News in brief
Image: Christine Forster
Complaint against Forster dismissed
A complaint made against Liberal City of Sydney Councillor Christine Forster, over an alleged conflict of interest, has been dismissed. As first reported by the City Hub in January, former Greens Councillor Chris Harris lodged a complaint against Ms Forster late last year, claiming her employment as the Asia Oil news correspondent for Platts, a specialist oil industry news service, represented a conflict of interest affecting her vote against the City of Sydney’s trigeneration plans last November. The complaint was ultimately referred to City of Sydney CEO Monica Barone, who has found Ms Forster did not breach Council’s Code of Conduct. Ms Forster, who declared her employment with Platts as “a non-pecuniary, non-significant interest”, said she voted against trigeneration because “it represents an unacceptably large commitment of ratepayer funds and carries unacceptably high commercial and technical risks”.
New pool for South Sydney
While the City of Sydney Council has yet to complete the Prince Alfred Park Pool upgrade near Central Station, it has committed to hastening an eight-year-old promise to build a public swimming pool in the South Sydney area. The pool was foreshadowed in 2005, when the City of Sydney released its Aquatic Leisure Development Strategy, and committed to building a pool in the former South Sydney City Council area, which merged with the City of Sydney in 2004. Labor Councillor Linda Scott, who raised the issue at Monday night’s Council meeting, said: “I look forward to seeing a date for the first sod to be turned – finally – on a pool for the communities of South Sydney.”
WikiLeaks at Mardi Gras
WikiLeaks supporters are invited to take part in the Support Assange and WikiLeaks Coalition (SAWC) float in the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade this Saturday night (March 2). SAWC spokesperson Linda Pearson said: “SAWC is entering a float in this year’s Mardi Gras to raise awareness about Bradley Manning and Julian Assange, and to demonstrate our solidarity with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex communities.” Ms Pearson said Mr Manning had now been imprisoned for over 1000 days without trial for his part in leaking US government secrets to the media. For more information, email sawcparade@gmail.com or call 0401 511 588.
