Tag: ICAC

When Kiama Council stops listening, the community steps up

In Kiama, we pride ourselves on being engaged, fair-minded, and not afraid to speak up when something feels wrong. So when members of this community take the time to submit formal complaints to Council -backed by evidence, dates, and clear requests for action – it’s not done lightly.

It comes from a belief that our local democracy still matters. And that someone, somewhere inside the system, will listen.  to put their concerns in writing, cite documents, ask for a review  – there’s a basic expectation: that someone, somewhere, will respond.

 

A simple acknowledgement.

A record of receipt.

A sign that the system is functioning.

But that didn’t happen here.

 

I submitted a formal complaint to Kiama Council about the handling of the ICAC referral. So did others. We raised questions about process, timing, and accountability. We asked for a review.

 

The response? Silence.

Not even a note from the Public Officer to confirm the request had been received. No response from the CEO. No indication that the concerns were being treated with the seriousness they deserve.

And this is what makes people give up. Not disagreement. Not debate. But the sense that no one is listening.

 

So let me say this clearly:

We are listening to each other.

We are keeping records.

We are not going away.

The community sets the standard.

We expect better.

 

We expect that when three councillors are referred to an anti-corruption body and then cleared, someone in Council will have the decency to correct the record — not leave a misleading notice online for months, casting doubt long after the facts are known.

 

We expect that formal requests will be logged, replied to, and dealt with transparently – not ignored.

 

And we expect that those tasked with upholding the integrity of the system will do more than protect it when convenient. They will protect it when it’s hard. When it’s messy. When it means holding powerful people to account.

The question is not whether councillors or community members are brave enough to raise these issues.

 

We already have.

The question is whether Council is willing to deal with the answers.

 

#KiamaCouncil #LocalDemocracy #CouncilAccountability #ICACReferral #GovernanceMatters #CommunityVoice #TransparencyNow #PublicTrust #LeadershipStandards #CivicEngagement

When silence becomes complicity in local democracy

If you are new here, welcome. I write about issues affecting local democracy, governance, and accountability in the Kiama local government area, with a focus on asking the questions others might avoid.

Three councillors. A high-stakes development vote. A referral to the Independent Commission Against Corruption. An election three months away.

These are the facts. What followed was silence.

It is now publicly known that three Kiama councillors were referred to ICAC after a unanimous vote to reject a controversial development application. That referral became public knowledge not through formal channels, but through the media. The councillors themselves say they were not notified by Council. ICAC has since dismissed the referral.

No action. No investigation. No findings.
And still, no public correction.

For those watching closely, the timing felt less like coincidence and more like interference. A reputational blow landing just as the election campaign began, targeting councillors who had been vocal on governance, transparency, and community rights. If that was not an attempt to influence the election narrative, then what was it?

And yet here we are. New councillors have been elected. Fresh mandates have been claimed. And not one formal effort has been made to review what happened or ensure it never happens again.

This raises a harder question: why?

Why would any incoming councillor, elected to represent the interests of their community, not want to investigate a potential misuse of process? Why would they not want to protect future candidates and colleagues from the same kind of political weaponisation?

This is not about loyalty to the past council. It is about the future of local democracy. If elected officials can be referred to an anti-corruption body without due process, then left to wear the reputational damage even after dismissal, something is deeply wrong.

And if that damage can be timed to land just before an election, we are not talking about governance. We are talking about manipulation.

The community deserves better. Not in whispers, not behind closed doors, but in public.

If there is nothing to hide, there should be nothing to fear in a review. Silence may feel safe, but over time it corrodes trust. And trust, once lost, is difficult to regain.

Local democracy does not fail overnight. It fails when decent people say nothing because speaking up feels too risky. The real question now is not what happened then, but what our current leaders will do with what they know now.

This article reflects my personal views and interpretations, based on publicly available information and in the interest of fostering open and accountable local government. It is not my intention to accuse any individual of wrongdoing, but to encourage reflection and action on matters that affect trust in our democratic processes.

#Kiama #LocalGovernment #CouncilTransparency #DemocracyMatters #PublicTrust #AccountabilityNow #ICAC #Governance #CivicEngagement #CommunityVoice #LeadershipMatters

Jane Frawley (aka Jane Stroud): When you find yourself caught in a nightmare, you can drag others down, or lift them up. The choice is yours.

When did we start confusing performance with progress?

In Kiama, there’s a habit, no, a culture, of dealing with uncomfortable truths by trying to shut them down. That didn’t start with this term of council. It started in the last one, when “somebody” decided that Code of Conduct complaints were a handy tool to silence critics.

Don’t like what someone said?
Call it misconduct.
Don’t like that they challenged the ruling and won in court?
Report them to ICAC.

The logic was never about right or wrong. It was about control. And that culture is still with us.

You only have to look at what’s playing out now to see it. The faces may have changed, but the tactics haven’t. Councillors are still turning on each other. Collaboration is still in short supply. And anyone trying to lead with transparency and community focus gets caught in the crossfire.

Meet Jane Frawley.
She’s now CEO of Kiama Council, now known as Jane Stroud .
But this isn’t her first encounter with controversy.

Under her former name, Jane Frawley, she was part of a corruption investigation into Logan City Council.

Let’s be clear: she was not charged.
But she was named. She was in the room.
She saw firsthand what failed governance looks like.

Image source 

You’d think someone who has been through that would show more caution, more integrity, and a deeper respect for other people’s reputations.

Instead, we’re seeing something that looks a lot like payback.
“If I’ve been dragged through it, let me take a few others down with me.”

And the pattern?
The collateral damage is disproportionately falling on women.

Make of that what you will. But it’s happening. And we need to call it.

If you’re frustrated, confused, or wondering what can be done -here’s the reality check:

🦁 Office of Local Government (OLG)
Supposed to oversee councils and act as the regulator.
But unless they decide to take action (and that’s rare), your complaint could end up in a drawer.
✉️ localgovernment@olg.nsw.gov.au | 🌐 www.olg.nsw.gov.au

⚖️ NSW Ombudsman
Handles complaints about public administration – but only if OLG refers the case.
No referral? No action.
✉️ nswombo@ombo.nsw.gov.au | 🌐 www.ombo.nsw.gov.au

🕵️ ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption)
They tackle serious corruption – fraud, bribery, gross misconduct.
They’re not here for toxic workplace culture or strategic silencing.
Curious what an investigation looks like? Ask our CEO. She knows.
✉️ icac@icac.nsw.gov.au | 🌐 www.icac.nsw.gov.au

🗳️ Your Local MP
Sometimes useful. Sometimes indifferent. You may get action -or you may get a form letter.
Find yours here: https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/members

🌳 The Listening Tree
Still the most honest option some days. No closed doors, no spin, no “thank you for your feedback.”
Say your truth to the gum tree. It won’t gaslight you.

So what now?

Jane Frawley/Stroud has a history. She wasn’t charged, but she was part of a council that was sacked.

You’d expect someone with that past to lead with humility.
Instead, we see a culture of blame, deflection, and internal destruction.

This isn’t about one person or one decision.
It’s about a pattern.
And patterns, when protected by silence, become power.

The way forward isn’t more letters.

It’s more questions.
It’s public scrutiny.
It’s collective pressure.
It’s remembering that while institutions have structures, communities have strength.

And it’s time we used it.

#Kiama #JaneFrawley #JaneStroud #KiamaCouncil #LocalGovernment #CouncilWatch #PublicAccountability #WomenInLeadership #StopTheCulture #ICAC #OLG #NSWOmbudsman #CivicVoice #GovernanceMatters #SilencedNoMore