The stench of corruption !

The stench of corruption still hangs in the air over Wollongong council.

This time the spotlight shines on money spent to refurbish Lysaght Oval to provide a new home for this city's two soccer clubs. Just $ 400,000 remains of a $ 2.5 million grant - and yet the ground is nowhere near ready to be classed as a first rate facility.

The soccer people were forced to move from Brandon Park because it was needed by Wollongong University for their new industrial park. Lysaght Oval was to be their new home and Wollongong Council was appointed the trustee to arrange for the work to be done - and to manage the money.

Alarm bells began ringing when corruption was uncovered in dealings between Labor party councillors and developers involving political donations in exchange for the approval of development projects that did not meet council by-laws.

As a result, the council was sacked and administrators appointed - and in due course prosecutions may follow.

Pressure is building to untangle the can of worms relating to work done on Lysaght Oval. An un-named Sydney firm has been appointed to scrutinise invoices for work done - and to compare that work with the schedule promised in the contract.

All this seems to be happening under a cloak of secrecy - and many people are not happy about the lack of transparency.

Why is the name of the investigating firm being kept secret ? Is there any record of political donations between this firm and the state government ?

How was the work on Lysaght Oval allocated ? Was it awarded by public tender ?
Was this tender advertised ? Who drew up the specification of work required ? Who signed off that the work completed was satisfactory ?

The Administrators have failed to answer questions or give information !

Why ?

This is clearly in the public interest and the imposition of secrecy smells of a cover up !

The imposition of possible criminal charges over the sacking of Wollongong council looks like dragging on for months - and possibly years - and this leaves the impression that delay is part of the tactic for the matter to fade from public memory.

There is every reason that this latest fiasco should be dragged kicking and screaming into the public domain without delay.

On present indications, details will be kept hidden away and the legal system used to prevent public scrutiny !