Business groups call for popularly-elected Lord Mayor of Parramatta
One NSW council has spent almost $1 million terminating CEO contracts, lost $100 million on a property deal and seen major projects stall. Despite calls for a massive overhaul this council thinks it is doing a stellar job. VOTE IN OUR POLL
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It has spent close to $1 million on terminating the contracts of three CEOS since 2014, lost an estimated $100m on a property deal and watched major projects move at a snail’s pace — but Parramatta Council reckons it is doing a brilliant job.
However, other Western Sydney leaders disagree and are calling for a sweeping overhaul to turn our “second CBD” into a mirror of the City of Sydney, with a popularly-elected Lord Mayor and a raft of other changes to get development moving and stop billions in investments going elsewhere.
The Committee For Sydney and the Western Sydney Business Chamber have called on the state government to intervene, pointing out the City of Sydney has had Clover Moore as Lord Mayor since 2004 and Monica Barone as CEO since 2006.
Parramatta has had 14 Lord Mayors and seven CEOs in that time.
“It’s long overdue to empower the residents of Sydney’s central city of Parramatta with the election of their Lord Mayor,” Western Sydney Business Chamber executive director David Borger said.
“It’s time to end the deals or the luck of the draw out of a hat to decide who is going to lead the council every two years.
“We need strong and stable leadership at the City of Parramatta Council to guide and nurture the shaping of our city in this crucial decade that will unfold.”
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The groups are also calling for Parramatta to be legally classified the same as the City of Sydney.
This would double the Lord Mayoral salary from a maximum of $110,310 to $222,510, “which should help attract higher quality candidates”, as well as increase councillor pay by $6000 to about $40,000.
In the report Leadership for Local Government: A proposal for reform in Sydney’s Central City, they say there should also be two state government appointees on selection panels for CEOs and the abolition of councillor wards (to stop councillor NIMBYism).
The groups say these reforms could be rolled out across NSW — something the state government may be reluctant to do after the botched council amalgamations in 2016.
The groups argue the changes could be fast-tracked via an act of Parliament before the September 2021 local government elections, rather than via a local referendum, which would take years.
“Parramatta is the beating heart of central Sydney and needs a governance structure that allows it to reach its full potential,” Committee for Sydney CEO Gabriel Metcalf said.
The report was met with a lukewarm response from Local Government Minister Shelley Hancock, who pointed to existing referendum-style reforms.
“The NSW Government recognises the need for strong and stable leadership in local government, particularly as our cities and regions grow,” she said.
“It is open to the City of Parramatta to seek the endorsement of its electors to change the method of election of their mayor and to abolish wards, with mechanisms already in place in the Local Government Act.”
It is estimated that Parramatta Council has expended close to $1 million in terminating the contracts of its last three CEOs since 2014.
It made the decision to hire former CEO Mark Stapleton who was then accused of falsifying parts of his CV to get the job — claims he denied.
He was sacked in February last year.
The council also sold its 50 per cent share in Parramatta Square building in December 2016, losing an estimated $100m for ratepayers.
“Still to this day I do not understand why on Earth councillors missed an opportunity to gain tens of millions of dollars in capital uplift and an ongoing revenue stream for the benefit of ratepayers in perpetuity,” former CEO Greg Dyer said.
There has also been significant delays in the new swimming pool and library, numerous bridges and riverside upgrades.
Parramatta Mayor Bob Dwyer said “Parramatta is a growing city and a key player in Sydney’s future”.
“As we fulfil our role as the Central City, we encourage innovation and the exchange of ideas,” he said.
“We welcome the consideration of these important issues at the appropriate time.”
The City of Parramatta LGA is home to almost 250,000 residents and almost 90,000 dwellings.
It also has one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in Greater Sydney and is due to receive a new Metro line as part of Sydney Metro West, an infrastructure project which will supercharge development in the area.
Originally published as Business groups call for popularly-elected Lord Mayor of Parramatta
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