FILED 24 FEB 2008 NOT RUN.
John Stapleton
Former Labor insider Paul Matters says ``Wollongong Inc'', as he calls the corruption scandal which has enveloped Wollongong Council, has been building for years.
The group Wollongong Against Corruption, which describes itself as ``a group of very angry residents'', was founded in 2006 in reaction to concerns over suspect development claims and sexual harassment cover-ups. They say Wollongong Inc has been an open scandal which should have been exposed years ago.
Members and sympathisers, who will be showing up in force at an emergency council meeting called for this afternoon, say Wollongong Inc has revealed close links between the alleged corruption at the council, the ALP and the NSW state government.
This morning concerned residents will be handing out leaflets at Wollongong train stations. They hope to get thousands of signatures for a petition demanding fresh council elections.
Members are fearful NSW Premier Morris Iemma will try to limit the damage of the ICAC inquiry by shutting the council down and appointing an administrator.
Founding member of Wollongong Against Corruption Paul Matters, former secretary of the South Coast Labor Council, said independent councillors, political activists and disillusioned ALP members have been campaigning for years to bring their concerns to light. Many have been villified, isolated, threatened and abused for their trouble.
Now at last, with daily headlines of the scandal rocking the state, they feel vindicated.
He said the group was aiming to put maximum pressure on the Premier to hold fresh council elections.
``Iemma may attempt to cut off any further investigation of the links between developers, contracting companies and lobbyists with the fund raising activities of his state members.'' he said. ``Given that this scandal has exposed systemic corruption in the Wollongong council and systemic corruption in the ALP it would be an outrage for Iemma to appoint an administrator, who would be an ALP government appointee, to run the city.
``The strong feeling in the city is that we don't want business as usual.''
The emergency council meeting this afternoon is expected to call for the last remaining councillor identified by ICAC, Val Zanotto, to immediately step aside. He would join councillors Frank Gigliotti, Kiril Jonovski and Zeki Esen.
Mr Zanotto did not return calls yesterday.
Independent Wollongong councillor Carolyn Griffiths said she had been villified and abused for raising concerns about the council's operations and described the revelations of misconduct at Wollongong council as ``an exorcism''. ``I never thought I would live to see it,' she said. ``We are entrusted by the rate payers to be honest, open, transparent and accountable. That is what the ratepayers vote us in for.''
Trevor Mott, who belongs to community lobby group the North South Coalition, said the evidence now coming before ICAC had been common knowledge. ``People have been raising these issues for years,'' he said. ``These allegations should have come out long ago. It has ruined the credibility of Wollongong.''
Independent councillor David Martin said a number of councillors had been expressing grave concerns about management, interference in the planning process and the quality of judgements, but senior figures had been protected by the ALP majority on council. ``The ALP's role in all this has been abominable,'' he said. ``They have failed to recognise or acknowledge the corruption there; failed to recognise the mismanagement. It's just fantastic this boil has been lanced.''
John Stapleton
Former Labor insider Paul Matters says ``Wollongong Inc'', as he calls the corruption scandal which has enveloped Wollongong Council, has been building for years.
The group Wollongong Against Corruption, which describes itself as ``a group of very angry residents'', was founded in 2006 in reaction to concerns over suspect development claims and sexual harassment cover-ups. They say Wollongong Inc has been an open scandal which should have been exposed years ago.
Members and sympathisers, who will be showing up in force at an emergency council meeting called for this afternoon, say Wollongong Inc has revealed close links between the alleged corruption at the council, the ALP and the NSW state government.
This morning concerned residents will be handing out leaflets at Wollongong train stations. They hope to get thousands of signatures for a petition demanding fresh council elections.
Members are fearful NSW Premier Morris Iemma will try to limit the damage of the ICAC inquiry by shutting the council down and appointing an administrator.
Founding member of Wollongong Against Corruption Paul Matters, former secretary of the South Coast Labor Council, said independent councillors, political activists and disillusioned ALP members have been campaigning for years to bring their concerns to light. Many have been villified, isolated, threatened and abused for their trouble.
Now at last, with daily headlines of the scandal rocking the state, they feel vindicated.
He said the group was aiming to put maximum pressure on the Premier to hold fresh council elections.
``Iemma may attempt to cut off any further investigation of the links between developers, contracting companies and lobbyists with the fund raising activities of his state members.'' he said. ``Given that this scandal has exposed systemic corruption in the Wollongong council and systemic corruption in the ALP it would be an outrage for Iemma to appoint an administrator, who would be an ALP government appointee, to run the city.
``The strong feeling in the city is that we don't want business as usual.''
The emergency council meeting this afternoon is expected to call for the last remaining councillor identified by ICAC, Val Zanotto, to immediately step aside. He would join councillors Frank Gigliotti, Kiril Jonovski and Zeki Esen.
Mr Zanotto did not return calls yesterday.
Independent Wollongong councillor Carolyn Griffiths said she had been villified and abused for raising concerns about the council's operations and described the revelations of misconduct at Wollongong council as ``an exorcism''. ``I never thought I would live to see it,' she said. ``We are entrusted by the rate payers to be honest, open, transparent and accountable. That is what the ratepayers vote us in for.''
Trevor Mott, who belongs to community lobby group the North South Coalition, said the evidence now coming before ICAC had been common knowledge. ``People have been raising these issues for years,'' he said. ``These allegations should have come out long ago. It has ruined the credibility of Wollongong.''
Independent councillor David Martin said a number of councillors had been expressing grave concerns about management, interference in the planning process and the quality of judgements, but senior figures had been protected by the ALP majority on council. ``The ALP's role in all this has been abominable,'' he said. ``They have failed to recognise or acknowledge the corruption there; failed to recognise the mismanagement. It's just fantastic this boil has been lanced.''
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