The future planning processes are very important,” he said. “A key issue for me is the North Nowra Link Road, I have a suggestion for a better option than the one the current council has chosen.” From the South Coast Register. Read more... Centre delay is no surprise: “After reading about Stockland placing the development of the Nowra shopping complex on hold (SCR July18) I wasn’t the least bit surprised. For Greg Watson to then say he couldn’t confirm whether the project is going ahead shows how out of touch he really is. I would like to remind Cr Watson that his allegiances should be to the people of the Shoalhaven not, as it seems, with the multinational developers.…There is an election looming and the residents are sick and tired of a council that seems to spend more time bending over backwards to accommodate developers rather than listening to the wishes of the very people who put you into office in the first place.” From a Letter to the Editor, South Coast Register. Read more... Deal in doubt: Shoalhaven City Council is facing an investigation from the Local Government Department over its sale of land for a hotel, retail and apartment development near the council offices in Nowra. And at the heart of the investigation are concerns council sold land it was not legally entitled to sell, as it was classified as community land. And while the Local Government Department is talking about an investigation, council is facing trouble on the other side of the ledger with developer Huscorp talking about taking action. Local Government Department deputy director General Ross Woodward said the department asked council to table a letter at its meeting last night seeking information regarding council’s expressions of interest process. From the South Coast Register. Read more... Sale saga raises concern: Shoalhaven City Council’s decision to sell a prime parcel of land to developer Huscorp has rarely been out of the headlines since it was made. There have been concerns about the price paid, the scale of the development, the capacity for Nowra to sustain the type of hotel proposed, and questions about the site offered. And now it seems the offer should never have been made in the first place, with some in council apparently aware it was not entitled to sell the block as it was classified as community land. From the South Coast Register. Read more...
22 July 2008 Basin Villages Forum new website - an exciting development for the communities of St Georges Basin: in a giant leap forward for the communities of St Georges Basin, the Basin Villages Forum, which is the community consultative body (CCB) to Council for the area, has launched their new website http://www.basinvillagesforum.asn.au/ We have recorded the address on our Related Links page. We encourage everyone to visit the site. Also on our Related Links page, you’ll see the addresses for the Vincentia, Tomerong and Ulladulla CCB websites.
21 July 2008 Accusations fly over Mayor’s letter of welcome: concerns have been raised about a new-electors letter on official letterhead that has been sent to voters by Shoalhaven Mayor Greg Watson. Dated July 10, the letter is meant to welcome new voters to the Shoalhaven, despite at least two of the recipients having been on the roll for three years. …. John Fergusson, a member of the Shoalhaven Action Campaign who is standing for Mayor and as a councillor, said the letter was “highly inappropriate, particularly in the lead-up to the election”. Mr Fergusson called on the Department of Local Government, ICAC and the NSW Ombudsman to take immediate action. From the South Coast Register. Read more... Kerr plans meeting over troubled reserve: Councillor Jack Kerr has called for an on-site meeting at the Nelson Beach Foreshore to address months of debate over a plan for the reserve. Earlier this year, council voted to hand the care of the foreshore over to the newly formed Nelson Beach Foreshore Group, taking the responsibility from the Vincentia Bushcare Group. Since then council staff had been working with both groups to develop a Foreshore Action Plan….On Tuesday the proposed plan, a compromise deemed to be appealing to both groups, was presented to the Crown Reserve, Community and Commercial Operations Committee. However before the committee could discuss the issue, Cr Kerr moved a recommendation for an on-site meeting for councillors and staff, without the presence of residents. From the South Coast Register. Read more...
Drink driver arrested in Huskisson: driving while intoxicated and without a valid licence led to the arrest of a man in Huskisson on Sunday. At about 1.10am on July 20 police patrolling the Huskisson CBD breath tested the driver of a vehicle in the vicinity of Owen and Currambene Streets. The breath test returned a positive result and he was taken to Huskisson Police Station for further testing. It was revealed he had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.1 per cent and he was charged with drink driving. He was further found to be the holder of a suspended licence and was charged for the offence. He will appear in Nowra Local Court at a date yet to be set. From the South Coast Register.
