Councillors urge minister to suspend Liverpool City Council after ‘corruption’ allegations

Two councillors have called for their own heads, urging the Local Government Minister to suspend them and their colleagues following a report into corruption and bullying allegations.

Liverpool City Council members have spoken out following a court decision on Monday that supported an investigation into council despite finding the Office of Local Government denied council procedural fairness.

Two councillors have called for their own heads, urging the Local Government Minister to suspend them and their colleagues following a state government report into corruption and bullying allegations at the council.

Liverpool City councillors are staring down the barrel of suspension after a court rejected the majority of a legal challenge and gave the southwest Sydney council less a week to respond to a notice of intention to suspend its members and delay the upcoming local election.

The council enjoyed a small win on Monday, when the NSW Land and Environment Court found the Office of Local Government had denied it procedural fairness over the publication of a 50-page interim report into the allegations.

However, a public inquiry into the allegations will go ahead after Justice John Robson found the “serious concerns” outlined in the report were “reasonable”, clearing the way for Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig to suspend councillors.

Councillor Peter Harle said it was in the city’s best interests that the council be placed in administration.

Former deputy mayor Peter Harle has urged the Local Government Minister to place Liverpool City Council in administration.

“My point of view is, and always has been, that we should go into administration while there are doubts surrounding ... maladministration and compliance issues,” he said on Tuesday.

Cr Harle, a veteran independent Liverpool councillor, said if the council was placed in administration on Thursday, it would take at least two years for another local council election date to be set while investigations continued.

Labor Party councillor Betty Green joined calls to suspend the council.

“Liverpool residents deserve a council that is functional, that adheres to the processes, its legislative obligations and the rule of law,” Cr Green said.

“If this means this is the opportunity to come out at the other end with a better council, then that’s what we should do.”

Liverpool City councillor Betty Green. Picture: Supplied

Cr Green also criticised claims that the allegations were “made by political enemies”.

“First of all (the ‘political enemies’ claim) was incorrect and that came out in court,” Cr Green said.

“But the other part that concerns me is that people came forward under a public interest disclosure. To write off these issues that they’ve experienced, that they’ve heard, that they’ve seen and to dismiss them as a ‘hit job’ or a laundry list of grievances is diminishing.

“It takes absolute courage to come forward and say ‘hey, this is what is going on and it’s not OK’.”

Independent councillor Karress Rhodes said it was a “disgrace” that the lengthy proceedings and decisions by the council had left candidates and residents in limbo less than a week out from pre-polling.

“This is the most outrageous situation for a council facing a local government election,” she said on Tuesday.

Independent councillor Karress Rhodes said the council was in an “outrageous” situation. Picture: Supplied

“It isn’t fair on councillors who are standing at this election for us to be five days out from pre-poll and still not know whether we are standing or not.

“(Council) took it to court. They’ve lost. I think that prolonging this any further is just not in the best interest of Liverpool.

“The best thing for Liverpool Council is for a decision to be made as quickly as possible. And we live with that decision.”

It is not the first time Liverpool City Council has been placed in administration.

Between 2004 and 2008, councillors were suspended and the council placed in administration over the bungling of a $900m Oasis development.

Cr Rhodes said: “I’d hate to see that happen again.”

“But I do believe that we do need a council that does work within the policies, procedures and regulations of the Local Government Act.”

“In my opinion, this was a political storm. We have had vexatious people coming into council and continuing their personal vendettas against members of this council.

“Now I think we should proceed as fast as we can to restore confidence in council in whatever ways are necessary.”

This masthead contacted all other members of the council for comment but did not receive responses in time for publication.

However, on Monday, Liberal Liverpool mayor Ned Mannoun told the ABC: “We’re currently looking at all of our options.”

“The (September 14) election is on at this stage,” he told the national broadcaster.

“We are now looking at whether the injunction continues past that point and whether there is an appeal.