Something is not right. And when something is not right, it is up to all of us to speak up.
This week, I lodged a formal complaint with the Public Officer of Kiama Council. My concern is with how our Council handled a referral to ICAC, how that information became public, and what did or did not happen after the referral was dismissed.
Here is what we know.
Three elected councillors were referred to ICAC by the Council’s CEO. At least one of them found out not through a formal notice, but by reading about it in the media. That is unacceptable. Referrals of this nature are meant to be confidential unless ICAC decides to take further action.
ICAC has now dismissed the referral.
But the damage was already done. Reputations were questioned in public. The community was left to speculate. And when the matter was resolved, Council remained silent. No public clarification. No formal communication. No apology.
That is not good enough.
My complaint calls for a proper investigation into how this information became public. It also asks Council to review how it responded once ICAC decided to take no action. Confidential processes must be respected. Individuals should not be left to carry the cost of poor process. The community deserves honesty and accountability.
This is not about whether the referral was appropriate. That decision has already been made. This is about whether Kiama Council fulfilled its responsibilities fairly and lawfully.
Good governance depends on trust. Trust depends on action. The systems only work if we insist they do.
#Kiama #LocalGovernment #CouncilWatch #TransparencyMatters #PublicTrust #CommunityVoice #ICAC #Accountability #CivicDuty #GovernanceMatters #SpeakUp #NSWPolitics
