Will developers be in the spotlight?

LOUISA RUST

While the public inquiry into Shellharbour City Council has been compared with the Wollongong City Council ICAC investigation that saw all its councillors sacked earlier this year, it is unknown whether the Shellharbour inquiry will likewise delve into the council’s administration and relationship with developers.

While the Wollongong inquiry was launched to investigate allegations regarding specific council officers and developers and their activities, the terms of reference for the Shellharbour inquiry focus mainly on the role and activities of the elected body.

However, mention in the terms of reference of councillors’ “relationship with senior/other staff of council” and “any other matters that warrant attention, particularly when it may impact on the effective administration of the council area” and the fact the commissioner is able to make other recommendations as he “sees fit”, have led some in the community to hope the inquiry will have a focus beyond the council’s elected body.

Last month, a meeting of the local group, the Illawarra Community and Environment Connection (ICEC), urged that the inquiry should include concerns over council dealings with developers and State MPs.

“There would be concerns and something amiss if there were no further questions of council and its associations with developers and businesses,” the ICEC’s spokes-woman Sonya McKay said.

“It does seem relevant from council actions that there may appear to be perceptions of conflict of interest.”

The deputy mayor of Shellharbour Cr Michelle Greig, who has lodged a submission to the inquiry, said she was confident the Commissioner would look at the operation of the council beyond the elected body.

“It’s not just the councillors. I’m confident the Commissioner will look into every aspect of how the council has been running, including a lot of positive things that have been achieved over the years,” she said.

When asked if the inquiry would also investigate council officers and administration and the council’s relationship with developers, the office of the Commissioner said he was not able to comment.

A spokesman for Shellharbour City Council said that despite calls made in some submissions, the Commissioner had not changed the terms of reference and the inquiry would be “strictly in relation to the councillors”.