Central Coast Council public inquiry fail: Bungled livestream denies access to hearing

The local government minister has labelled the botched livestream of a regional council’s public inquiry into its staggering $565 million debt “unacceptable”.

NSW Local Government Minister Shelley Hancock has labelled the technical failings of the Central Coast Council’s public inquiry hearings “unacceptable”.

Ms Hancock has spoken out after the hearings were postponed on Tuesday morning due to the botched livestream.

“The failure of the livestream for the public hearing of the Central Coast Council public inquiry is simply unacceptable and I expect the commissioner to rectify these technical issues as soon as possible,” she said.

“The Central Coast Council public inquiry public hearings have been adjourned and will be rescheduled. It is paramount that members of the public can watch and listen to these public hearings and hear the evidence that is being given.”

NSW Local Government Minister Shelley Hancock has spoken out over the botched livestream from Central Coast Council’s Public Inquiry. Picture: Christian Gilles / NCA NewsWire

Commissioner Roslyn McCulloch is heading the inquiry into how the council came to accrue an accumulated debt of $565m over four years.

The crisis shocked the coast community when it was announced on October 6, 2020, and the past year has been a tumultuous journey with shocking revelations, sackings, mass staff cuts along with asset sales and the approval of a 15 per cent rate rise.

The public missed the first witness, suspended mayor Lisa Matthews, who continued to be questioned during the technical difficulties when the three-week hearing officially kicked off on Monday morning.

In a transcript of the hearing, Ms McCulloch apologised to the public.

“It is very unfortunate. Some upgrade over the weekend apparently put some gremlins in the works, but the matter is listed for hearing and we need to proceed,” she said.

A statement from the Public Inquiry Office on Tuesday morning has confirmed that the “public hearings have been adjourned and will be rescheduled”.

Central Coast suspended Mayor Lisa Matthews has already been questioned. Picture: Sue Graham

Commissioner Roslyn McCulloch.

“The new dates for the public hearings will posted on the inquiry web page, as soon as possible,” a spokeswoman said.

“The transcript from yesterday and today’s proceedings will be posted on the inquiry web page today. The commissioner has also determined to post a visual recording of yesterday and today’s proceedings on the inquiry web page. This will remain on the web page for 24 hours.”

Central Coast Parliamentary Secretary Adam Crouch said the public hearings shouldn’t be “public” in name only.

“Our community has waited months to watch councillors and council seniors staff be questioned by the Commissioner but has been let down by the Public Inquiry’s technical problems,” he said. “It’s important that every minute of the proceedings is open and accessible to everyone in our community.”

It comes as livestream connections to the highly-anticipated inquiry have been failing since it kicked off on Monday with blank screens and the odd voice testing the system.

A number of additional links appeared on Monday including one brief moment revealing that Cr Matthews was being questioned.

The financial disaster was described as the “greatest financial failure in local government history”. Picture: Mark Scott

The link reappeared on Tuesday morning however remained silent. Witnesses scheduled for Tuesday were suspended deputy mayor Jane Smith, suspended councillors Jeff Sundstrom and Greg Best and former councillor Troy Marquart who resigned in October 2020.

People have taken to social media to vent their frustration.

“This is ridiculous!!” one person posted. “Really this inquiry should be suspended until they correct the fault. Otherwise it’s not public.”

The hearings, which were scheduled to run over the next three weeks on the Department of Local Government’s YouTube channel, form part of the public inquiry into what has been described as the “greatest financial failure in local government history”.

Ms McCulloch was appointed by Local Government Minister Shelley Hancock to determine “whether the governing body’s decisions since 2017 contributed to the financial position which the council now finds itself in” and whether it reviewed the performance of council and its spending.

The hearings are being held online due to the current Covid restrictions.