Ipswich City Council

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Queensland Times --> 'A chest-beating unachiever': Labor in chaos as MPs feud

A VERBAL stoush has erupted between two Labor Party MPs about how the festering allegations of corruption within Ipswich City Council were dealt with.

In an unusual public attack, Member for Ipswich Jennifer Howard went to Facebook to slam the conduct of her colleague, the Member for Bundamba Jo-Ann Miller.

Ms Howard took aim at the "divisive", "chest-beating" way Ms Miller dealt with allegations of corruption within the council.

"Jo-Ann Miller wouldn't be an MP if it wasn't for the Labor Party and yet she has done everything she can to bring disrepute to our party," Ms Howard wrote.

"Going to the media and deriding the very party that provided you a platform in the first place does not show good character in my opinion.

"She's been an MP in Ipswich for 17 years and despite all of her chest-beating and posturing, achieved nothing but division in this city."

Ms Howard's comments were in response to a resident, who wrote that Ms Miller questioned the actions of former mayor Paul Pisasale "well before anyone else" and was "the only local politician to have ever had the guts to stand up to him".

Ms Howard said Ms Miller, like all MPs, had "caucus meetings and numerous opportunities to fight for our communities", rather than mudslinging in a public arena.

"Jo-Ann has been picking public fights with Pisasale for years and gotten nowhere except to cause damage to our city and our party's reputation," Ms Howard said.

"There are ways to deal with issues without bringing down the party and with minimal damage to this city.

"That's what adults do when they're given the privilege of representing a community in the Parliament.

"If speaking out publicly about Pisasale was the solution, why are we only now, in the past 12 months, getting a result?"

Ms Miller, who has previously fallen out with the Labor Party, slammed her colleague.

"It's disappointing that someone who is a position to know better would make comments contrary to both community standards and ALP rules," she said.

"I stood up against alleged corruption for the betterment of the Ipswich Community and also the Labor Party.

"Both are far better off without the rotten apples."

Ms Miller said she had taken every opportunity to raise concerns about Ipswich with the auditor general, as well as "premiers, deputy premiers and local government ministers since 2004 - also internally within the ALP".

"It was clear they were prepared to shoot the messenger rather than deal with the issue," Ms Miller said of her party colleagues.

"People went to other MPs' offices in the Ipswich area to raise their concerns and many were turned away.

"In frustration, they come to me, almost as the court of appeals."

In May, Councillor David Martin declared the "poor relationship" between Ipswich's state members was hurting the city.

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/1024324922116530176

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/1024327662225903616

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Letter to the Editor Queensland Times 2nd August 2018 page 17

Backing for Miller who gets things done in her electorate

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Brisbanetimes --> Paul Pisasale hit with nine fresh fraud, corruption charges

Former Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale and his former barrister friend Sam Di Carlo have been charged with nine new fraud and corruption offences by the Crime and Corruption Commission.

Both men were issued with notices to appear on Friday afternoon and both are due to appear in court this month after being charged as part of the investigation into Ipswich City Council.

Mr Pisasale, 66, was hit with eight new fraud offences and one more official corruption charge.

He was due to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday.

Brisbane barrister Sam Di Carlo, 61, who has also been previously charged by the CCC, was also hit with an extra charge of official corruption.

He was due in Brisbane Magistrates Court on August 28.

When Fairfax Media contacted Mr Di Carlo for comment, he said he was away, not aware an extra charge had been laid and was in the process of making calls to clarify what had happened.

The CCC's investigation has now resulted in 15 people being charged with 86 offences.

The state's corruption watchdog is expected to release its public report into governance failures and cultural issues within the Ipswich City Council next week.

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Couriermail --> Fresh development in Paul Pisasale cash case

A MULTIMILLION-dollar development by Melbourne's Chris Pinzone is at the centre of a fresh corruption charge against former Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale and his barrister friend.

Both Pisasale and friend Sam Di Carlo were on Friday charged with official corruption.

The Sunday Mail can reveal the charges relate to Mr Pinzone's development proposal at Yamanto in Ipswich's west, according to sources close to the investigation.

Di Carlo is already facing a perjury charge linked to the project after allegedly giving false testimony to the Crime and Corruption Commission.

He is accused of giving false information "to the effect that Paul Pisasale has not championed the Yamanto development at all to his knowledge."

Both men are also accused of perjury over their explanation of a trip by Pisasale to Melbourne in May last year, when Pisasale was stopped at Melbourne airport with $50,000 in cash.

Pisasale resigned the next month, and it later emerged he had been meeting with Mr Pinzone when the cash was handed to him at a Melbourne hotel by an unidentified man. Di Carlo last year said the money was unrelated to Mr Pinzone and was for a legal settlement for a Chinese client.

Di Carlo has since been charged with money laundering. He did not comment yesterday. Mr Pinzone has not been charged with any offence, but has been interviewed by the CCC. He declined to comment yesterday.

Di Carlo and Pisasale regularly socialised, including at a function at a Gold Coast restaurant that coincided with Di Carlo's birthday. Mr Pinzone was present at the celebration. Pisasale has declared receiving hospitality from Mr Pinzone's company three times last year.

Mr Pinzone is vying to turn a vacant $3 million site at Yamanto into a service station, eateries and childcare centre.

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ABC News --> Ipswich council investigation finds improper use of power and inappropriate relationships

The Crime and Misconduct Commission (CCC) has handed down a damning report into Ipswich City Council alleging a "culture of corruption" and finding an improper use of power and inappropriate relationships.

The report Culture and Corruption Risks in Local Government shows the reasons why the State Government has taken the dramatic action to sack the entire council.

New laws to allow an administrator to be appointed are expected to be passed through State Parliament next week.

The CCC investigations into Ipswich has now resulted in 15 people charged with 86 offences, including two former mayors.

The inquiry called Operation Windage found a tainted council that lacked oversight and accountability.

It has found the council had allegedly corrupt associations with property developers and contractors, and that council employees received gifts and benefits in exchange for facilitating development applications and favourable outcomes in tender processes.

It also found several members of council regularly misused their power to obtain personal benefits including money and had no "fraud risk register" despite an internal auditor recommending it.

The report handed down by CCC chairman Alan MacSporran also identified other contributing factors: "such as the influence of a very dominating senior figure [and] a small group of people who had worked together for a number of years" who had weak and ambiguous policies.

He maintains the council also had little regard for the internal audit function and were guilty of "widespread breaches of policy and procedure".

He found there was an abusive attitude towards council officers, which resulted in an inability or unwillingness to challenge or report inappropriate conduct and a fear of reprisal that discouraged reporting.

"Staff were discouraged by the culture within the council — it engendered a general apathy, with staff feeling that there was no point in reporting what they knew or suspected," the report states.

"Further, it was identified that there was no way for employees to raise their concerns as they feared that these would not be kept confidential.

"Enquiries uncovered allegations of councillors harassing staff and making threats against them to ruin their career.

"In particular, several staff were fearful that it would be discovered that they had made a complaint and they would lose their jobs as a result."

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Couriermail --> Crime and Corruption Commission investigation into Ipswich City Council reveals list of alleged sins

IPSWICH'S top brass used council companies to pay for exclusive club memberships and had a contractor secretly top up betting accounts, ­according to a list of sins alleged by the corruption watchdog yesterday.

Councillors and executives also dined at expensive restaurants and flew business class for personal trips, charging it back to council-owned companies, the Crime and Corruption Commission claimed in the report.

Top council operators also were accused of deliberately using backdoor messaging systems to hide from scrutiny from journalists and investigators.

Coming a week before State Parliament moves to pass laws to sack the council, the CCC report also portrays governance failures such as allegations that a councillor arranged for one staffer to say they were behind the wheel of a council car caught speeding by police. The councillor's friend, who did not work at council, was driving and council copped a $2000 corporate fine.

CASE STUDY 1: Council-controlled company, whose directors are councillors or council executives, pays for business class flights, meals at expensive restaurants, accommodation and memberships to a private Brisbane-based club. Directors said expenditure for "planning Ipswich developments", CCC says spending was for "own personal benefit".

Allegations about gifts for development favours also form part of a blistering appraisal of the local government authority's failings, in a report entitled "Lessons from an investigation into Ipswich City Council".

Ipswich City Council declined to comment last night on the CCC's report, which was tabled in Parliament.

The CCC's Operation Windage was launched last October following corruption allegations levelled against senior Ipswich officials.

