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Update 17 December 2015: Our Submission and the Ministers’ Response
151008 Letter To Minister Toole Re Background Briefing Program
151217 Response From Minister Toole Re Background Briefing Program
This is the pathetic response received to our submission to the Minister for Local Government 10 weeks after it was acknowledged as received by the Department, bearing in mind that this program and the allegations raised in was aired on 04 October 2015. The Minister suggests that we complain to the Council General Manager or ICAC. Been there, done that, and got absolutely nowhere.
This matter has progressed even further now with the Environmental Protection Authority becoming involved and allegations of Acid sulfate contamination by local residents seem to be vindicated:
“The state’s environmental watchdog has expanded an “ongoing criminal investigation” of alleged dumping of building waste at Port Stephens mayor Bruce MacKenzie’s family business to include the dumping of contaminated building waste at a council-owned Salt Ash equestrian park.”
Newcastle Herald 17 December 2015: Port Stephens mayor Bruce MacKenzie faces more questions about soil dumped at a Salt Ash park
TRRA Asks: How much more of this sort of behavior will be tolerated by this Government and its Minister before some action will be taken? It is all over the press, on the National Broadcaster, raised in Parliament by the Local Member Kate Washington, the subject of numerous Codes of Conduct, letters and submissions from Community Groups, pleas to ICAC, all to no avail. It seems that the only recourse that the long suffering constituents of this LGA will have is at the ballot box in the Council elections next year. The message sent then may focus the Ministers mind on his inaction, and the fact that he might be next!
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