Wed 27 Feb 2008					REF:6121LaS1
					Y/R: Child Protection in Sport
TO:	The Hon Paul LYNCH MP	cc	Federal and State MPs
	Minister for Local Government	Concerned Parents
	NSW PARLIAMENT

Dear Minister

	HAS DLG BEEN NEGLIGENT ON COUNCILLOR TRAINING ?

Further to the inadequate response from Garry PAYNE Director General 
of the NSW Department of Local Government the question has to be asked 
if your department has been negligent on the issue of Councillor
Training ?

A	Is Mosman Council an isolated case ?
B	Councils and Political Donations
C	Next Steps

A	IS MOSMAN COUNCIL AN ISOLATED CASE ?

Is Mosman Council an isolated case or have other Councils like Tweed, 
Strathfield, Wollongong and Warringah not received the expected level
of Governance from your Department ?

The Public Inquiry into the Warringah Council in 2003 {Att A - extract
Warringah Council Public Enquiry report) clearly states what a Council 
should do:

"6.1.1.7 The involvement of groups such as those referred to in this Section,
        should be seen as beneficial to a Council that sees itself as

	1	valuing community participation in decision making

	2 	welcoming the opinion of all

	3 	conducting its dealings in an atmosphere of mutual respect

	4 	providing an opportunity for members of the public and 
		users/special interest groups to assist Council in managing
		the facilities or providing services that meet community 
		needs and expectations 

However the response from Garry PAYNE failed to mention any of those issues
or direct the Council to review its obligations to the Public.

We currently have Mosman Council trying to hide behind its legal retainers 
and wasting further Ratepayers' money rather than sitting down to try to 
resolve the Parents' concerns !

B	COUNCILS AND POLITICAL DONATIONS	

No doubt during the ICAC investigation into Wollongong Council many councils 
like the Mosman Mayor will produce a statement about Councils and Political
Donations {Att B - Mayoral Minute 26 Feb 2008) 

What the Mayor may not have understood yet about Outsourcing is that the 
donations may be far more subtle.

An example could be in the form of Shares in new State-owned-Corporations 
[SoC] and their service providers.

As the recent announcement that a former premier sold shares in an Indian
Coal Mining Company for $ 16,000,000 indicates the rewards for Public Office
are extending beyond Sport
 
The fact that the Indian Company has great interest in a "coal seam that could
cause coalmine subsidence in upto 91% of Sydney's Water Catchment" and will 
need geotechnical surveys in the future appears to have aroused little interest 
{Att C - SMH 23 Jan 2008}.

C	NEXT STEPS

We would appreciate confirmation that someone from the Ministry of Local 
Government will attend the next Mosman Council meeting on Tue 04 Mar 2008.

Thank you

Yours sincerely

Stephen GOULD			
Hon Secretary			
KIDS SAFE-AT-SPORT NETWORK	

E:	Stephen.gould@ksas-au.net
M:	0416-009-468
W:	http://www.ksas-au.net