Fifteen people have since been charged with 86 criminal offences, including former mayor Paul Pisasale and chief executive officer Carl Wulff being hit with corruption allegations.

CASE STUDY 2: Council executive regularly socialises with contractor. Contractor "allegedly arranged for betting credits to the value of $5000 to be deposited into the (executive's) betting account" and gave tickets to events such as Flemington Race Day in Melbourne (worth $1450). Executive allegedly facilitated meetings between contractor and town planners.

The CCC's report identified "significant and extremely concerning governance failures," a number of which did not reach the threshold of corrupt conduct to pursue criminal charges. The allegations did not name specific staff or councillors.

The report raises questions about councillors "who may not have been directly involved or aware of the extent of some practices," but were still accountable for good management of the council.

"An unhealthy culture within (council) contributed to the alleged corrupt activity," it found.

One line of investigation looked at council-owned companies, which were used to supposedly progress developments in Ipswich. The CCC found one council-controlled entity, whose directors were councillors or senior executives of council, paid for "business-class flights, meals at expensive restaurants, accommodation and memberships to a ­private Brisbane-based club".

Council is shutting down the private companies.

CASE STUDY 3: Councillor lets friend drive council car, who cops a speeding ticket. Councillor asks council employee to take responsibility for infringement because friend has minimal points left on their licence.

Another case study looked at a contractor's gambling relationship with a top council employee. The contractor gave tickets to events such as Flemington Race Day in ­Melbourne in October 2016 worth $1450, and "allegedly arranged for betting credits to the value of $5000 to be ­deposited into the senior executive employee's betting account".

"In exchange for these gifts and benefits, it is alleged that the senior executive employee facilitated meetings between the associate and various town planners to ensure his associate was in a good position to win tender processes in Ipswich," the CCC claimed.

CASE STUDY 4: Developer inappropriately pays councillor for assistance setting up meetings with town-planning staff and ensuring that applications relating to his developments in Ipswich were accelerated through council processes.

One councillor was so tight with a developer, who had two projects in Ipswich, that the businessman let him stay for free at "inner-city units that he managed" and they planned to seek enterprise opportunities in China.

The developer also "inappropriately paid the councillor for his assistance setting up meetings with relevant council town planning staff and ensuring that applications relating to his developments in Ipswich were accelerated through council processes", the CCC said.

The CCC then mentioned another risk – that its investigation had "highlighted a nexus (connection) between property developers and organised crime".

CASE STUDY 5: Councillors and executives use private email accounts specifically to avoid Right to Information requests from journalists as a way of concealing unfavourable decisions or records of information.

Donations were also under the spotlight. The CCC also said one developer told investigators "he felt he received preferential treatment from Ipswich City Council and the councillor because of his political donation".

The CCC made recommendations, including asking the Local Government department to examine if councils should have private companies, the banning of councillors using private email for official work, and setting standards for high-risk areas.

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Brisbanetimes --> Ipswich allegations prompt broader questions about council companies

Queensland's crime-fighting watchdog questions why local councils need bodies with private sector links, which cannot be accessed by Right to Information legislation, to develop property as it broadens inquiries into local councils.

It also questions why a senior Ipswich senior executive allegedly did not accurately disclose receiving tickets given by a major contractor to race days at Doomben, Sydney and Flemington, nor explain an alleged $5000 in betting credits in his account.

The Crime and Corruption Commission's Operation Windage report into Ipswich City Council recommended a major review of Ipswich City Council and a review of other councils in Queensland.

Ipswich had, until recently, five council-owned business entities involved in property development, where councillors served as directors, but where there was no independent private sector expertise.

"The CCC investigation found that the use of controlled entities by the Ipswich City Council gave rise to a number of serious corruption risks and prevented the Council from being fully transparent and accountable," the report said.

"Investigations during Operation Windage identified that senior members of Ipswich City Council appeared to be exploiting their involvement in these companies for their own personal benefit and the benefit of close associates."

Fifteen people linked with Ipswich City Council have been charged with 86 criminal offences. Of the 15 people charged, seven are either current or former council employees or councillors, including former mayoys Paul Pisasale and Andrew Antoniolli.

The council defends the operation of the "controlled entities" and says it has recently appointed private sector representatives to one, Ipswich City Properties, which is redeveloping the Ipswich Mall.

Current mayor Wayne Wendt said Ipswich recently decided to wind back all but one of these council-controlled bodies, on the previous recommendation of a former mayor Antoniolli, before he was charged with fraud by the Crime and Corruption Commission.

The latest report, tabled in Queensland Parliament, also details allegations of close links between unnamed Ipswich councillors and developers in four case studies.

Fairfax Media has chosen extracts from two case studies within the report, published in state parliament.

Case study one: "Operation Windage identified that a councillor had developed a personal association with a property developer who had two active residential developments in Ipswich. The developer regularly allowed the councillor to stay free of charge at inner-city units that he managed.

"Their close personal relationship enabled the developer to ask the councillor to assist with resolving issues with his development projects, as well as facilitating cash payments between them."

Case study two: "During Operation Windage, a senior executive employee was identified regularly attending social events with an associate who was a contractor. The associate gave the senior executive employee tickets to horse racing events such as the Flemington Race Day in Melbourne in October 2016 to the value of $1450, Doomben Race Day in Brisbane in February 2017 and the Golden Slipper Race meet in Sydney in March 2017 at the cost of $400.

"The associate also allegedly arranged for betting credits to the value of $5000 to be deposited into the senior executive employee's betting account. In exchange for these gifts and benefits, it is alleged that the senior executive employee facilitated meetings between the associate and various town planners to ensure his associate was in a good position to win tender processes in Ipswich."

The executive reported the tickets to Flemington, but said they were worth $450, not $1450, the CCC report says.

Ipswich's longest-serving councillor, Paul Tully, who has not been charged, condemned the release of the CCC report.

"This should not have been published, it's totally inappropriate and unfair to those 15 people," Mr Tully said.

Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the CCC decided to release the report and said he and Premier Annastacia Palaszcuk both supported the decision.

Next Tuesday, Queensland Parliament will debate legislation to wind up Ipswich City Council and appoint an administrator.

Mr Hinchliffe said he supported tightening guidelines around council-owned entities, as recommended by the CCC in its report.

"There is no question that beneficial entities, controlled entities or special purpose vehicles - which is another phrase that is used - play an important role in delivering good outcomes," he said.

"But we need to look at how they can best be more accountable or more transparent or more open to the community."

Brisbane City Council has 14 controlled entities, six of which are dormant, involved in property development, museums and theatres.

The largest of these controlled entities is Brisbane's so-called "future fund", the City of Brisbane Investment Corporation, which has grown council assets under its control from around $135 million in 2008 to over $273 million.

It paid $90 million in dividends to Brisbane City Council since 2008.

Lord mayor Graham Quirk said he would abide by any recommendations about council-owned bodies made by the CCC.

Cr Quirk said, unlike Ipswich's example, no Brisbane councillors served on the CBIC board.

"Council's controlled entities are currently independently audited each financial year by the state government's Queensland Audit Office and made publicly available," Cr Quirk said.

"There are no councillors on the CBIC Board. The council's chief executive officer is a member and full details are in the annual report."

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Brisbanetimes --> 'No tales past Gailes' as battling Ipswich council draws to a close

There is an old saying about Ipswich City Council that there were no tales past Gailes.

It meant what happened outside the city, stayed outside the city.

However, some of those tales have now allegedly been uncovered by the Crime and Corruption Commission.

Fifteen people linked to Ipswich City Council, including two former mayors, two chief executive officers and a chief operating officer now face 86 serious charges, according to the Crime and Corruption Commission.

In May, Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe gave Ipswich councillors notice he intended to sack them.

In June, Ipswich City Council took Supreme Court action to dispute that Mr Hinchliffe had the power to dismiss them.

In July, new state government legislation was prepared to sack the council and it will be tabled on Tuesday.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the state government legislation was a necessary last resort.

Some Ipswich councillors and staff were in tears during and after Monday's last Ipswich City Council meeting until 2020.

One, Paul Tully, has served as a councillor since 1979.

"We don't take this step lightly," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"But we are not going to sit idly by. We are going to make sure that it is cleaned up, the residents can see an end to this and the whole thing can just move on."

Mr Alan MacSporran QC, chairman of the CCC, supported the sacking of the Ipswich City Council.

"It is not about them individually being guilty of misconduct or otherwise," he said.

"It is about systemic failures collectively of good governance, and a lack of transparency and accountability across the board," he said.

