Wollongong Charter for Ethics and Good Governance

Wollongong Against Corruption is working with residents to prepare a Charter for Ethics and Good Governance to guide the future of the city. Business and community groups will be invited to participate in the preparation of the Charter and its submission to the NSW Government with a demand to return the right for Wollongong residents in local government elections.

The Charter will involve a series of workshops in different communities in Wollongong. It will seek people’s inputs and will be launched at a major Community Democracy Conference to be held in Wollongong in July 2008. WAC will use the Charter to fight for the restoration of local democratic rights in Wollongong, which have been taken away by the NSW Government.

WAC argues that the only way to deal with corruption is to increase transparency and accountability, and not to abolish democracy. The Wollongong Charter is designed to safeguard and strengthen democracy. It deals with the rights and obligations of elected representatives, public servants and the community. It argues that the current system is completely corrupt. Residents have no confidence in the NSW Government, and the politically appointed Administrators.

Following revelations of serious corruption, the NSW Labor Government sacked Wollongong Council and appointed three public servants, hence denying residents of Wollongong their democratic rights. The Minister for Local Government should have called for immediate elections and outlined a program of major reforms, and worked with the community to rebuild confidence in local democracy following the disgraceful behaviour of members of his own party and public servants in the Council.

The ICAC hearings make it even more essential that the local government elections proceed in Wollongong in September 2008. Suspending the elections adds insult to injury by attempting to sweep the scandal under the carpet, and deny local people an opportunity to voice their opinion in the only way they can that really has an impact.

Wollongong Council needs help because of systemic corruption but Administrators cannot build confidence in civil society, only local democracy can do this.

Reform is urgently needed to make sure that the shocking events exposed in Wollongong can't easily occur again. Disclosure of political donations is only one aspect of protecting against corruption, and the other side of the equation is to avoid the concentration of decision making behind closed doors without transparency, public accountability or right of review.

WAC have developed a number of proposals with John Hatton, which we would like to see implemented in NSW and Wollongong. On a state wide basis this includes:

  • Reforming legislation to maintain the Minister of Local Government’s authority to dismiss a corrupt Council and to immediately order local government elections. This might include setting out strict performance requirements and protocols, but legislative change should remove the Minister’s authority to appoint Administrators as a substitute for democratically elected representatives.
  • Banning political donations from private companies and severely limiting donations from individuals.


In Wollongong, WAC wants the charter to be developed and implemented over the period 2008-2012.

The Charter would include:

  • Setting out the rights and responsibilities of all Council officers to maintain diaries and work to protocols in relation to any business matters affecting the Council including always having more than once person present at meetings with the business community.
  • Rebuild professional staff base particularly in planning
  • Training of Councillors and staff.
  • A Task Force to be established with Council, WAC, trade unions and women’s organisations to investigate and make recommendations into the systemic sexual culture in Wollongong City Council and develop new protocols and practices.
  • Establishing an Office of Ethics and Good Governance to report to the Minister, the newly elected Council, General Manager, and the Director General of the Department of Local Government on the implementation of the Charter.


WAC believes that an Office for Ethics and Good Governance is required across the state. ICAC is involved in investigating corruption. An Office for Ethics and Good Governance is needed to focus on Corruption Prevention.

If you want to make a submission to the Wollongong Charter for Ethics and Good Governance, please send your submission to WAC by 30 June 2008:

 

By post:
PO Box 859
Thirroul NSW 2515

 

Email: wac.group@yahoo.com.au