The IBC has welcomed today’s decision by Local Government Minister Paul Lynch to appointment a panel of three Administrators to Wollongong City Council for the next four years.

The hearings of the ICAC enquiry over the past fortnight have highlighted major systematic failures in the operations of Wollongong City Council and the NSW planning and political donations systems says the Illawarra Business Chamber.

“The good standing of our City and its people has been significantly damaged over the past few weeks, said IBC President Les Dion.

“This is fundamentally an issue of restoring confidence in the operation of Council and the credibility of this City.

The appointment Dr Col Gellatley, Gabrielle Kibble and Robert McGregor as a panel of three administrators brings a broad range of experience to the city.

The IBC believes that it is critical that all steps be taken to ensure that our city and the operations of Council going forward are undertaken in an ethical and transparent manner and that any practice that compromises the credibility of this city, its businesses and citizens must be exposed and stamped out at any cost.

”IBC also welcomes the announcement that the Administrators would seek to appoint a planning panel, which would be an independent body making development determinations for the city.

What is needed now is a fresh start, a clean slate to restore confidence in the City’s reputation, to ensure that future investors in our city can have confidence that business in Wollongong is conducted in a professional manner, he said.


For further information please contact:
Les Dion, President on 0418 422 792 / Mark Grimson, CEO on 0409 155240.