Parra News April 9 2024

LOCAL NEWS
Council strives for
more transparency
ELLIE BUSBY
A
push for local Councillors
to be transparent when it
comes to meetings with
property developers and lobbyists
has been labelled as “crucial”.
City of Parramatta Council has
supported a motion to establish
a stronger lobbying policy, over
concerns the community feels
like they’re being kept in the dark
when it comes to decision-making.
Independent Councillor Kellie
Darley, who moved the motion,
said she has seen unethical lobbying
a “number of times” during
her time on Council.
“This Notice of Motion is really
about trust and perception, it’s so
critical for a healthy democracy
that our community trusts in the
integrity of the decisions Council
is making,” she said.
“Just in the short two years I have
been a Councillor, I have directly
observed several incidents of
what I would classify as unethical
lobbying.”
The motion calls for City of
Parramatta Councillors and the
CEO to publicly disclose their
meetings with registered lobbyists
and property developers – bringing
the local representatives
in line with State and Federal
Government officials.
It also moves that Council update
its lobbying policy to incorporate
the quarterly reporting of meetings
with registered lobbyists and
property developers.
Adding that City of Parramatta’s
current policy is written more “as
a guide,” Darley said Councillors
must do better when it comes to
disclosing these meetings.
“There is no requirement for us
to disclose, it talks about appropriate,
inappropriate lobbying,
but again there’s no requirement
for us to do the proactive level of
transparency that I believe our
community expects,” she added.
“We need to make sure that
lobbying is fair and doesn’t undermine
the public confidence in
impartial decision making.
“The suspicions that the community
have are going to continue
unless we’re transparent.”
Council documents said the
Independent Commission Against
Corruption (ICAC) has recommended
on "multiple occasions"
that the Lobbying of Government
Officials Act (2011) be extended
to include Local Government
Officials.
Labor Councillor Cameron
Maclean also backed the call for
more transparency.
“Anything we can do to improve
the way in which our community
observes our decisions is a good
thing,” he said.
“Clearly there has been a repetition
of different scandals over the
last 30 years that have made these
recommendations necessary.”
The motion comes after City
of Canada Bay Council Mayor
Angelo Tsirekas and others were
investigated over planning decisions
dating back to 2015 – ultimately
leading to Tsirekas’ recent
dismissal from public office.
Parramatta Council will now
write to the Minister for Local
Government Ron Hoenig, outlining
its support for increasing
integrity in Local Government by
urgently adopting ICAC’s recommendations.
What do you think about the
decision? Let us know at news@
parranews.com.au.
Kellie Darley has pushed for Council to be more transparent.
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