Wollongong Council fires up over nuclear-free zone motion
Wollongong Council reaffirmed its nuclear-free stance, but not before councillors on both sides of politics cried foul over the Greens-led motion.
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A crowd gathered outside Wollongong Council chambers on Monday night ahead of Greens councillor Mithra Cox’s motion pushing back against Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s proposal to build a nuclear submarine base in Port Kembla.
The protesters chanted “Illawarra nuclear free, from the forest to the sea” and were addressed by the likes of South Coast Labour Council head Arthur Rorris and Greens candidate for Cunningham Dylan Green.
In the chamber, Cr Cox tabled the motion which reaffirmed the council’s 1980 decision to be a nuclear-free zone - a decision which itself was reaffirmed in 2006.
“Nuclear power and nuclear weapons pose a serious threat to human and environmental health and safety,” Cr Cox said.
“A declaration of a nuclear-free zone is an important symbolic statement. And we shouldn’t abandon it simply because the federal government has made some vague pre-election announcement about nuclear submarines which may or may not come to Port Kembla some time in the next 20 years - in some misguided attempt to buy votes.
“There are plans for us to become a green hydrogen hub, exporting renewable energy to the world. There are proposals for giant floating offshore wind farms. Having a high security military exclusion zone puts all of this at risk.”
Councillor Ann Martin, a resident of Port Kembla, was the first to speak in support of “symbolic gestures” adding Mr Morrison’s proposal was “Nonsense to buy votes in an area that rarely votes Liberal”.
Independent councillor Dom Figliomeni, a former general manager of Port Kembla port, labelled the motion as nimbyism and said the debate was an affront to Australia’s service men and women.
“This is not getting into politics, I am talking about the realities of life,” Cr Figliomeni said.
“If we look around at Russia, one of the reasons it is not being attacked is because it’s got nuclear weapons… look at Iran, look at Pakistan. World peace is a two-sided coin.
“Are we saying our service men and women deserve outdated equipment? Keep the old clunkers, the Collins Class subs, this is what this is all about. Our service men and women deserve the most up-to-date equipment.”
Liberal councillor Elisha Aitken, in her first comments in the chamber since becoming a councillor, failed in putting forward a foreshadowed motion for the “council to welcome being short-listed for a submarine base” with mayor Gordon Bradbery instructing her to debate the original motion.
Fellow Liberal councillor Cameron Walters then slammed the motion as “stinking of federal politics” before calling out the Labor candidate for Cunningham Alison Byrnes who he said is yet to make her position clear on the matter.
“This is an absolute cesspit of a motion,” Cr Walters said.
“Instead of listening to this rubbish, I would love to know the Labor candidate for Cunningham’s opinion because I haven’t heard from her anywhere.
“I should have been in a meeting in Helensburgh tonight, but instead I am listening to this.
“I can tell there is an underlying intent to drag council into a federal issue and it may be a waste of time if federal Labor supports this. Let the feds argue about this.”
Cr Walters had an unlikely ally in Labor councillor Janice Kershaw who said “the debate tonight has been absolutely ridiculous” because the council were “voting for something that was already in place”.
“The motion should have been ruled out of order,” Cr Kershaw said.
“It shouldn’t have seen the light of day. I am going to support the motion because it’s something that we have already got.”
The motion was passed with Liberal councillor John Dorahy, Cr Walters, Cr Aitken and Cr Figliomeni voting against it with Cr Dorahy laughing “Labor and the Greens combining again”.
The whole saga played out in front of the cameras of the ABC’s current affairs program 7.30.
Any other business…
Port Kembla’s DIY skato
The Port Kembla DIY skatepark will live to see another day with the council carrying Cr Ann Martin’s motion that further community consultation be carried out on the homemade facility which council announced last month needed to be removed due to safety concerns.
Cr Martin said the community needed to come together to nut out a solution because there was “nothing happier than kids having fun”.
“I think this facility is all about goodwill,” she said.
“What that means is sometimes we need to work through difficulties and need to make a compromise.
“We need to get everyone on site to talk together.”
Cr Figliomeni said the motion was a “good halfway measure” while adding he had concerns if safety protocols weren’t adhered to in this situation, the council could face similar occurrences elsewhere.
“Protocols need to be followed,” he said.
“That was an area of concern. If we don’t follow protocols, these could go up across the LGA that aren’t up to spec and put council and the community in a difficult situation.”
The motion was carried unanimously in front of a dozen people, including children, involved in the #savePKDIY campaign.
Vale Rod Oxley
Mayor Bradbery used his mayoral minute to acknowledge the passing of former Wollongong Council general manager Rod Oxley who passed away after a “serious neurological episode” last month aged 74.
Mr Oxley was a public servant for the city for 27 years, including two decades as GM, before resigning during the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s investigations into Wollongong’s “pro development” culture that had allowed “corruption to flourish”.
While ICAC said Mr Oxley was a central figure in the infamous “Table of Knowledge”, it did not recommend that Oxley face any charges.
“I extend my condolences to his wife and family,” Cr Bradbery said.
“Mr Oxley was committed to public service and that was recognised by his recent funeral in the council hall.”
Cr Kershaw said Mr Oxley was treated poorly in the wake of the ICAC inquiry with the Labor councillor affirming the one-time mayoral candidate was always advocating for Wollongong.
“Not for one moment did he deserve the commentary he got,” Cr Kershaw said.
“He was treated like a leper in a way, which he didn’t deserve. I didn’t want to be sacked [as a councillor], but I certainly didn’t blame Rod.
“He got paid out for having a red Porsche with the number plate “ROD”, but it didn’t bother him as that was his passion.
“His other passion was Wollongong. His focus even when not on council was he wanted to make Wollongong the best it could be.”
Late councillor to be memorialised
Cr Figliomeni put forward a motion calling for council staff to consider an “appropriate memorial” for late ward 3 councillor Vicky King who passed away in February 2020 of a suspected heart attack.
“Councillor King was very passionate about people who were disadvantaged and people who didn’t have a place to go,” Cr Figliomeni said.
“We came from a different perspective on politics, but when it came to anything to do with ward 3, community matters or any LGA matters, there was always considerable alignment.
“It’s not appropriate for me to nominate a memorial, but I am asking for council staff to come up with suggestions.”
The motion was carried unanimously.
“It’s hard to reconcile it’s been two years since her passing,” councillor Tania Brown said of her former Labor colleague.
“Her loss is still felt in this chamber and so is her impact.
“She was a proud Labor woman who championed the southern regions.”
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