Covid NSW: Cumberland Mayor Steve Christou slams councillors on Zoom call

The mayor of an LGA deep in a Covid hot spot has lashed out at councillors for attending a meeting virtually, saying they were ‘running and hiding in their loungeroom’ despite the health crisis.

Despite working in the Cumberland hot spot, seven councillors including the mayor attended a meeting in person at Merrylands on the day NSW Health authorities declared the suburb one of concern after cases soared in the community.

The Wednesday night meeting at the Memorial Ave chambers was two days before Cumberland and Blacktown local government areas joined Fairfield, Liverpool and Canterbury-Bankstown residents forbidden to leave their homes after the State Government declared a national emergency, with the five regions at the epicentre of the crisis.

Cumberland Mayor Steve Christou (centre, white mask) in the Cumberland Council chamber at Merrylands on July 21 with Joe Rahme, Greg Cummings, Eddy Sarkis, Paul Garrard and Michael Zaiter. Cr Ned Attie was also at the meeting but not in the photo. Picture: Instagram

The meeting was the same day suburbs, including Merrylands, Guildford and Toongabbie, were listed as suburbs of concern after 110 positive cases were recorded.

A day later on Thursday, it worsened. Of the 124 cases recorded across NSW that day, 23 were from the Cumberland area, only second to the Fairfield epicentre where 30 people tested positive to Covid.

A photo posted on Mayor Steve Christou’s Instagram account after the meeting showed lack of social distancing and the meeting had moments where the 1.5m rule was breached, including when Michael Zaiter asked Joe Rahme a question without his mask.

But Our Local Community’s Cr Christou defended the number of councillors present in the chamber — and lashed out at the six Labor councillor who chose to tune in from home.

“When you’re an elected representative and a leader in your community you cannot run and hide in your loungeroom or bedroom when there’s a crisis on your hands,” he said.

“You come in and you take a hands-on approach and you lead your community through whichever crisis it’s facing.

“Councillors are not staff. We have a pandemic and you lead by example, not running and hiding in the comfort of your loungeroom or bedroom.

“We were appropriately spaced. All the councillors that weren’t speaking had masks on.’’

The Instagram photo showed councillor Paul Garrard’s mask worn incorrectly with his nose exposed.

“There was people who couldn’t understand what I was saying so I removed the mask to provide audible appreciation to the community,’’ he said.

“I sat at my seat all night.’’

He also defended attending the meeting physically.

“I think the council meeting is the most important thing that can happen for a community and what’s been demonstrated very frequently that, unfortunately, the technology doesn’t work well when people sit at home in their loungeroom and we expect our community to fully appreciate what’s going on. It’s very hard to listen, very hard to understand.’’

Councillor Greg Cummings said he attended in person so contentious issues could be dealt with face-to-face.

Medical staff conduct COVID-19 tests at the Merrylands drive-through clinic. Picture: Brook Mitchell/Getty Images

“It’s far more effective, and considering I’m going directly to the council and directly inside and not wandering around Merrylands, I see that as minimal risk.’’

Liberal councillor Joe Rahme, who also attended in person, echoed the mayor’s comments.

“Effective leaders in times of crisis lead from the front and don’t hide in rooms,’’ he said.

“All the necessary precautions were taken by council – masks, distancing, checks.

“The premier has said to attend work if it is essential. Running a city and ensuring the welfare of residents and planning to manage the spread of this virus I believe is essential work.”

But Labor councillor Ola Hamed, who used Zoom during the meeting said: “When you’re a leader you lead by example and that means complying with public health orders, at the very least you don’t put people’s lives at risk by ordering staff into the office.

“Crisis cabinet is meeting virtually and has been sine the outbreak started.’’

Labor councillor George Campbell, 74, said the Liberal and Independent councillors were “creatures of habit’’ from last year when they attended meetings in person.

“They’ve dug their heels in about something and they’re going to stay there.”

Labor councillor Lisa Lake, who also attended the meeting online, said: “What is needed right now is responsible leadership.

“It is important that councillors are setting an example to the community about how we can all work together effectively from our homes.

“Sadly, it is only reduced mobility, physical isolation and vaccinations that will beat this pandemic.’’

By comparison, all Parramatta councillors except Lord Mayor Bob Dwyer, who chaired the meeting alongside council officers, attended their July 12 meeting online. Cr Andrew Wilson attended in person but sat in a separate room to social distance.

After Friday’s announcement that restricts residents from leaving their homes for work unless they are considered essential workers, Cr Christou said his executive team was having “a good look at these rules and how it applies to Cumberland’’ and meetings.

Under the government’s list of authorised workers who can leave their LGAs for work, members of Australian Parlaiment, electorate office staff and those conducting local, state or federal elections are exempt but councillors are not listed.

The Office of Local Government has been contaced for comment.

Calls to suspend council elections

On Wednesday, Cumberland Council agreed to write to Local Government Minister Shelley Hancock the NSW Premier and every NSW council requesting that the council elections be deferred until it is safer for the polls to be held.

Liberal councillor Ned Attie said the community’s safety and wellbeing was at risk with Covid and ruled out online and postal voting as an alternative.

“All this accumulated with the fact that we’ve got the largest number of overseas-born people in this LGA,’’ he said.

“Second by the lowest number of uptake of home NBN, thirdly by the inability to comprehend electronic means of voting and that was shown quite clearly for the state government 2011 elections.’’

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