Shoalhaven Action Campaign

Media Release - 10 June 2008

A Plan for the future development of the Ulladulla CBD, an amendment to “Development Control Plan 56”, is on public exhibition until the 2nd July. The draft DCP 56 is available from the Council Offices in Deering Street, Ulladulla or on the Shoalhaven City Council’s website. [Read more →]

Lee Rhiannon, member of the NSW Legislative Council, once again raised the issue of Shoalhaven donations in a speech in Parliament on 3 June 2008. This time it was about the value of in-kind donations to Greg Watson and the Shoalhaven Independent Group.

She said that there was “…more than $40,000 unaccounted for” in raising a connection between Haven Printing and Mayor Greg Watson.

She also raised the issue of the 1999 collapse of the Shoalhaven Independent newspaper and political advertising for Trevor Kilner, Greg Watson and Peter Murphy. The newspaper was run by the now Deputy Registered Officer for the Shoalhaven Independent Group party, Trevor Kilner. When it collapsed several months after the 1999 Shoalhaven election, it was said to have owed creditors around $460,000

Read the full speech here.

Media Release - 2 June 2008

“SAC welcomes action by the Department of Local Government in warning the Council of a possible Inquiry that could that could lead to its dismissal, and directing that its letter of the 30th May be made public” SAC spokesperson, John Fergusson said.

“SAC believes the purpose of the allowance was simple – to provide Mayor Watson’s Shoalhaven Independents with unfair advantage over other candidates, in that it allowed Mayor Watson’s Shoalhaven Independents to pool this so called Community Information Reimbursement funding. [Read more →]

The Director General of the NSW Department of Local Government, Garry Payne, today issued a clear warning to Shoalhaven City Council….. eliminate the new policy allowing payment of mayor and councillor publicity expenses or face the consequences. Read the letter

The SCC mayor, Councillor Greg Watson, has responded ambiguously. He put out a media release saying that he had written a Mayoral Minute calling for the motion establishing the policy to be REVOKED at the next Council meeting.  Read the media release

In actual fact, the mayoral minute merely calls for the motion to be suspended until after the September election, then re-evaluated by council. Read the mayoral minute

Media Release - 29 May 2008

Following this weeks decision by the elected Councillors of Shoalhaven City Council to award themselves up to $6,000 each per financial year for reimbursement of “community information expenses” Graeme Gibson from the Shoalhaven Action Campaign has said that it seems Mayor Greg Watson and his supporters in Council may have come to the worrying conclusion that electoral donations from property developers might be drying up given the amount of unfavourable publicity that Shoalhaven City Council has received lately. [Read more →]

Media Release - 29 May 2008
During discussion on ABC Radio today about Shoalhaven City Councillors awarding themselves up to $6,000 a year reimbursement for “community information expenses” Mayor Greg Watson responded to claims that Council had ignored serious concerns expressed by the Department of Local Government. He said Council had made amendments to its policy to address these concerns.

However Graeme Gibson from the Shoalhaven Action Campaign says this is not the case. “The only amendment the Council made was the creation of a committee to revue and monitor expenditure. This committee is dominated by Councillors who support the policy. To expect they will have any concerns about Councillors expenditure is unbelievable. They support the policy. To claim this addresses the concerns about the legality of the policy, expressed by the Department of Local Government and Council’s own legal advice, is a deliberate attempt to confuse the issue. A clear case of smoke and mirrors.”

Media release - 27 May 2008
In the lead up to Council elections on 13 September the Shoalhaven Action Campaign will be announcing policy initiatives to support transparent, accountable and honest local government. Graeme Gibson from SAC said “One of the simplest things Council can do, which will cost no money, is simply to treat its communities with good faith rather than its cynical and manipulative approach. [Read more →]

The 2004 local government election saw massive political donations provided to the Shoalhaven Independents Group by several developers with local property interests. This ensured that Mayor Greg Watson’s party was able to buy over $90,000 of media coverage.

Several connections between donors, developments and decisions by Shoalhaven Council were recently drawn to the attention of the NSW Legislative Council by NSW MLC, Lee Rhiannon.

She suggests that Shoalhaven mayor, Clr Greg Watson, must respond to the many questions that these connections raise.

Click here for speech on 8 May 2008

Click here for speech on 15 May 2008

ABC Stateline ran a story on 9 May 2008 looking at the decision by Shoalhaven City Council to use “The Mail” as a council-friendly media outlet. It examines the implications of using a publication owned by Southern Phone, a company owned by over 40 NSW councils. It also looks at political connections between the company chairman, Bill Hilzinger, and Mayor Greg Watson’s Shoalhaven Independents Group.

Click here to view

Media Release - 18 April 2008

“The Community has had a rare victory on the issue of high rise development;” according to Annie Boutland from the Shoalhaven Action Campaign.

“In a rare outbreak of common sense, Shoalhaven City Council last week refused the proposed development of a seven storey building at 89 South Street, Ulladulla”. “The development was strongly opposed by residents, the Ulladulla and Districts Community Forum and the Shoalhaven Action Campaign.” [Read more →]