A Liberal councillor has slammed Labor's "petty internal political disputes" after lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes accused a senior Hunter politician of "bullying tactics" over the future of the city's inland pools.
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City of Newcastle's seven Labor councillors recused themselves from a confidential debate on awarding a contract to lease and operate the five council pools on Tuesday night because interactions with an unnamed politician had created a conflict of interest.
Cr Nelmes told the meeting that she would have to remove herself from a discussion because on multiple occasions since last year the politician had instructed her privately and publicly on how to vote on the tender to manage the city's pools.
"This instruction was made without any understanding of the potential impacts on other services operated by the city or cost to ratepayers," she said.
Cr Nelmes alleged she was subjected to "relentless bullying tactics" that included trying to ban her from meetings with other elected members and from speaking at local meetings about the operation of the pools.
"I've had colleagues in tears, and I've even had a colleague verbally abused today via phone," she told her fellow councillors.
"Unfortunately, due to this inappropriate conduct that you've heard about, just the tip of the iceberg, also in the media, direct phone calls to councillors and even a statement under parliamentary privilege, a perception has been created that my vote on pool operations has been predetermined.
"I'm extremely disappointed that I have been put in such a position, however I will not compromise on the highest standards of probity and good governance that ratepayers expect."
The Newcastle Herald reported in November that the council had called for tenders from private operators to lease the five inland pools for up to 21 years from July 2023.
Cr Nelmes alleged the politician, who she said was also a former councillor, had tried to achieve a predetermined outcome on the pools tender.
She told the meeting that the politician had been part of a council which had tried to close Mayfield pool and had paved the way for a subsequent conservative council to "try and close Beresfield pool".
Cr Nelmes said that after consulting the council's code of conduct, Independent Commission Against Corruption guidelines, local government officials and legal advice she was left with no option but to declare a conflict of interest in the matter and remove herself from the discussion.
Labor deputy mayor Declan Clausen and Labor councillors Peta Winney-Baartz, Carol Duncan, Deahnna Richardson, Margaret Wood and Elizabeth Adamczyk also raised a significant non-pecuniary interest in the matter and left the chamber.
Cr Adamczyk said she was "exceptionally disappointed" to have to recuse herself from the discussion.
"I'm disappointed for my colleagues that have done an incredible amount of work to here and are now facing this avoidable situation," she said.
"Our community trusts that we do our due diligence, that we engage in these important considerations, and in having to make this declaration we are unable to represent our constituents adequately."
Four councillors remained in the chamber to discuss the confidential tender report but did not have the numbers to form a quorum.
The Labor councillors re-entered the chamber and the full council resolved to delegate responsibility for the awarding or otherwise of the pools lease and operation contract to council chief executive Jeremy Bath.
The Herald has been told the seven Labor councillors voted in favour of the motion delegating responsibility to Mr Bath while the Greens, Liberals and independents voted against it.
Liberal councillor Katrina Wark said her party colleagues were "extremely disappointed that lord mayor Nelmes and her Labor colleagues decided to remove themselves from the meeting".
"The ratepayers of Newcastle deserve better than this dysfunction exacerbated over petty internal political disputes as opposed to working together," she said.
"The lord mayor and deputy lord mayor have decided to go to war with a respected local member over petty internal disputes.
"It's a shame that this is all playing out to the detriment of all Newcastle ratepayers and pool users.
"Labor dominates local, state and federal politics throughout Newcastle.
"They're that dysfunctional that they can't even get the three war memorial pools right."
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Madeline Link
Madeline Link is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald, with a focus on Lake Macquarie City Council. To keep up with my stories, follow my Twitter @madeline_link, for tips email madeline.link@newcastleherald.com.au.
Madeline Link is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald, with a focus on Lake Macquarie City Council. To keep up with my stories, follow my Twitter @madeline_link, for tips email madeline.link@newcastleherald.com.au.