18 July 2008 Apartment block gets the nod despite being over the height limit: a proposal for a block of flats in Huskisson has been approved by Shoalhaven City Council’s development committee despite not complying with height restrictions of the DCP. A development application (DA) was lodged for a four-storey residential apartment building on Murdoch Street [at Moona Moona Ck bridge], however the developer [Huscorp] was directed to reduce the “bulk” of the original proposal. The amended proposal remained at four storeys, 12.5m high, and was deemed to be more in context with the existing and future amenity envisaged for the area. From the South Coast Register. Read more... 16 July 2008Donations challenge declined: Shoalhaven City Mayor Greg Watson has turned down a challenge from another mayoral candidate to reveal his political donations a week before the September 13 local government election. Mr John Fergusson, a Shoalhaven Action Campaign candidate, challenged the mayor to make public all political donations received during the campaign one week before the election. “The community of the City of Shoalhaven deserves to know, and this is a reasonable and practical way to do it,” he said. Shoalhaven Action Campaign candidates would be closing their political donations books and disclosing all donations over $500 one week before the election. From the South Coast Register. Read more... Hard act to follow: new conduct code needs work: there was prima facie evidence six councillors, all members of the Shoalhaven Independents Group (SIG), breached the new Code of Conduct just four days after it came into effect, according to a confidential file note written by Shoalhaven City Council’s general manager Russ Pigg. Dated July 7 and forming part of a response to a complaint by mayoral candidate Dennis Argall, the file note referred to a matter involving Manildra, a political donor to the SIG, that came before council at its ordinary meeting on June 24. “Six councillors declared a non-pecuniary interest in this item on the basis that the Shoalhaven Independents Group has received donations (exceeding $1000) from Manildra (Shoalhaven Starches) within the past four years,” Mr Pigg wrote. “This is, therefore, a significant non-pecuniary interest and in accordance with the Clause 7.23 and Clause 7.17 [of the new Code of Conduct], the councillors should have left the meeting chamber and not have taken part in the discussion or voted thereon.” Mr Pigg went on to write that “a clear anomaly” in the new Code of Conduct did not address the particular circumstance, in which so many councillors had a significant non-pecuniary interest due to political donations, that it was impossible for remaining unaffected councillors to form a quorum. From the South Coast Register. Read more...New candidates come forward down south: two candidates from southern Shoalhaven have announced their intention to stand as ward three councillors in the 2008 election. Robert Miller and Mark Hurley have been endorsed by Shoalhaven Action Campaign (SAC). “Mr Miller has been actively involved in promoting the long term productivity, profitability and sustainability of agricultural industries on the South Coast, particularly the dairy industry,” Annie Boutland from SAC said. Mr Miller said his interest in standing for council was to promote greater accountability, transparency and fairness in decision-making processes. “I would like to see the Ulladulla CBD redesigned with development that better suits our coastal location,” he said. Mark Hurley had previously served as a councillor on Shoalhaven City Council, having moved to Milton in 1996. “Mark Hurley believes the community needs and deserves a council that involves it and listens to it, particularly on development issues that will affect tourists, local residents and their families for generations,” Ms Boutland said. Mr Hurley said, “I am confident in the ability of council staff to deliver outcomes for the community with guidance from councillors”. From the South Coast Register. Read more...
14 July 2008 Dennis Argall’s initiative for change in the Shoalhaven City Council: further to our report on 7th July, Mayoral candidate Dennis Argall has provided more details of his plan on his website http://www.shoalhaven2020.net/ Dennis has set out foundation principles of transparency, integrity, leadership and community. Key proposals are outlined: a 100 day plan (first 100 days) ; a list of specific commitments ; and Dennis’ Five Pillars of Productivity - a package of structural and cultural reforms to provide a productive council in support of the community. Dennis notes that in June 2008, the NSW Department of Local Government published a binding 'Model Code of Conduct' for local government. This document provides principles and defines how elected councils and staff should conduct themselves and see their roles. The Model Code still leaves great freedom for individual councils to build their own structures and ways of doing business.
During June 2008 an ‘Advertising Feature’ by the Huskisson Chamber of Commerce appeared in The Mail Council subsidized newspaper: the language was strong, saying..“The Huskisson Chamber of Commerce has had enough, and heard enough, of the negative, degrading and controversial actions taken by the ‘we are not a political party’ Shoalhaven Action Campaign, known as SAC, working hand in glove with the South Coast Register...The members of the Huskisson Chamber of Commerce state that we are strongly opposed to the views of Shoalhaven Action Campaign - a Raffia Mafia of sarcastic critics who pass their time by altering information to portray a less than favourable result. They have dished it out for long enough...” From The Mail. Read the full feature...