On Tuesday, Mr Hinchliffe will introduce the Local Government (Dissolution of Ipswich City Council) Bill 2018.

All Ipswich councillors will lose their jobs when the bill is passed by Queensland Parliament.

That is likely to be this week. An administrator will be appointed until new elections in March 2020. The administrator's identity is a closely-kept secret.

Two of Ipswich's 10 councillors have been charged by the Crime and Corruption Commission; long-serving former mayor Paul Pisasale and his successor Andrew Antoniolli, both members of the ALP.
But who are Ipswich's other councillors?

These councillors face no charges.

Former Westside Christian College teacher David Morrison has been the councillor for Camira and Springfield since 2000.

He was the chairman of Ipswich's parks committee for 13 years until 2017 and since then has chaired the Council's Planning, Development and Heritage Committee.

Paul Tully is Queensland's longest-serving councillor, first elected in 1979 for the Goodna area. Along with former mayor Paul Pisasale he has the city's highest profile. He is a colourful Labor politician, a republican with a keen sense of history and politics. He battled Pauline Hanson and rallied against uranium mining. He used secret emails which were questioned by the Crime and Corruption Commission. He was the long-serving chair of the city's planning and development committee.

Kerry Silver was elected as an independent candidate in March 2016, although she was a member of the ALP. She previously worked in the office for the previous Redbank councillor, Victor Attwood, the city's earlier deputy mayor. Mr Attwood, a long-serving Labor politician, retired at the 2016 election.

Kylie Stoneman was also elected in 2016 as an independent councillor although she was a member of the ALP.  She represents Blackstone, Booval, Flinders View and Silkstone. She previously worked for Labor federal MP Shayne Neumann and was a member of the ALP.

Wayne Wendt is Labor's former State MP for Ipswich West from 2006 to 2012, who then worked as the chief executive officer of the Ipswich Jets. He has also been the city's acting mayor since May 2018, when mayor Andrew Antoniolli was charged with fraud by the CCC.

Cheryl Bromage was first elected in 2004 to represent the suburbs around Brassall. She is a rising member of the ALP and was the youngest woman to be elected to Ipswich City Council. She chairs the city's Infrastructure and Emergency Management committee and is a patron of many of the city's community organisations and committees.

David Martin, a former carpenter and teacher, was recently elected in a by-election in October 2017 after former councillor Andrew Antoniolli was elected mayor. He was not a member of a political party.

Charlie Pisasale is Paul Pisasale's older brother and has represented Ipswich's western suburbs out near Leichhardt and Amberley since 1995. He is a long-term member of the ALP and one of Ipswich's senior councillors. He chairs the Employee Development Advisory Committee.

Sheila Ireland ran the well-known Ipswich business Pamela Brown's Cards and Gifts in the inner city before being elected in 2004. She is linked to the city's Walker family, which goes back to its mining history. She chairs the city's Health Committee. She is not a member of a political party.

David Pahlke is a former post office general manager who was elected to the old Moreton Shire Council in 1991 before it merged with Ipswich in 1995.

He has lived and represented Rosewood and the western region of Ipswich since leaving Australia Post almost 30 years ago. A former member of the National Party, he now opposes politics in local government. He has served on all committees.

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Couriermail --> Ipswich City Council administrator to take helm from Thursday

THE administrator charged with running Ipswich City Council will be in place on Thursday should new laws to sack the current council be passed today as planned.

The Courier-Mail can reveal special arrangements had been made with the ­Governor's office for the Bill to be given assent tomorrow along with his consent to the appointment of the administrator and interim management committee.

Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the administrator should be in place the following day.

"We are putting processes in place ... so that assent and the appointment process occurs on Wednesday, so the administrator will be able to in place, completely in place, on Thursday," he said.

It is understood the administrator will be drawn from within government, with Economic Development Queensland general manager Greg Chemello the ­likely candidate. However, the Government remained tight-lipped on its choice last night.

Mr Hinchliffe said five others would be appointed to an interim management committee on a part-time basis to assist the administrator, with the total cost estimated at about $3.4 million. He said that was less than the cost of the 11 councillors over that same period.

The interim management committee will be made up of experts in fields including forensic investigation, governance and ethics and community engagement. They will not be drawn from the local community.

"What we need is a fresh set of eyes to help guide the ship back on course," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"Their remit is to act in the best interests of all residents so that's what they will do."

Mr Hinchliffe said the core business of the council would continue as normal with its internal administration – from the chief executive down – remaining in place.

It comes as several Ipswich councillors, including Cheryl Bromage, were reduced to tears yesterday as the council held its final meeting before its looming dismissal.

Among the final motions agreed to was the introduction of a public question time during future council meetings and for all contracts of more than $250,000 to go to a full council meeting for consideration.

During his speech, veteran Councillor Paul Tully said he was not bitter about his dismissal.

"I feel sorry for the people of Ipswich because this is the first time in 158 years, when the council was first created in 1860, there won't be any local council representatives," he said after the meeting.

"I still hold my head up high. I will walk down the streets of Ipswich tomorrow knowing that I've done the best I could for almost the past 40 years."

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Couriermail --> Ipswich City Council sacking bill introduced by Stirling Hinchliffe

LOCAL Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe has introduced his Bill to sack Ipswich City Council and urged State Parliament to fulfil its "constitutional duties" and pass the laws today.

"It is our collective responsibility to restore good government, good local government to the community of Ipswich," he told the House today.

Mr Hinchliffe insisted the Government had no choice but to bring in new laws to dump the council after it challenged his last show cause notice in the Supreme Court.

"While I know it is their right, it is not in the best interests of the people of Ipswich.

"The councillors' moves to legally challenge my show cause notice showed a clear determination to defend this matter until the very end.

"We were on a course that provided anything but certainty.

"And that is why this Parliament must now fulfil its constitutional duty and vote for this bill to dissolve the Ipswich City Council."

He said the move, while extraordinary, was warranted.

"In this particular instance, the Government firmly believes that the rights of Queensland citizens to have trust in their Local Government institutions outweigh the rights of the individual."

Mr Hinchliffe moved a motion to allow the Bill to be passed by 5.55pm.

Manager of Opposition Business Jarrod Bleijie told the House the LNP would support the motion.

But he took aim at the Government for "guillotining debate" and for its general handling of the alleged issues at Ipswich City Council.

"They failed to act on these Ipswich council issues for years," Mr Bleijie told the House, pointing to the number if Ipswich councillors who are members of the Labor Party and describing them as the Government's "Labor mates"

"We will support the intention of getting this motion through because we don't believe the dodgy council of Ipswich should be there either.

"What I am concerned about...is the LNP have got 21 speakers on our list. If we cut the debate to 5.30pm I doubt whether all our members who want to speak will have sufficient opportunity to speak.

"This is just a theme developing with this Labor Government."

LNP Local Government spokeswoman Ann Leahy said they had been calling for the council to be sacked for about three months.

"The LNP has judged this case and we have found it to be more than disappointing," she said.

"What we have seen in the Ipswich City Council are issues that should not have occurred within the environment where transparency, accountability and good governance are paramount.

"The way in which this Labor State Government has handled this issue with Ipswich is unfortunately casting a shadow on the integrity of all of the hard working councillors and councils across this state."

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Brisbanetimes --> Interim administrator appointed for Ipswich City Council

A team of six experts has been given control of Ipswich City Council, with planning and development expert Greg Chemello taking the lead.
Greg Chemello has been appointed Ipswich City Council administrator.

On Wednesday it was announced Mr Chemello had been appointed as interim administrator of Ipswich City Council, after the council was dismissed by the state government following a unanimous vote in Queensland Parliament on Tuesday.

Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said Mr Chemello's appointment would take effect on Thursday.

"Greg Chemello brings a strong set of capabilities to his role as interim administrator," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"Mr Chemello is currently the general manager of Economic Development Queensland and has 35 years' experience in the public and private sectors.

"He's vastly experienced in governance, change management and commercial negotiations - all vital attributes needed to lead Ipswich in this challenging period."

Mr Chemello's LinkedIn profile said he managed the redevelopment of the Gabba for almost three years from 1998.

In 2000, while employed by Brisbane City Council, he negotiated the sale of the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, the Sleeman sports complex and the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre to the state government.

Ipswich City Council chief executive Sean Madigan said he accepted the state government's decision to appoint an interim administrator and welcomed Mr Chemello to that role.

"As CEO, my first thoughts will be with the welfare of staff who drive this organisation to a position whereby we can make Ipswich a wonderful place to live, work, learn and grow," he said.

