Explainer: what led to the public inquiry hearings into the Wingecarribee Shire Council
It’s the first day of the public inquiry hearings into Wingecarribee Shire Council – but many residents will be asking how it came to this. Read our handy guide to find out why an inquiry is needed.
The Bowral News
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It’s the first day of the public inquiry hearings into the shocking failures of the “toxic” Wingecarribee Shire Council to serve in the best interests of the community, including spending millions of dollars on unwanted projects, ignoring bushfire victims, and screaming matches during council meetings.
For new residents and those fatigued by the ongoing saga of council, this is a handy guide to what led to this investigation into council.
In 2019, the council was thrown into the spotlight during the Black Summer bushfires when much of the northern portion of the Wingecarribee Shire was badly burnt. Residents were shocked to be asked to pay thousands of dollars in development costs to rebuild their ravaged homes, with little support from the council.
A report delving into the response to the disaster showed the council misspent bushfire relief funds on the unaffected equine industry and used a councillor contingency fund to informally hand out money to local groups.
The report, tabled at a council meeting in May 2021, showed the councillors had held unlawful secret meetings which belied a lack of transparency for the community they were intended to represent.
Sadly, it’s a familiar theme for locals – particularly with respect to public infrastructure projects.
One of the most obvious examples is the controversial Station St project, which proposed to create a bypass to divert traffic away from Bowral’s Bong Bong St and onto the nearby Station St.
The project was initially estimated to cost $9.5 million in 2017 to upgrade the road. It was revealed in a council meeting in February 2021 that the cost had ballooned out to a staggering $36 million without any consultation with the many invested community groups.
One community group had been submitting requests to view the documents and obtain clarification for over a year when the eye-popping price tag was revealed. The group, Friends of Bowral, said it was shocking the community hadn’t been notified of the reason for the cost increase or consulted on the project at all.
The extreme and unexplained increase in the cost of the controversial Station St project was yet another example of council’s misuse of ratepayers’ money.
Another shocking example was dubbed “Lobstergate” by locals after ratepayers footed the $89 bill for a councillor’s lobster dinner. The outrageous expense was merely a drop in the $15.7 million pond of mishandled public funds, including more than $10.8 million spent on refurbishing the Civic Centre which houses the council chambers.
Interim Administrator Viv May said the renovations were unnecessarily “extravagant” and the cost had blown out by 60 per cent without explanation.
The reports showed $4 million was spent on external consultants over four years, including temporary staffing costs.
Since the council went into administration in April last year, eight senior council staff have resigned in what Mr May called “a refresh of the executive”.
Subsequent investigations have revealed the “extraordinarily high” rate of staff turnover has cost the council nearly $900,000 since the council was suspended.
Mr May said the now-suspended council had failed to create a healthy workplace environment for staff.
“(The council was) a toxic workplace with substantiated allegations of bullying, preferential treatment, and an organisation structure built on personality not community,” he said.
Ann Prendergast, the former General Manager of Wingecarribee Shire Council, resigned in June 2020 amid allegations of workplace bullying. When the community rallied against the rushed appointment of a replacement, councillors ignored the petition in a move likened to a power grab by former US President Donald Trump.
“They can petition as much as they like, it’s not to change anything. The General Manager is going to be appointed by this council,” now-suspended Mayor Duncan Gair said at the time.
The General Manager appointment was deferred by the suspension of the council on March 12, 2021 and Viv May was installed as Interim Administrator. Wollondilly State Liberal MP Nathaniel Smith said it was a necessary step to address “the suspended council’s cronyism, dysfunction and ineptitude.”
Dysfunction between councillors became particularly apparent during the council meetings, which were live-streamed during the Covid pandemic.
Spats which had previously been hidden to a small portion of the public were visible for the whole community, many of whom were shocked to see their elected representatives devolve into red-faced screaming matches in the council chambers.
In his assessment of the suspended council, Mr May said the council “failed the community” and thought it was “above the law”.
Despite extending the suspension of council, former Minister for Local Government Shelley Hancock said more needed to be done and ordered a thorough investigation into the systemic problems at the council.
In September 2021, she announced a public inquiry would examine the “serious issues” plaguing the council and aim to restore public confidence.
“Wingecarribee Shire Council’s performance is being seriously hampered by a range of financial, legal, cultural, structural, reputational and governance issues which are of great concern to the local community,” she said.
“A public inquiry will help get to the bottom of the issues which have significantly impacted on the council’s performance”.
Ms Hancock appointed barrister Ross Glover to investigate the council and determine whether there has been any improper activity by the suspended councillors. Mr Glover has previously acted as counsel assisting a public inquiry in the Blue Mountains.
Suspended Cr Gair told The Bowral News he did not support a Public Inquiry, but said the investigation would uncover a lot of bad behaviour in council.
“I have no dramas about my conduct, but I think other councillors will have concerns about their conduct,” he said.
The public inquiry hearings began on the morning of Monday March 28 and promises to be very enlightening for the community.
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