Trench warfare continues at Hurstville Council despite the Office of Local Government’s investigation over recent behaviour.
Rather than laying down arms — if only for the appearance of public unity — opposing factions appeared to dig themselves further into their trench positions from which insult and accusation flew at top note.
Mayor Con Hindi’s Crump Street, Mortdale, property once again ignited the council meeting on Wednesday, July 1.
Beneath the red-faced anger, hatred and the yelling was the question: was Cr Hindi set up by someone in the council over the asbestos contamination and unauthorised works report which was tendered at a council meeting in May and caused a furore.
The report recommended that the matter be referred to the council's solicitors for "advice on appropriate proceedings to address the breaches and ensure the health and safety of the subject site and its immediate surrounds, for public health and safety reasons, including but not limited to appropriate fines and penalties and remedial orders’’.
At the same meeting councillors voted to suspend the general manager Victor Lampe pending an investigation of misconduct.
Cr Hindi maintained he had done nothing wrong and legal advice was sought.
Legal advice on the matter was scheduled to be discussed in a closed meeting on Wednesday but it somehow escaped into open council on a technicality — to be fought out in front of the public.
While Cr Hindi, a Liberal, was out of the room as regulation demanded, Cr Rita Kastanias read out parts of the lawyer’s verdict, saying Cr Hindi had been cleared of all five breaches of which he had been accused in the council report.
She asked if the council report had been done ‘‘under direction’’.
Cr Vince Badalati, from the ALP side, delivered a somewhat angry but passionate speech about injustice, saying the legal advice slammed the council report.
‘‘This has been so detrimental to Cr Hindi and his family,’’ he said.
‘‘I’m sorry, but the report was flawed.
‘‘I don’t care what political party someone is from, I can’t stand by and watch this happen to anyone.
‘‘Five out of five issues were found to be incorrect.
‘‘I don’t know who was pushing all the buttons on this but things are starting to come out.’’
Minority faction members — Crs Justin Mining and Brent Thomas, both Labor and lawyers — were equally passionate in defending the council report and the actions of staff.
Cr Mining again highlighted the dangers of asbestos and how neighbours feared contamination, forcing the council to respond as it did.
Cr Thomas said the lawyer’s report had to be questioned as it was by no means a ‘‘slam dunk’’.
‘‘I think some people had an interest in getting the document out in the open but it does not answer everything,’’ he said.
A volatile resident finished this segment of the meeting with: ‘‘This council is an absolute bloody disgrace — if any council should be dismissed and an administrator put in, it’s this one’’.
The Leader was unable to get a copy of the lawyer’s verdict.