"As council, our primary goal is to provide the people of Ipswich with the highest possible quality of services.

"This is an opportunity for us to look forward as an organisation, and we trust the people who live here will stand by our 1300-plus staff as we endeavour to further improve the way we deliver great outcomes for the city."

The interim management committee is a team of five experts with a blend of skills in governance, business, finance and community engagement.

Stan Gallo, a current KPMG partner and a former Crime and Corruption Commission employee, will lead the internal investigation of the Ipswich City Council.

Barrister and former high-ranking public servant Simone Webbe will cover governance and ethics. She recently undertook a strategic review of the Office of the Queensland Ombudsman.

Community engagement will be managed by Jan Taylor, who has served two terms on the Queensland Competition Authority and has experience in complex community consultation on private and public sector projects across Australia.

Steve Greenwood, who has an extensive background in urban planning and the property sector, will take on a business engagement role. Mr Greenwood is the founding chief executive of the Queensland Futures Institute, a former chief executive of Canegrowers Australia and former Queensland executive director of the Property Council of Australia.

Former chair of Queensland's KPMG practice Robert Jones will manage future financial practices. Mr Jones was the partner in charge of KPMG's audit practice for 10 years.

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Submitted to Editor Queensland Times 22nd August 2018

Let's fix our bus network!

Dear Editor,

Now that the future of ICC is settled, let's hope the new administration will carry forward with iGO - City of Ipswich Transport Plan ( https://www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/about_council/corporate_publications/igo ) to reduce Ipswich residents' dependency on cars.  An important next step is to lobby the State Government and TransLink for bus network improvements.  The timetables are years out of date, don't reflect the worsening peak traffic congestion issues, and the overall frequency, span of operation and connections to rail stations poor.  Too often citizens are left stranded at bus stops because buses are late or cancelled.

Once the new administration has settled in, I would like to meet with the appropriate Council representatives and discuss the need for bus network improvements as a priority.

Thank you.

Robert Dow

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track https://backontrack.org

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https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/hansard/2018/2018_08_21_DAILY.pdf

Mrs MILLER (Bundamba—ALP) (3.23 pm): 'Laws can embody standards; governments can
enforce laws—but the final task is not a task for government. It is a task for each and every one of us.
Every time we turn our heads the other way when we see the law flouted—when we tolerate what we
know to be wrong—when we close our eyes and ears to the corrupt because we are too busy, or too
frightened—when we fail to speak up and speak out—we strike a blow against freedom and decency
and justice.' These words were spoken by Robert F Kennedy.

To the members in the gallery today, this is the day that the people of Ipswich reclaim their city.
It is the day when corruption hopefully stops. It is the day when the light can be shone on every corner
of our city's administration. For too long the honest, decent and ethical people of Ipswich have been
waging a war, a war against the forces of greed, power, corruption and maladministration. Each fought
them in their own way, while others ran and hid. These courageous few put the interests of the working
class people of Ipswich first—first before their careers and their reputation—and they paid a high price.
For some it was their families, for some their livelihoods, for some their businesses, for some their life
savings, for some their dignity and mental health, and for others, sadly, the cost was far greater. I
express my condolences to families in these truly sad circumstances.

This bill is for them—those who put the people of Ipswich before themselves; those who called
out the corruption while others cowered to protect their careers; those who, instead of protecting their
political party by rooting out corruption and flushing out the greedy, grubby and corrupt behaviour,
wanted to bury it whilst they sipped wine with the art set and mixed with the bourgeois classes. Labor
members should always be above that—always.

It is no secret in this House or on the streets of Ipswich that at times I have been the lone wolf
for taking a stand against the alleged corruption and maladministration. I have paid a high price for
standing up, but finally this government has been forced to listen. I have clashed swords and I have
rattled cages, and I have got a few kicks in the teeth for good measure. Others, like Jimmy Dodrill, were
literally bashed up. He was hospitalised. Now people can see why—at long last.

Politics is about doing what is right and fighting for what is right, not giving the illusion of doing
things. It is about never being too scared to call out alleged criminal behaviour because of a mayor's
perceived popularity. The price is the impact on the lives of our Ipswich residents and the anxiety of
council staff, throwing up before they go to work, accepting traffic infringements because they were in
fear of their job. The easy way was to cosy up to corruption, as can be seen in the Hansards here in
Queensland and nationally, but it takes guts and honour to call this behaviour out.

People know about outlaw motorcycle gangs that thumb their noses at the law, the institutions
and the people. This council is, I believe, an outlaw local government gang which has exhibited the
same traits only worse. The councillors wore the Ipswich City Council colours but they did not ride bikes;
they used taxpayer funded cars and private jets.

How did this happen and how can we prevent it ever happening again? The councillors of Ipswich
were a gang of people who ran Ipswich as personal fiefdoms in their divisions, with only a few thousand
people voting. The view was that they all wanted an easy life and to swing off the coat-tails of a populist
mayor. There was never any real or perceived opposition to anything. They all clambered to be on the
winning ticket of that mayor, having joint how-to-vote cards and not questioning the disgraceful antics,
even though I am sure that most of them knew that what was going on was wrong. Why? Because the
councillors did not have to worry about elections. They did not have to worry about preselections. They
were so arrogant that they said nothing, did little and let it go over their heads because that way they
would be re-elected time and time again—guaranteed.

The mayor of Ipswich effectively controlled the entire council with the support of these silent
numpties. He also controlled those who came into the council and the candidates he supported. He
controlled any opposition candidates to existing councillors, resulting in local government practices that
were allegedly corrupt, that were against the will of the people and good governance. He did it by being
a con man, by raising huge sums of money from businesses and using that money to buy electoral
favour from other councillors, by wining and dining the media and vested interests and by effectively
conning a disengaged public who trusted them.

The rules of the ALP state that there can be federal electoral councils and state electoral
councils—just as there is in the LNP. The ALP in Queensland also has the ability to have MECs, which
are municipal electoral councils which are set up to assist Labor councillors. I want to make it clear
today that there was a Labor MEC in Ipswich running for years until the mayor, councillors and state
and federal MPs decided that it would not meet. Some Labor councillors were on this committee. The
Labor councillors manipulated ALP rules to their own benefit which removed the oversight mechanism
of branches so even though the councillors were not technically endorsed ALP councillors many had
corflute signs with Labor plastered all over them. In the mind of the Ipswich community, they were
definitely viewed as Labor Party councillors.

Not having an MEC also meant that, whilst the community thought the ALP had some control
over them, they stole the ALP brand and they used it and abused it for their own selfish, low and corrupt
undertakings. This must never be repeated. Never should the Labor Party allow this to go on ever again.
To cynically use our Labor Party branch members to put up corflutes, to staff polling booths and then
claim to be independents is absolutely and utterly dishonest. It is an abrogation of Labor values and
principles and it has resulted in Ipswich people not trusting Labor in local government again, which
naturally flows to state and federal levels. In a July ReachTEL poll conducted by the Queensland Times,
Labor's primary vote was down to 29.7 per cent. We cannot win anything on that sort of primary vote.

I have raised these matters many times over the years, as members of this House know, and I
have also supported our branches and branch members. However, I was continuously advised that I
had a personality conflict with the then mayor. It was never that. It was a corruption conflict and the ALP
in government—

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr McArdle): Member, please be cautious of the sub judice rule in what
you are saying to the House.

Mrs MILLER: Thank you for your guidance. The ALP was conned time and time again, but I was
not conned and neither was the majority of our branch members. Today I call on the ALP to reform its
rules in relation to local government especially given the Ipswich experience.

The vast majority of people who work for the council are decent, honest people, but in an almost
textbook case of corruption this council sought to control who were given jobs at council, promote them
into roles that would help in corrupt activities and remove those who oppose the corruption. Some were
removed because they asked questions or somehow got in the way. They were isolated, they were
picked on and as a result either resigned in frustration, have mental health issues, were sacked, were
paid out or were made to sign confidentiality agreements. Many were told that because they had just
signed those agreements they could not go to the CCC. That is wrong and I ask them to go to the CCC
now.

The system meant that those most loyal had pay and perks that the ordinary worker in Ipswich
could only dream of—all because of alleged corruption and unchecked greed like the fancy restaurants,
the private jets and the exclusive Brisbane Club. Instead of being a Labor council that represented the
working class and being proud of it, the councillors and the senior staff were like pigs with their heads
in the trough. They became part of a system of corruption, greed, profit and habitat destruction that the
average person in Ipswich despises.

