Review timeline

Oct 2004

Director-General of Local Government advises Gosford Council that the department would conduct a review of Council under its "Promoting Better Practice" reform program.

8 Nov 2004 After receiving a completed checklist, self-assessment and other documents from the council, two departmental officers conducted an on-site review and examination of documents during this week.

May 2005 The department provides council with a copy of its draft review report for comment.

30 Jun 2005 Council provides itemised responses to the draft report's 37 recommendations.

12 Dec 2005 The department advises Council that the review report has been finalised and requests that it be tabled at a council meeting.

28 Feb 2006 Council's corporate services director Mr Nic Pasternatsky reports to Council about the review with a statement that the review report "is tabled in accordance with the department's request".

The review was not published in the council agenda or minutes and is not available on the Council's website.

The report to council listed only nine of the 37 recommendations made in the review document and the associated actions being taken by council.

No mention was made of the Peninsula Leisure Centre project and the recommendation concerning it was not among them.

Mr Pasternatsky told Council in his report: "The department ... acknowledged that a number of the recommendations had already been actioned or were currently being addressed by council.

"As a result of this, further action is required for only nine specific recommendations."

30 Aug 2006 Peninsula News comes across the final review report, which includes criticism of the Council's management of the Peninsula Leisure Centre project, on the department's website.

The report did not contain Council's response.

Peninsula News seeks a comment from Council's media liaison staff by email at 3.48pm.

1 Sep 2006 Peninsula News sends Council a reminder email at 3.57pm, asking whether a comment was coming from Council.

2 Sep 2006 Peninsula News goes to press without any response from Gosford Council.

4 Sep 2006 Peninsula News is published.

5 Sep 2006 Cr Chris Holstein asks a question of Council's general manager Mr Peter Wilson at the evening council meeting: "Will the Council ... ask the Peninsula News to explain why they have misled the public that Council had not replied to a question when they asked the question one day after the paper's 4 September 2006 deadline had passed?"

Mr Wilson replied: "We will be taking this matter up with the newspaper and the Department in an endeavour to have our responses included in the Department's website."

14 Sep 2006 Peninsula News seeks a copy of Council's responses from the Department and receives a faxed copy.

16 Sep 2006 Peninsula News goes to press.

The Department's website has been updated to include Council's responses as part of the final review report.

Peninsula News has still not received an official reply from Gosford Council.

Mark Snell, September 16