Blue Mountains City Council is facing the threat of being suspended in the wake of allegations about asbestos management.
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Local government minister Gabrielle Upton has issued a notice of intention to suspend the council following allegations relating to its asbestos management practices.
“I am concerned the council is not functioning effectively following the volume and scope of recent regulatory notices issues by SafeWork NSW and the Environment Protection Authority, including SafeWork’s decision to launch a full investigation into the council’s management of asbestos, the significance of the problem identified in these notices, and the level of community concern," Ms Upton said.
The council has seven days to respond to the notice and put forward an alternative case. Otherwise, a statement from the NSW Government notes, the council could face being suspended and an interim administrator being appointed. Councillors will remain in place during the seven-day response period.
Blue Mountains City mayor, Mark Greenhill, told the Blue Mountains Gazette that it was a politically motivated act.
“There is no excuse for this. There is no finding against the elected body. Issues that have been troubling the council are operational issues, they are not to do with the functioning of the elected councillors.”
The mayor said he will meet with his fellow councillors tonight and he has also called an extraordinary council meeting for Friday night.
He will be seeking legal advice on council’s options, he said.
Mayor Greenhill described the minister’s actions as “politically motivated” because of past clashes between the state government and council.
“It means the council that stood up to the state government is now in the process of being removed.
“That means no more resistance to Badgerys Creek Airport, no more resistance to the plans for overdevelopment and this means no holding the government to account for times of natural disaster when they let us down.”
Under the Local Government Act a council can be suspended for three months and an interim administrator appointed to restore its “proper or effective functioning”.
This story first appeared in the Blue Mountains Gazette.