11 July 2008 ANOTHER COUNCIL GONE: another South Coast council has been sacked, with Shellharbour City Council dismissed on Wednesday in much the same way that Wollongong Council was four months earlier. And Shoalhaven City Council has much to learn from Shellharbour Council’s sacking on Wednesday, according to several local mayoral candidates. Dennis Argall, John Fergusson, Patricia Mason and Paul Green agreed there were issues raised in the inquiry into Shellharbour Council that applied to Shoalhaven. However Mayor Greg Watson did not believe the issues raised by Commissioner Richard Colley in his inquiry applied to Shoalhaven. From the South Coast Register. Read more...
7 July 2008 Enough of the mind-reading: “My goodness, how lucky the Shoalhaven is to have the only mind-reading mayor in Australia at their service. Once again Greg Watson has made use of his remarkable ability to ascertain just what the people of the Shoalhaven actually want (regardless of what they say). He had a mental vision that the people of the Shoalhaven wanted a jail in their area, even though we were all only asked where we wanted it built, never did we want it at all. Not a hint of any input from public opinion, such as petitions with signatures, etc….” From a Letter to the Editor, South Coast Register. Read more...
Temple construction could begin as early as next year: Work on the Shaolin Temple could begin early next year, after project representatives met with officials from the Planning Department in Sydney on Thursday. Australian representative of the Shaolin order, Patrick Pang, said the meeting went well, and followed up the Planning Department recently awarding the Shaolin proposal major project status - clearing the way to speed up approval processes. From the South Coast Register. Read more...
6 July 2008 Kent Couch flys to Idaho with some balloons, a garden chair and a 'big dream': Man's indomitable dream of flight turned over a new chapter this weekend as a man, a garden chair and a large bunch of giant party balloons sailed into the records book. ....Kent Couch covered about 235 miles over Oregon and Idaho in about nine hours. Taking off from his hometown of Bend, Oregon, in a green garden chair suspended from more than 150 helium-filled balloons, he sailed across the state's high desert and into Idaho where he landed in a field in Cambridge, a very surprised farming community….Take-off was assisted by throwing out ballast in the form cherry-flavoured Kool-Aid, a sickly-sweet soft drink which the pilot spilled from his chair....Each balloon provided four pounds of lift. The chair weighed about 400 pounds, and the pilot and his parachute about 200 more. “I'd go to 30,000 feet if I didn't shoot a balloon down periodically," Mr Couch said… Mr Couch, a former hang-glider pilot, said he was inspired after watching a television show about a 1982 lawn chair flight over Los Angeles by Larry Walters. Mr Walters became a local hero but was fined $1,500 for violating air traffic rules. From source: Telegraph.co.uk. Read the full article... 4 July 2008 Bushcare groups lodge protest: Bushcare groups are increasingly voicing their concerns over actions by the majority group on Shoalhaven City Council putting a stop to the bush regeneration works in local bushland reserves. “The latest example is the setting aside of the Vincentia Bushcare group’s program of fencing, weeding and planting aimed at ensuring the safety of the public, stability of the foreshore and beauty of the Nelson Beach clifftop….To set their plan of management aside and appoint a new unknown group with no record of performance, whose only concern is for retention of views and opposition to planting trees, is a distasteful way to treat the Bushcare people, and a strange way of exercising council’s responsibility for the care of the environment and safety of the community….What will council’s next move be if another group of selfish people complain to them about their loss of views and property values and their dislike of native vegetation in yet another reserve that has been receiving years of tender loving care by a local Bushcare group?.... Will we see all of their hard work go for nought by appointment of a group of people who have neither the skills nor interest in being a good neighbour to their local bushland?” From a Letter to the Editor, South Coast Register. Read more...
Declaration of Independents: “Today I received another copy of The Mail, Shoalhaven. I had one a month ago too. Can anybody please say why the only items about the area come from the Shoalhaven Independents Group, Nowra. There are other people on council as well and the Independents are not independent, they are just clones of the Mayor…” From a Letter to the Editor, South Coast Register. Read more...
