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December 20, 2016
Your independent community newspaper - Ph: 4325 7369
Issue 107
Council’s Kangy Angy land deal reported to ICAC he former W y o n g Council has been reported to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) by the NSW Auditor General, Ms Margaret Crawford, for an investigation into possible corruption by the Council in pushing a site at Kangy Angy over Warnervale as the location for Transport for NSW’s new intercity rail maintenance facility.
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The Office of the NSW Auditor General responded to a request from the State Member for The Entrance, Mr David Mehan, by reporting the matter to ICAC and undertaking to “look more closely at the site selection process”. That process resulted in the newly-formed Central Coast Council selling flood-prone land to Transport for NSW to build the new inter-city rail maintenance facility. The Kangy Angy site was not originally considered by Transport for NSW until it was suggested by the former Wyong Council who did not want the facility built on land it had earmarked for other purposes at Warnevale. “Any significant issues identified will be included in one of my annual reports to Parliament
The Ourimbah rally and, inset, from left: Ms Michelle Nicholson and Ms Susan Zgraja
on transport, usually released in November or December each year,” Ms Crawford said. Mr Mehan said: “I welcome the Auditor General’s review into the selection process for the site of the facility and reporting any corrupt behaviour to ICAC. “I will be writing to the Secretary of Transport for NSW to ask for a review of the site selected,” Mr Mehan said. “I will continue to fight for a sensible outcome to this matter which delivers the jobs the Coast needs on land better suited for the development,” he said. Meanwhile, the Federal Minister for the Environment and Energy, Mr Josh Frydenberg, ruled out the need for an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) to assess the
impact of the proposed facility on the Kangy Angy habitat of the nationally-threatened Regent Honeyeater and Swift Parrot. The residents of Kangy Angy have continued their campaign against the rail maintenance
(ORRA), attended by around 150 concerned locals on December 11. If local, state and federal politicians wish to avoid “a Brexit or a Trump”, they need to start listening to groups like the Kangy Angy Residents’ Action Group
“We live in a system where Councillors, planners and pollies automatically assume the status of expert, and follow the principle that we, the little people, don’t understand the complexities of issues.” facility since the Wyong Council announced its intention to sell its Kangy Angy land to the NSW Government. They were recently involved in a rally organised by the Ourimbah Region Residents’ Association
(KARAG), according Ms Susan Zgraja who spoke on behalf of KARAG and received cheers from the crowd at the rally. “If Council, State and, indeed, Australia’s Prime Minister, Mr Malcolm Turnbull, wish to avoid a Brexit or a
Trump, then they must begin to sincerely listen and acquiesce to local demands,” Ms Zgraja said. “Groups like ours have had enough of political speak, weasel words and being patronised,” she said. “We live in a system where Councillors, planners and pollies automatically assume the status of expert, and follow the principle that we, the little people, don’t understand the complexities of issues. “I doubt if there is one action group that hasn’t been told the decision made is for the greater good. “We the little people recognise an inappropriately sized and positioned development when we see it. “We are not against
development and socalled progress. “We are against decisions made through vested interest, ignoring costs to habitat, bad economic outcomes and the destruction of our quality of life. “There is always, always, an acceptable alternative. “Our problem is to have these alternatives accepted. “Why should Kangy Angy accept the desecration of a protected flood plain, presenting many engineering problems making the project, not only an impending catastrophe, but hugely expensive, when there is a viable alternative sitting ready to go, with nothing like any of the problems exhibited at Kangy? “Why is it always so difficult for sense to prevail? “When presented with arguments against these proposals, why is it not within the bounds of moral governance to accept that an error of judgement has been made, an acknowledgement that we the little people want alternative solutions and can often provide them. “It is precisely these scenarios that fuel Brexit and Trump responses. “You ignore us, fob us off and cheat us at your peril,” Ms Zgraja said.
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