Media Release - FOI documents indicate Wollongong Council run by Liquidators not Administrators
| As
more confidential documents come to light, it is clear that since the
State Labor appointment of administrators to Wollongong City Council in
2008, the Council has been on a path to liquidate the Illawarra's most
precious asset - pristine bushland and facilitate industry that will
kick back money to the political machine. It can not be a co-incidence that pro-development Gabrielle Kibble, nor Dr Col Gellatly; the head of NSW Energy sell-off were first chosen of four to steer the Council in the direction that the NSW Premiers' Department demanded. How can Gellatly keep the Wollongong's community and environment 's objectives a priority when his conflict of interest is to sell off the NSW States electricity and facilitate the production of csg & cng in our precious and vulnerable landscape? WCC's Administration's first and most damning action was to pull the draft 2008 LEP (Local Environment Plan) and reset the draft for the 2009LEP. As a matter of course, submissions were sought from residents, interests groups, neighbouring councils and Government departments. The irony was however, that the more pro-development LEP was already decided. Any advice/demands from submissions that didn't fit the revised draft LEP were ignored, this included conservation-favourable submissions from -The Department of Environment & Climate Change -.."It is noted that the 7(d) lands have been converted to E2 Environmental Conservation in draft LEP 2009. DECC strongly supports this. ...Given the high conservation value of this area, DECC would have serious concerns regarding any proposal to change the environmental conservation zoning of these lands.." -Sydney Catchment Authority, -Sutherland Shire Council (links to copies of these documents below) And yet despite the above submissions, just three days prior to the Draft 2009 LEP being sent to the Department of Planning, for approval, Wollongong City Council downgraded the crucial conservation zoning of the Helensburgh - Hacking River/Royal National Park buffer catchment from E2 to E3 to allow for new development. Funnily enough, Council was receptive to the Submission from the Department of Primary Industries, seeking a downgrade of E2 conservation zones in the Wollongong LGA to a zoning that would allow mining, coal seam gas mining and its related infrastructure to expand unhindered Natasha Watson, a long time campaigner to save the wildlife corridor connecting the Royal National Park to the Illawarra escarpment through the Helensburgh and Otford region, is horrified by the seemingly duplicity. "Our region has fought hard for years to save this precious green wildlife corridor, and up until early 2009 Council and their planning reports always stated that that this Hacking River Catchment - 2508 area would be rezoned from' 7D' to its equivalent E2 - the seconded highest conservation level. But just three days prior to the LEP draft being sent to State Planning for approval and gazettal, Wollongong Council, pulled a swifty on all of us and downgraded the 7(d) zoning to E3 and lower, to allow for coal seam gas infrastructure, new buildings & land clearing on formerly protected land at the southern edge of Sydney That downgrading was also against the warning and wishes of the DECC, and other government authorities who submitted under the belief that 7D was being to converted to E2 zoning,. To me that is the height of arrogance and totally against what the residents and other authorities want. We know now Council and the Department of Planning & the Department of Primary Industries were quietly setting the stage for a mass release of gas bore holes and increased long wall coal mining, and a possible increase in MPs retirement/superannuation funds as pristine bushland lots bought dirt cheap years ago are finally capitalised" DECC -Page19-20 Notes on the Hacking River Catchment of Helensburgh DECC - Full Document Sydney Catchment Authority, Sutherland Shire Council Department of Primary Industries Draft Local Environment Plan 2008 WCC Notes Rural Regional Taskforce report to the Premier(Col Gellatly - energy - see Page 32) Screeenshot of DECCs notes to WCC on 7D land zoning  | |||||