Dept reviews ICAC concerns: Department of Local Government staff conducting a better practice review into Shoalhaven City Council have been directed to investigate concerns about dealings with Huscorp, referred to the department by the Independent Commission Against Corruption. DLG deputy director general Ross Woodward has confirmed the team conducting the review was asked to examine the processes involved in council negotiations with the Sydney-based developer. “The better practice review is basically a health check of council processes,” said Mr Woodward. “As part of that review, the team was asked to examine the Huscorp dealings.” From the South Coast Register newspaper. Read more...
State could hit ratepayers with a $200 fire tax: Shoalhaven ratepayers may be hit with an extra $200 in taxes if the State Government passes on the cost of running the NSW Fire Brigades and Rural Fire Service….Cr John Finkernagel said he was concerned by the lack of suggestion by the State Government that management responsibility would accompany the financial burden. “There is no suggestion of them passing on the management, just the costs,” he said... From the South Coast Register newspaper. Read more...
7 July 2008 Appointing a Fairness Officer. Dennis Argall (Mayoral Candidate, Shoalhaven City): “As I meet with people, I hear two main complaints. First, about the conduct of the majority in the elected council. Second, about the performance of council or the fairness of decisions. These two intersect. Over time, it has clearly been a pattern that elected councillors intervene to support people, even in the face of contrary policy. Over time, the capacity of council staff to work sensibly has been eroded by the interference of the elected council... how to do things well if you are going to be mucked about?
This culture needs to change. I have already proposed two corrective steps in my 100 Days document:
· First, to get the elected council to conduct itself as a governing body as is required by the Model Code of Conduct. This Code was put in place by the Department of Local Government with effect from 20 June 2008.
· Second, to establish a Common Portal, a point where all persons, including elected council, lodge requests - and which enables visible assessment and tracking of requests
· I now propose a third element to balance those two and provide a capacity to secure fairness in decisions without political intervention. I propose the establishment of a post of Fairness Officer (with modest staff perhaps), a post funded by council but appointed independently….” From a Media Release by Dennis Argall, Mayoral candidate. Read the full release...
2 July 2008 Intervention a good thing: “...Cr McCrudden was at pains to state that ‘this page will not be used for any political purposes’ in accordance with the criteria they specified for reimbursement out of ratepayer coffers. Much to the chagrin of Cr McCrudden, the Department for Local Government called a spade “a spade” by demanding that councillors not use rates to fund their electoral campaigns. Cr McCrudden voted vehemently against the rescission motion but lost.” From a Letter to the Editor, South Coast Register. Read more…
Lip service to environment: “It seems Shoalhaven Council’s lip-service environmentalism manifests itself yet again at Nelson Beach cliff line, Vincentia ...But what happens when it comes to the crunch? All of these ideals which they profess fly away in the wind issuing forth from the bellows of the adjacent property owners whose views and ambitions to control the public foreshores take precedence yet again.” From a Letter to the Editor, South Coast Register. Read more…
Park staff monitor shot seal: The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, the Marine Parks Authority and the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia have for the past week been monitoring an injured seal that has been seen near Collingwood Beach, Vincentia. NPWS ranger Justin Miller said the adult New Zealand Fur Seal had been seen at a number of beaches located on the south-western side of Jervis Bay and appeared to have been shot. From the South Coast Register newspaper. Read more...
‘I’ll show mine if you show yours’: one of the latest candidates to step forward in the mayoral race has challenged Mayor Greg Watson and the Shoalhaven Independents Group to reveal their political donations ahead of the September 13 poll. “If the Shoalhaven Independents Group presents to the community a summary of their donations one week before the election I will happily do the same,” said John Fergusson. Mr Fergusson, 62, who is standing as a councillor in Ward 2 and for Mayor, is a member of the Shoalhaven Action Campaign who has lived in the Shoalhaven for the past five years. A mortgage broker, Mr Fergusson described himself as “entirely pro development”. From the South Coast Register newspaper. Read more…
Deputy eyes off the Sheriff’s gig: Deputy Mayor Paul Green has thrown his hat into the ring in the race for the Mayor’s job. Cr Green said he would also nominate for his council seat, and would soon announce candidates in other wards... “Places like Huskisson, Ulladulla and Nowra need a sober appraisal of future development needs. “I believe that infrastructure needs to grow alongside development.” ….“I am committed to establishing a marina in the Shoalhaven as this community is in a prime location to benefit from the investment that such infrastructure would bring to our district,” he said. From the South Coast Register newspaper. Read more…
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