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Georges River Council - Minutes of Extraordinary Council Meeting - Monday,
21 December 2020
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Page 0
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PRESENT
COUNCIL MEMBERS
The Mayor, Councillor Kevin Greene, Deputy
Mayor, Councillor Stephen Agius, Councillor Vince Badalati, Councillor Sam
Elmir, Councillor Sandy Grekas, Councillor Con Hindi, Councillor Rita
Kastanias, Councillor Nick Katris, Councillor Lou Konjarski, Councillor Kathryn
Landsberry, Councillor Nancy Liu, Councillor Leesha Payor, Councillor Colleen
Symington, Councillor Warren Tegg and Councillor Christina Wu.
COUNCIL STAFF
General Manager -
Gail Connolly, Director Assets and Infrastructure - Andrew Latta, Acting Director
Environment and Planning - Catherine McMahon, Director Community and Culture -
Rebekah Schulz, Director Business and Corporate Services - David Tuxford, Director
City Strategy and Innovation - Sue Weatherley, Director Legal Services and
General Counsel - Jenny Ware, Manager Office of the General Manager - Roxanne
Thornton, Executive Services Officer - Neil Treadwell (Minutes), Executive
Services Officer - Marina Cavar, Research and Projects Officer - Ann Marie
Svorinic and Coordinator Technology - Brendan Scott.
EXTERNAL CONSULTANTS
Stan Kondilios
– Partner, Hall and Wilcox (Lawyers for Georges River Council).
OPENING
The Mayor, Councillor Kevin Greene, opened the
meeting at 6.11pm.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
OF COUNTRY
The Mayor acknowledged the
traditional custodians of the land, the Biddegal people.
APOLOGIES/LEAVE
OF ABSENCE
There were no
apologies or requests for leave of absence.
NOTICE
OF WEBCASTING
The Mayor advised
staff and the public that the meeting is being recorded for minute-taking
purposes and is also webcast live on Council’s website, in accordance
with Section 4 of Council’s Code of Meeting Practice. This
recording will be made available on Council’s website.
DISCLOSURES OF INTEREST
There were no
disclosures of interest.
PUBLIC FORUM
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ITEM
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SPEAKER
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NR003-20 Notice of Rescission - QWN028-20 - Update on the
Status of the Independent Commission Against Corruption Investigation into
Georges River Councillors
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Ilknur Bayari
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NR003-20 Notice of Rescission - QWN028-20 - Update on the
Status of the Independent Commission Against Corruption Investigation into
Georges River Councillors
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Peter Hill
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NOTICE OF RESCISSION
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NR003-20 Notice
of Rescission - QWN028-20 - Update on the Status of the Independent
Commission Against Corruption Investigation into Georges River Councillors
(Report by
Councillor Landsberry, Councillor Kastanias and Councillor Katris)
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MOTION:
Councillor Landsberry and Councillor Kastanias
That the
Council resolution in respect of Item No. QWN028-20 (Update on the Status of
the Independent Commission Against Corruption Investigation into Georges
River Councillors), from the Ordinary Meeting of Council held on 14 December
2020 be rescinded.
The resolution proposed to be
rescinded currently reads as follows:
(a) That
pursuant to Council’s resolution of 23 April 2019 (NM033-19 Maintaining
Public Confidence in Georges River Council) and the subsequent referral to
the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), Council note that the
Commission has confirmed there is an ongoing, active investigation into the
matter.
(b) That
the letter from ICAC of 29 November 2019 be tabled and made public.
(c) That
it be noted that Georges River Council, as an entity, is not the subject of
the ongoing ICAC investigation, however it has been confirmed that two of our
Councillors are.
(d) That
Council calls on those Councillors who have become aware that they are
subject to an ongoing ICAC investigation to voluntarily stand aside (and be
granted a leave of absence from all Councillor duties) until such time as
Council is notified that the ICAC investigation has concluded.
(e) That
Council request the Minister for Local Government, the Hon Shelley Hancock
MP, to ask the Councillors under investigation to step aside until the ICAC
investigation has concluded, should they not comply with Council’s
request to do so.
(f) That LGNSW be
requested to support Council’s stance that it is appropriate during the
course of an ICAC investigation (in order to maintain integrity in decision
making and observe appropriate standards of governance) for those Councillors
who are the subject of an investigation to stand aside to maintain public
confidence in the integrity of Council decision making in NSW.
Record of Voting:
For the Motion: Councillors
Badalati, Hindi, Kastanias, Katris, Landsberry, Payor, Symington and Wu
Against the Motion: The Mayor,
Councillor Greene, Deputy Mayor, Councillor Agius and Councillors
Elmir, Grekas, Konjarski, Liu and Tegg
On being put to the Meeting,
the voting on the Rescission Motion was eight (8) votes FOR and seven (7)
votes AGAINST. The Rescission Motion was CARRIED.
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QUESTION WITH NOTICE
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QWN028-20 Update on the
Status of the Independent Commission Against Corruption Investigation into
Georges River Councillors
(Report by Councillor Grekas)
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MOTION: Councillor Landsberry and Councillor Katris
(a) That
the information in the report be received and noted.
(b) That
Council initiate an independent investigation into the leaking of
confidential information to the Sydney Morning Herald, including its 5
December 2020 article on the investigation by ICAC.
(c) That Council initiate an independent
investigation into how confidential information found its way into a
submission made to Council on 14 December 2020 in public forum stating that
Council has discovered two of its Councillors have been under investigation
by ICAC since November 2019, prior to this information being made
public.
AMENDMENT: Councillor
Badalati
That Council refer
Councillor Nancy Liu to the ICAC and the Australian Federal Police for
investigation.
Note: The
Mayor, Councillor Greene ruled the Amendment out of order pursuant to Clause
2.9 of Council’s Code of Meeting Practice.
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RESOLVED:
Councillor Landsberry and Councillor Katris
(a) That
the information in the report be received and noted.
(b) That
Council initiate an independent investigation into the leaking of
confidential information to the Sydney Morning Herald, including its 5
December 2020 article on the investigation by ICAC.
(c) That
Council initiate an independent investigation into how confidential
information found its way into a submission made to Council on 14 December
2020 in public forum stating that Council has discovered two of its
Councillors have been under investigation by ICAC since November 2019, prior
to this information being made public.
Record of Voting:
For the Motion: Unanimous
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CONCLUSION
The Meeting was closed at 7.58 pm.
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Chairperson
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Mayor, Kevin Greene
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Minutes confirmed at Ordinary Meeting
of Council on 22 February 2021 (CCL003-21)