Over the years, as has been heard today, I have advised premiers, deputy premiers and local
government ministers about the alleged corruption. I did this because other state and federal MPs
refused to do so even though they knew about it. Over the years I have been advised that people have
asked to see their MPs only to be told that they would not see them on council matters. Too many
people were seeking help but the doors were shut. Many people well outside my electorate came to
see me in sheer frustration at how they were being treated by other state and federal MPs. I tried to
see all of them, and it was clearly an established pattern of corruption.

In the early years I would write to local government ministers and talk to them. I even nominated
to go on the Labor caucus local government committee to raise the issues but to no avail. The matters
fell on deaf ears and successive governments on both sides sat on their hands. More recently I felt I
could not raise the matters as I knew that some ministers, especially local government, were in cohorts
with the then mayor and councillors to get rid of me. I knew that any letters would have been on-sent
to them and used as political ammunition against me. I was sick and tired of being told to work with the
council when I knew that working with them was against every single Labor principle and value I held,
and it was against every single moral and ethical value that I hold. I was being directed to work with
corrupt people. I refused and I am proud that I did it.

The systemic dismantling of oversight mechanisms like internal audit procedures and the
establishment of Ipswich City Council private companies is simply disgraceful. To question anything
that the council did was to make sure that you had a target on your back. Many gave up in sheer despair
and hopelessness, and everything was hidden in a shroud of secrecy. If you FOI'd anything, you were
called out in the papers.

The Queensland Times seriously betrayed the people of Ipswich. Many poured out their hearts
to the QT only to get abusive phone calls from councillors. It was obvious there was a corrupt
relationship with the QT by successive editors and journalists. This was exposed to some degree by
Media Watch but the grave disservice by the likes of editor Peter Chapman and other journalists is
absolutely shameful, and I hope they rot in hell because they refused to shine a light on the wrongs,
they accepted the dribble they were told, they were wined and dined and were simply bought off by
being offered higher paying jobs that they accepted at the council.

When people wrote to the ministers and the CCC what they got back was, 'There's nothing to
see here; go away.' That system was also totally corrupted. The impact on local business is also
shocking. We have the example of Rob and Jackie Sellars. They were asked to do private work at the
home of the CEO of council but were never paid. When they asked to be paid they stopped getting the
contracts which were the bread and butter of their business. They caught the council out dodgying up
the tender process to exclude them. They fought it all the way—and still are—looking for fair
compensation. They lost everything. There is also Liz at the Queens Park Cafe. She recently won the
tender to keep on going, but despite winning that tender process the council is continually shifting the
goal posts. They have ridiculous clauses about maintaining the whole park and they are charging rent
like a Westfield Shopping Centre. This must be investigated.

Mr Speaker, I seek leave for another 10 minutes to continue my speech.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: I will take some advice. Member, I think you have to seek leave to move
a motion without notice.

Mrs MILLER: Mr Speaker, I seek leave to move a motion without notice.

Division: Question put—That leave be granted to move a motion without notice.
Resolved in the affirmative under standing order 106(10).

Mrs MILLER: I move—
That I be further heard for another 10 minutes.
Question put—That the motion be agreed to.

Motion agreed to.

Mrs MILLER: I was talking about Liz, who is the lessee of the Queens Park Café, and the
ridiculous clauses that the council—

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr McArdle): Members, please. Thank you. Keep the noise to a
minimum.

Mrs MILLER:—is trying to impose on her even though she won the tender to operate this
particular cafe. They have tried to put in this particular tender ridiculous clauses so that Liz maintains
the whole of Queens Park of Ipswich and they want to charge her rent similar to a Westfield shopping
centre. This has caused great anxiety for Liz, her family and all of her staff. I am asking that this be
investigated.

On another matter, many people in Ipswich are bewildered about the role of the trade unions in
relation to Ipswich City Council. Many of the staff want to know where they were. They want to know
what they were told and what they did. They want to know why the unions were not protecting the staff.
I would like the unions to report back to all of their members in Ipswich City Council about what they
have done and whether they have reported the allegations that were made to them to ministers and
also to the departments and the CCC.

Those in my community never want to see the city of Ipswich in such an embarrassing and
disgusting light again. We were vulnerable as people because we trusted the councillors, but our trust
was abused and used against us. There was a disengaged public because the people knew that to
raise an issue publicly was to invite bile on themselves, their friends and families and, as I said, even
be bashed. Even writing a letter to the editor was to be abused. We have a retired Ipswich councillor in
our gallery today, former councillor Casos. He knows only too well that if you wrote a letter to the editor
of the Queensland Times a councillor would either turn up on your doorstep and abuse you or ring you
at 4 o'clock in the morning and abuse you. We were under siege in the city of Ipswich. Anyone who
made any dissenting comment whatsoever or went to the local paper was abused. It was a disgusting
situation whereby a lot of people were put under so much pressure.

In my particular case my family and friends and other party members were abused. I have been
through two preselection challenges because of Ipswich City Council's opposition to me shining the
light on the corruption in Ipswich. I have been followed home in my car several times. I have been really
frightened. I have been warned by thugs and goons in places like shopping centres. There are many
times when I thought I would not make it home or I would be bashed myself.

I can remember being at the Ipswich festival ball a few years ago when the then mayor of Ipswich
and one of his mates got up on the stage in front of 700-odd people and singled me out and told me to
leave because I was calling out corruption in Ipswich. Anyone who knows my husband would know that
he was absolutely horrified and mortified. My family has been humiliated over the years. Many people
in this parliament should look up some of the ABC footage and other footage in which the then mayor
put on a blonde wig and made some disgraceful allegations against my sister, who is a lawyer and an
upstanding member of our community. There have also been disgraceful comments about my husband
and about my daughters. There have been lies about where my daughters have in fact lived.
I have been threatened with legal action, with defamation and that the coppers were going to be
sooled onto me. I have been continuously leaked against in the media, most of it being lies of course.

This has been political thuggery and political bullying by not only opposition people but also people in
the Labor Party. All it takes is for one person to stand up and one person to say that this is wrong. All it
needs is for one person to believe that one day they will be caught out.

Usually in modern politics that person—who may be a member of parliament like myself—leaves
beaten and broken, but on behalf of the people of Ipswich I still stand. I stand in this House representing
the people of Ipswich, the people of my electorate, and I am here today even though my father is gravely
ill in the ICU unit at the Ipswich Hospital. I am here at his express wish to cast my vote to sack this
wicked, evil, wretched and corrupt council. Fifteen people have now been charged with 86 offences: it
is shocking.

On behalf of the residents and ratepayers of Ipswich we need to have an administrator in place.
In my view, this administrator needs to conduct a forensic audit so that we know where the money is
and how it has been spent. There needs to be an ethical standards command established almost
immediately. All of the private companies need to be shut down, and private companies should never
be allowed to be opened again in Ipswich by the Ipswich City Council. The Ipswich Planning Scheme
needs to be reviewed because it is stuffed. We need to stop the dumps because it is wrong to have
dumps within a couple of hundred metres of people's homes. Brisbane City Council, keep your rubbish
over on your side of the border!

I call on the councillors of Ipswich to now accept their fate and shut up, because whilst the
administrator is in place the administrator needs to clean the place up and clean it out once and for all.
We do not want those councillors to suddenly form an opposition group and continuously gripe in the
media or anywhere else, because they were silent when they had the opportunity to say something.
They had sticking plaster over their mouths; they said nothing. We do not want them to form an
opposition to the administrator. We want them to sit back and get out of Ipswich and shut up, because
we have had a gutful of them!

The councillors have collectively failed in their statutory role. They have failed in their
governance. They have failed each and every one of us, the citizens of Ipswich. They have had their
time. They knew—even though they say they did not, they are fibbing—and they did nothing. I say to
each of those councillors, 'Get out of the way!' I say to each and every one of them, 'If you have any
sense of decency get out of Ipswich, because you have brought such shame and disgrace on our city.'
Mr Speaker, they would not know an ethical standard if it hit them over the head with a piece of fourby-two. They just do not have a clue.
I hope that it ends now. I hope that no government will ever allow it to happen again. I hope that
vigilance and sunlight are the key. I say to the people of Ipswich that together we have reclaimed our
city back. Never, ever let it go back into the days of shame we have had to put up with. I ask them over
the next couple of years to please bear with us as we go through this painful process.

[ozbob]

Queensland Times --> REVEALED: Ipswich council's 'expert' administrator named

PLANNING and development expert Greg Chemello has been appointed interim administrator of Ipswich City Council.

Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe revealed Mr Chemello's appointment will take effect on Thursday after legislation to dismiss the council passed parliament yesterday.

"Greg Chemello brings a strong set of capabilities to his role as Interim Administrator," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"Mr Chemello is currently the general manager of Economic Development Queensland and has 35 years' experience in the public and private sectors.

"He's vastly experienced in governance, change management and commercial negotiations - all vital attributes needed to lead Ipswich in this challenging period.

"In addition to this, he has extensive experience in planning and government property transactions which will assist in managing a range of council projects now underway in Ipswich.

Mr Hinchliffe said fixing the culture of the council would be a top priority for the interim administrator.

"The wellbeing of council staff will be a top priority for Mr Chemello, and he will be supported by an expert interim management committee," he said.

"These experts have the right blend of skills - in governance, business, finance and community engagement - to help turn Ipswich City Council around and make it more transparent and accountable to the people of Ipswich."

An advisory panel, tasked with supporting Mr Chemello, has also been named.

Forensic investigation: Stan Gallo. A KPMG partner, he is experienced in the forensic investigation of organisations and will lead internal investigations of the Ipswich City Council. He was formerly employed by the Crime and Corruption Commission.

Governance, ethics: Simone Webbe. A barrister and former high-ranking public servant with extensive public sector experience in constitutional and public law, governance, accountability, anti-corruption and integrity reforms. She recently undertook a Strategic Review of the Office of the Queensland Ombudsman.

Community engagement: Jan Taylor. Ms Taylor has experience in complex community consultation on private and public sector projects across Australia. Has served two terms on the Queensland Competition Authority.

Business engagement: Steve Greenwood. He has significant experience in urban planning and the property sector. He is the founding CEO of the Queensland Futures Institute, a former CEO of Canegrowers Australia and the former Queensland Executive Director of the Property Council of Australia.

Financial practices: Robert Jones. Former Chair of Queensland's KPMG practice. He has strong experience in corporate governance and risk management and was Partner in Charge of KPMG's Audit Practice for 10 years.

IPSWICH CITY COUNCIL RELEASES STATEMENT

IPSWICH City Council chief executive officer Sean Madigan has released a statement welcoming the administrator to the role.

"Mr Chemello has extensive public and private sector experience, and will no doubt be a terrific proponent for good governance," he said.

"As CEO, my first thoughts will be with the welfare of staff who drive this organisation to a position whereby we can make Ipswich a wonderful place to live, work, learn and grow.

"Most people who work at council also call Ipswich home, and they - like all residents - are passionate that Ipswich continues to be a region they are proud of.

Mr Madigan said the council's primary goal was to provide the people of Ipswich "with the highest possible quality of services".

"High on the agenda will be our mission to manage sustainable growth into the next decade, initiate programs which advocate regional economic stability and job prosperity, and to ensure the rapid development of Ipswich Central," he said.

"Our relationship with the Defence industry remains paramount, as does our commitment to manage waste into the future.

"This is an opportunity for us to look forward as an organisation, and we trust the people who live here will stand by our 1300-plus staff as we endeavour to further improve the way we deliver great outcomes for the city."

[ozbob]

http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2018/8/22/planning-and-economic-development-expert-appointed-ipswich-interim-administrator

Media Statements

Minister for Local Government, Minister for Racing and Minister for Multicultural Affairs
The Honourable Stirling Hinchliffe

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Planning and economic development expert appointed Ipswich Interim Administrator

Respected planning and economic development expert Greg Chemello has been appointed Interim Administrator of Ipswich City Council.

Mr Chemello's appointment takes effect on Thursday and follows the passage of legislation in State Parliament yesterday to dismiss Ipswich City Council.

"Greg Chemello brings a strong set of capabilities to his role as Interim Administrator," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"Mr Chemello is currently the General Manager of Economic Development Queensland and has 35 years' experience in the public and private sectors.

"He's vastly experienced in governance, change management and commercial negotiations – all vital attributes needed to lead Ipswich in this challenging period.

"In addition to this, he has extensive experience in planning and government property transactions which will assist in managing a range of Council projects now underway in Ipswich.

"The wellbeing of Council staff will be a top priority for Mr Chemello, and he will be supported by an expert interim management committee.

"These experts have the right blend of skills – in governance, business, finance and community engagement – to help turn Ipswich City Council around and make it more transparent and accountable to the people of Ipswich."

Biographies

Greg Chemello - Interim Administrator

Greg Chemello is currently General Manager of Economic Development Queensland. He was Acting Director-General of the Department of Local Government, Racing and Multicultural Affairs earlier this year when the initial Belcarra reforms were being implemented. Over 35 years, Mr Chemello has served in senior professional, management and leadership roles in the private and government sectors in strategic planning, development, project management, and organisational change roles.

Interim Management Committee

Stan Gallo (Forensic Investigation) - a current KPMG partner, he is experienced in the forensic investigation of organisations and will lead internal investigations of the Ipswich City Council. He was formerly employed by the Crime and Corruption Commission.

Simone Webbe (Governance, Ethics) – a barrister and former high-ranking public servant with extensive public sector experience in constitutional and public law, governance, accountability, anti-corruption and integrity reforms. She recently undertook a Strategic Review of the Office of the Queensland Ombudsman.

Jan Taylor (Community Engagement) – has experience in complex community consultation on private and public sector projects across Australia and internationally, through consultancy work with the United Nations. She has served two terms on the Queensland Competition Authority and chaired or been a non-executive director on boards for the RACQ, Building Services Authority and Ports Queensland.

Steve Greenwood (Business Engagement) – is a local government policy expert who has significant experience in urban planning and the property sector. He is the founding CEO of the Queensland Futures Institute, a former CEO of Canegrowers Australia and the former Queensland Executive Director of the Property Council of Australia.

Robert Jones (Future Financial Practices) – Former Chair of Queensland's KPMG practice. He has strong experience in corporate governance and risk management and was Partner in Charge of KPMG's Audit Practice for 10 years.

[ozbob]

Queensland Times --> City won't take foot off council again: MP

CHAOS that engulfed Ipswich City Council in recent memory will forever change how the community views its representatives, Jo-Ann Miller believes.

About three weeks have passed since the dismissal of 11 councillors by way of State Government legislation.

Ms Miller, the Member for Bundamba, said most people have noticed "very little difference to their day-to-day lives" after the sacking.

"Things are still happening as normal," she said.

"Most people contacted the Ipswich City Council call centre if there was any problem they needed resolved."

Ms Miller said things were looking positive for the city.

"I think the community now has got its mojo back," she said.

"I don't think there will ever again be a situation in Ipswich where the people take their foot off the throat of the council.

"Ipswich citizens have reclaimed the council."

The Bundamba MP has met with new council administrator Greg Chemello.

"He has a very clear view of his role as administrator," she said.

"He does not see himself in any shape, manner or form as a mayor.

"His job is reforming the administration, professionalising it and making sure it's more open and accountable."

Ms Miller said the "poor bloke" had quite a job on his hands.

"He's got to turn around the ship in 18 months," she said.

"It's not going to be an easy role."

She hoped any officers of the council who were concerned about raising corruption issues would do so.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Sacked Ipswich councillors sue to get jobs back

FOUR former councillors wanting their old jobs back have sued Ipswich City Council after their dismissal by the State Government last month.

Wayne Wendt, Paul Tully, Cheryl Bromage and David Pahlke have taken the council to the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission's Industrial Court.

They will argue that their dismissal, by way of special State Government legislation, was unfair.

The four have lodged an application for reinstatement.

They are seeking a financial payout from Ipswich City Council, which could be up to half a year's pay – $60,000.

Mr Pahlke declined to comment, while Mr Wendt, Mr Tully and Ms Bromage did not respond to inquiries.

The four former councillors had 21 days after their dismissal to lodge the case with the industrial court.

Their matters against Ipswich City Council were lodged on September 13.

A spokesman for Ipswich City Council said the council would not comment.

Eleven councillors were removed by the State Government in August after a litany of charges were laid by the Crime and Corruption Commission in its investigation into Ipswich City Council.

The watchdog noted bullying of council staff by long-time councillors and a lack of good governance.

None of the four suing the council has been charged with any offence.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/1044262782361722891

[ozbob]

Queensland Times --> BREAKING: Council boss resigns after just five months in job

IPSWICH City Council CEO Sean Madigan has resigned, less than five months after taking up the role.

