Tag Archives
Inner West Mayor guilty of misconduct, finds Tribunal
By WENDY BACON Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne breached conflict of interest provisions and improperly used his power as a Councillor to remove social media comments that he alleged were defamatory, a NSW Tribunal has found. The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) found the Mayor guilty of four allegations of code of conduct breaches […]
No more noise complaints: Say goodbye to the Enmore Theatre “fun police”
By ALLISON HORE A motion before the Inner West council would see Newtown’s Enmore Theatre declared as the state’s first “Special Entertainment Precinct.” The motion, tabled by Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne and Labor councillor Anna York, comes after the NSW parliament passed special laws allowing local councils to declare venues and geographic areas as […]
Pork barrelling report “damning” for NSW Government
By SOOFIA TARIQ The NSW Senate inquiry into the Government’s ‘Stronger Communities Fund’ has delivered its’ report, calling the scheme “a clear abuse of the grants process”. The inquiry was launched following widespread backlash towards the Berejiklian government over their handling of the grants fund, which Labor and Greens politicians say amounted to “pork barrelling.” […]
Council meeting chaos: IT issues and councillor clashes leave controversial motions unmoved
By ALLISON HORE Technical issues, conflict and cancellations turned the first in-person Inner West council meeting in 13 months into an “embarrassment.” With over 40 issues on the agenda, the council meeting on Tuesday 13th of April was set to be a big one. The meeting took place in the Inner West Council's headquarters in […]
Inner West mayor calls on Liberal Party to disendorse “homophobic” councillor
By ALLISON HORE Inner West mayor, Darcy Byrne, is calling on members of the Liberal party to disavow a homophobic councillor and not endorse her as a candidate in the upcoming local council elections. Councillor Julie Passas, who has served for almost two decades, was found guilty of "unlawful homosexual vilification" in 2019, and ordered […]
Callan Park canine crackdown
By ALLISON HORE The Inner West council will not enforce a proposed new ban on off-leash dog walking in Callan Park, says Mayor Darcy Byrne. Despite Callan park being used as an unofficial off-leash dog walking area for decades, the NSW government’s Greater Sydney Parklands Authority, which recently took control of the park, has warned […]
Another one bites the dust: Inner West Council GM calls it quits
By ALLISON HORE Following mayor Darcy Byrne's referral of his own council to the auditor general over its handling of the Dawny refurbishment, a senior official in the Inner West Council has decided to call it quits. In an email sent to council staff on Tuesday afternoon, acting general manager of the Inner West Council, […]
Mayor refers own council to auditor over Dawny delays
By ALLISON HORE Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne has referred his own council for investigation after repeated delays to the reopening of Balmain’s beloved Dawn Fraser baths. "The Dawny", Australia’s oldest public pool, closed in September 2019 for extensive renovations to preserve its heritage and to make it safer for swimmers. Initially, the council said […]
Rates harmonisation stirs disharmony
By ALLISON HORE The rates harmonisation process has continued to cause strife for Inner West councillors who called an extraordinary meeting to discuss the changes in response to growing community frustrations. Currently there are three rates structures across the Inner West. This disparity comes as a result of the three pre-amalgamation councils- Ashfield Council, Leichhardt […]
Politics muddies the waters at the Dawny
By EVA BAXTER A string of delays to the reopening of Dawn Fraser Baths in Balmain has local politicians pointing fingers. Inner West Council’s heritage restoration of the Baths was meant to be completed in time for the 2020/21 summer season. The opening has been delayed well past December, with the reopening date now set […]