Ipswich City Council this morning announced it would soon start the recruitment process for the role.

Mr Madigan will not leave the organisation, with the council releasing a statement saying he would return to his previous role of Chief Operating Officer of the Health, Security and Regulatory Services Department.

Council is yet to provide further explanation for the move.

Interim Administrator Greg Chemello said Mr Madigan had reformed the way compliance officers connected with the community.

"Sean is a former police officer, and he's been able to inject a high degree of integrity into the way our compliance officers protect the city and keep Ipswich safe," Mr Chemello said.

"This applies to all levels of compliance, whether they be parking attendants, building compliance officers or the city's security team.

"He's also done remarkable work towards culture change within an organisation that has been victim to bullies and varying degrees of harassment. As a respected member of the council's leadership team, this is no doubt work he'll continue."

Mr Chemello said the search for a new CEO presented an opportunity for some of the country's most respected and experienced leaders to throw their hat in the ring.

"For someone with vast public, and hopefully private sector experience, this is a once-in-a-lifetime role - to lead a fundamental reform agenda under Interim Administration," Mr Chemello said.

"The CEO will lead the transition of Ipswich City Council, to again be a leading local government; driving the Ipswich economy, promoting jobs growth, leading sustainability, boosting learning, marketing a hidden tourism gem, and managing development of one of Australia's fastest growing regions into the next decade."

[ozbob]

Queensland Times --> EXCLUSIVE: Ipswich boss explains why council CEO had to go

THE embattled Ipswich council, plagued by controversy, criminal charges and a near wipe out of leaders has lost another top executive - only this time the State Government appointed administrator has been able to explain why.

There was "no particular issue" with outgoing council CEO Sean Madigan, but administrator Greg Chemello says the city will be better placed with a new, experienced boss. 

After only three months as executive officer, Sean Madigan will resign and return to his old job as chief of the council's Health, Security and Regulatory Services Department.   

His demotion was a decision of administrator Greg Chemello and the five-person advisory panel. 

Speaking exclusively to the QT, Mr Chemello said his decision was made "in the best interests of the community and the council and Sean". 

"The key is, from my perspective is, everything I'm doing is in, what I believed to be, the long-term interests of the community," he said.   

"I have the greatest respect for Sean, he's staying on in council - I didn't want to lose him - I want to make that clear."   

Mr Chemello said there was "no specific issue I could refer to" on why Mr Madigan was demoted.   

"It's really that the council and the community would benefit by having a CEO with substantial experience in being a CEO of an organisation, particularly a large council," he said. 

"Being the CEO of a council is tough and being the CEO of a council in administration is extra tough. It's probably one of the tougher CEO jobs around at the moment." 

Mr Chemello said he and Mr Madigan agreed the organisation "would be better placed with a more experienced CEO, particularly in the next few years".   

"It's not really the performance issue, it's really that the organisation now needs for the next few years an experienced CEO - I think we could benefit from that," he said. 

Mr Chemello said Mr Madgan's recent comment, when he said councillors should not have been dismissed, played no part in his demotion.   

Mr Madigan was appointed chief executive officer in May after a drawn-out, national recruitment process under Mayor Andrew Antoniolli. 

The appointment drew the interest of the Crime and Corruption Commission, which provided advice about Mr Madigan.

When questioned about the CCC's involvement in the demotion of Mr Madigan, Mr Chemello said; "I can't comment about CCC matters".

[ozbob]

Seven councillors that say they were unfairly sacked when the Ipswich City Council was dissolved, have started a legal battle. #7News pic.twitter.com/OzwMM75u85

— 7 News Brisbane (@7NewsBrisbane) October 22, 2018

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/qld_times/status/1057073375158435840

[ozbob]

http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2019/4/30/multicouncillor-divisions-proposed-for-ipswich-city-council

Media Statements
Minister for Local Government, Minister for Racing and Minister for Multicultural Affairs
The Honourable Stirling Hinchliffe

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Multi-councillor divisions proposed for Ipswich City Council

The State Government will consider the introduction of multi-councillor divisions at Ipswich City Council, following a Divisional Boundary Review carried out by the city's Interim Administrator Greg Chemello.

Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the government would evaluate Mr Chemello's recommendation, which is based on feedback from more than 1,000 Ipswich residents as part of a survey carried out in March.

"Almost 90 per cent of survey respondents ranked multi-member divisions as their first or second preference," he said. "We'll now consider this recommendation to move to multi-councillor divisions before deciding whether to refer it to the Local Government Change Commission."

The Divisional Boundary Review carried out in March, and backed by a community discussion paper, asked residents to select their preferred option from three proposed systems of representation:

Option 1: Undivided (8 to 12 Councillors)
Option 2: Divided – 1 Councillor per Division (8 to 12 Divisions)
Option 3: Divided – 2 to 3 Councillors per Division (4 to 6 Divisions)
There were 1,049 survey respondents with written comments from 450 people.

"Ipswich residents are demanding a system of Local Government that better represents them and their interests, and that's what we're going to deliver," Mr Hinchliffe said.

Any divisional changes are expected to be in place before the March 2020 Council elections.

To read the review visit https://www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/112308/Divisional-Boundary-Review_Results_Report.pdf

[Stillwater]

multi-member divisions would work well at Ipswich, I think

[ozbob]

multi-member divisions would work well at Ipswich, I think

Yo.  Quite happy with that, if it is the final outcome.   

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/IpswichCouncil/status/1123353907588104192

[ozbob]

Letter to the Ed Queensland Times 18th May 2019 page 21

Closure means greater divide



====

Letter to the Ed Queensland Times 20th May 2019 page 13

Hub loss creates divide

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1130192347214503936

[achiruel]

I wouldn't expect a council the size of Ipswich to offer every service at each divisional office, but surely that could have basic services and (non-cash) payment acceptance at each? Not helped by the RS public transport in many parts of Ipswich.

[ozbob]

I wouldn't expect a council the size of Ipswich to offer every service at each divisional office, but surely that could have basic services and (non-cash) payment acceptance at each? Not helped by the RS public transport in many parts of Ipswich.

Yo, that's basically what they do.  Not a good move to close the local offices, they are very handy to the local communities.

[ozbob]

Queensland Times --> Upcoming Ipswich City Council election cost skyrockets

NEXT year's Ipswich City Council election will cost more than double that of the one held four years prior.

Council have been advised by the Electoral Commission of Queensland that the cost estimate for the 2020 local government elections is $831,092.

In comparison, the cost for the 2016 election was $319,000, while the 2017 mayoral by-election cost $637,000 and the 2017 division 7 by-election cost $188,000.

Electoral Commissioner of Queensland Pat Vidgen said it was not fair to directly compare the costs of the two elections because of some important factors.

"For a start, the State Government heavily subsidised the 2016 election because a referendum was held at the same time, and naturally that subsidy won't apply in 2020," he said.

"Operational costs are being affected by the Independent Review of the 2016 council elections, which recommended a review of pay rates and more training for the thousands of temporary staff needed to run Queensland elections.

"Increased wage costs across that number of people makes a significant difference and there are more than 130,000 voters to take care of at Ipswich.

"ECQ doesn't make any money out of elections - they're an important democratic service not a business - and we always work with councils to keep their costs as low as possible.

"Sometimes councils can provide offices free of charge and we look at things like that, but voters and the security of their votes will always be prime considerations."

Earlier this week, Lockyer Valley Mayor Tanya Milligan slammed the ECQ for the sharp rise in cost and called on the authority to come up with a more "economic and practical formula".

"I truly struggle to understand how the Queensland Electoral Commission can justify charging us close to $400,000 for next year's election when the last full election in 2016 cost $191,584," she said.

"Especially when you take into account last year's by-election caused when then-councillor Jim McDonald ran and was elected as the state member was $113,316, I fail to see how all of a sudden the cost for the election process has doubled.

"The system ran far easier, was more efficient and was considerably cheaper when each council ran the elections themselves as was done prior to amalgamation."

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> After fraud trial, former Ipswich mayor Andrew Antoniolli awaits his fate

The trial of a former Queensland mayor accused of dishonestly using ratepayer funds has been told the evidence has revealed much about problematic culture at Ipswich City Council but not criminality.

Andrew Francis Antoniolli, 48, was tried on 12 counts of fraud and one count of attempted fraud for allegedly using the council's community donations fund to buy goods and services for his own use at charity auctions and community events.

As the case wound up on Monday, Crown prosecutor Sarah Farnden argued not only did Antoniolli contravene council policy, he also instructed the charities to lie on their donation request forms and then hid the purchases from the council.

But defence lawyer Peter Callaghan, SC, said the dishonesty charges - that Antoniolli denies - were problematic for the prosecution because the payments actually went to local community groups and none of the items were for his personal use.

"It's not about the bids. It's not about the items. It's all about the money and ... the money was authorised," Mr Callaghan told Ipswich Magistrates Court on Monday.

Mr Antoniolli the trial he followed an unwritten council policy communicated by senior staff when he successfully bid on items including a $5000 Trek bicycle and two ladies pamper packs, between 2005 and 2017 while he was a councillor and mayor.

Mr Callaghan said the evidence had painted a picture of a poor culture at Ipswich City Council but the court was not being asked to make a judgment on that.

"The question is, was there dishonesty at the time of approving these donations?" he told the court during closing arguments.

"(The trial) has revealed many things about the problematic workings at the ICC but ... criminal activity by Mr Antoniolli is not one of them."

Ms Farnden asked: if Antoniolli had acted in a permissible way, why had he failed to tell the council about the purchases and why were emails about the transactions deleted?

Council policy did not permit the community donation fund to be used to purchase items, she said.

Ms Farnden said charities and community organisations were instructed not to mention the auctions on community donation request forms they were instructed to submit to receive payment.

"(An) ordinary honest person would consider it was not a permissible use of the community donation fund," she said.

The charges followed a Crime and Corruption Commission investigation that led to the sacking of the entire council in 2018.

The court heard some of the items Mr Antoniolli bid on were not collected and others were left at the council chambers or re-gifted to other community groups.

The bicycle was allegedly found at his home.

Magistrate Anthony Gett will deliver his verdict on June 6.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Anna_Hartley1/status/1136441351556411392

[ozbob]

https://www.qt.com.au/news/magistrate-sets-date-deliver-verdict-antoniolli-tr/3732602/

UPDATE: Former Ipswich mayor Andrew Antoniolli has been found guilty of all 13 charges against him.

The verdict was handed down today in Ipswich Magistrates Court by Magistrate Anthony Gett who took two hours to read through each of the 12 fraud charges and one charge of attempted fraud.

Mr Gett told the court he found Antoniolli self-serving and disingenuous is his assessment of his evidence.

He found Antoniolli's actions to be "dishonest to the standards of ordinary and decent people".

Antoniolli's solicitor Dan Rogers successfully applied for the sentence to be adjourned until July 30 and that it be given by a Brisbane magistrate and not an Ipswich magistrate.

Antoniolli was released on bail.

More to come.

[ozbob]

Queensland Times 7th June 2019 page 5

Ex-mayor found guilty

[ozbob]

Queensland Times --> Criminal 'stench' remains at Ipswich council, MP declares

THE stench of criminal activity continues to radiate from Ipswich City Council almost almost one year after its elected representatives were sacked, Jo-Ann Miller believes.

Ms Miller told the Queensland Parliament the Crime and Corruption Commission was still working to rid the council of bad apples.

"The CCC continues its work in Ipswich, and I hope it will rip out the rot, the stench, that continues," she said.

"The stench at the dumps is bad enough, but the stench in town hall in South Street is worse."

Sixteen people were charged during the Crime and Corruption Commission's two-year investigation into Ipswich City Council, dubbed Operation Windage.

Ten Ipswich councillors and suspended mayor Andrew Antoniolli were dismissed last August.

The CCC has laid few charges since the dismissal, but its work in the region is understood to continue.

Ms Miller said the extra funding handed to the Crime and Corruption Commission in June 11's State Budget would allow the watchdog to continue its probe.

"I am very pleased that there will be CCC funding to investigate corrupt allegations into the Ipswich City Council," she told the Queensland Parliament earlier this month.

"Five people have been jailed to date.

"Let their work continue fully funded so that Ipswich can rebuild."

The corruption watchdog continues to investigate council-related complaints.

Some are understood to have been raised through a special whistleblower hotline established in September after Greg Chemello was appointed administrator.

The external email address was opened to encourage council staff to raise complaints, particularly if they were previously reluctant to do so.

Ipswich City Council CEO David Farmer said the council welcomed any investigations "which are intended to help Ipswich become a role model for other councils throughout the country".

"Whether it be the CCC, Office of the Independent Assessor, Queensland Audit Office, Office of the Information Commissioner, and others who are employed to hold local government to account, we seek and value their input," he said.

"At the City of Ipswich, we have made it our mission to create and operate best practice models within all facets of our organisation, and are actively seeking the assistance and guidance of all authorities who are willing to help."

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> How Ipswich will be divided after next council election

Ipswich's future council will be divided into four new divisions with two councillors each after the March 2020 elections.

The restructure, with eight councillors plus the mayor, is a significant change from the controversial local government area's original make-up of 10 divisions with one councillor each.

Ipswich's entire council was sacked last year amid corruption allegations levelled at former mayor Paul Pisasale and later his deputy Andrew Antoniolli, along with former staff and contractors.

The Electoral Commission of Queensland's Local Government Change Commission began investigating how Ipswich's new council would be made up at the request of Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe in May.

Interim administrator Greg Chemello had earlier sought community feedback on how residents would like their city to be divided, providing the Commission with his report.

Mr Chemello's report also outlined residents wanted to see two or three councillors representing each division, with four to six divisions for their city.

In a final report published on Tuesday, the commission detailed its decision to recommend the new set-up of two councillors for each division as one that would best represent Ipswich's mix of city and country residents.

Publishing its reasons, and making the decision available for public comment, the commission noted there was "demonstrated community support" for the proposed change.

The commission said the two-councillors system would be "more workable" than the current system and would provide good local representation for Ipswich residents.

"While there was clearly support shown for both single-member and undivided electoral arrangements, there was also strong opposition to both systems," the commission reported.

Almost 90 per cent of respondents to the commission's request for feedback during the process favoured multi-member divisions.

"It was decided that four divisions, with two councillors each, would cater for the current council size, while providing scope to add additional councillor/s to all or some of the divisions as communities expand and elector numbers increase," the commission said.

While the decision to have four divisions and eight councillors plus a mayor was final, the commission sought community feedback on the planned boundaries for the four divisions. ...

[ozbob]

ECQ: Ipswich City Local Government Area

> https://www.ecq.qld.gov.au/electoral-boundaries/local-government-boundary-reviews/divisional-boundary-reviews/ipswich-city-local-government-area

Interactive Map >> https://qportal.information.qld.gov.au/arcgis/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=14b3e47b4b9b4783ad9a87b9453b2295

[ozbob]

Queensland Times --> REVEALED: What boundary change means for former councillors


The proposed Ipswich City Council boundary change.

A FORMER councillor claims the controversial carve-up of Ipswich divisions was done to prevent dismissed representatives from standing again.

For 27 years, David Pahlke held the rural division 10, head-quartered in Rosewood.

Mr Pahlke, who was one of 11 councillors sacked by the State Government last August says the move to a multi-member, four-division city was done to make it more difficult at the next election.

"They are the worst redraw of boundaries I've seen since 1995," he said.

At the centre of Mr Pahlke's concern is the inclusion of rural suburbs with major growth areas.

"You should try and keep communities of interest together," he said.

The Local Government Change Commission agreed to the minister's recommendation and an Ipswich survey that said multi-member divisions were the best way forward.

Rural representation was a concern touted by many when considering multi-member divisions or an undivided council area.

The change commission report noted it had sought to address the residents' concerns by making divisions one and four a mix of urban and rural areas.

"In doing so, rural residents will have four councillors, or half of the divisional councillors, with some responsibility for rural suburbs," the commission report noted.

Ipswich was previously a divided council with one councillor representing each of 10 divisions, plus a separately elected mayor.

A mammoth division one, which includes Grandchester, Ripley and Redbank Plains, is the largest proposed by the commission.

"Grandchester has no relationship to Redbank Plains," Mr Pahlke said.

"I just can't believe it.

"It's a numbers game and the Ripley urban and Redbank Plains areas will always outweigh Grandchester."

Mr Pahlke said the boundary change was aimed at making it more difficult for sacked councillors to slot back into their old divisions at the March Local Government elections.

"I have no doubt in my mind they redrew my division to make sure I don't run," Mr Pahlke said.

The colourful Rosewood character admitted it was "still too far away" to make a decision on returning to politics.

He warned the new divisions would pave the way for Labor to run a cross-city campaign.

"You can bet your boots there will be party politics," he said.