Irene Doutney, a tireless campaigner for the downtrodden, laid down her warrior gloves on June 11.
NSW councils and local government
The iconic Bondi Pavilion on the foreshore of Bondi Beach has been saved from privatisation, and discussions have commenced about plans for its future as a cultural centre and creative hub.
The big swing against the Liberal Party in recent council elections resulted in former Liberal mayor of Waverley Council Sally Betts, who was pushing hard for the commercialisation of the pavilion, being replaced as mayor.
After more than six months camped outside the Reserve Bank building in Martin Place, and following months of negotiations between the state government and the City of Sydney Council, the homeless occupants of Sydney鈥檚 tent city began packing up their belongings on August 11.
The man often called the 鈥淢ayor of Martin Place鈥, Lanz Priestley, said some camp dwellers were moving to 鈥渇riend鈥檚 places鈥 or 鈥渇riend鈥檚 backyards鈥, but some 鈥渄on鈥檛 have anywhere to go鈥.
Unionists and their supporters defied a police ban on this year鈥檚 traditional May Day march with a militant march and rally of some 500 unionists and their supporters through the city鈥檚 streets on May 6.
An obstructive Wollongong City Council had blocked police approval and demanded a hefty fee for private security services.
South Coast working class icon and veteran class fighter, 95-year-old Fred Moore, proudly marched at the front. He has never missed a May Day march since his first in 1932.
Despite the wet weather, the commemoration of the 213th Anniversary of the Battle of Vinegar Hill went ahead at the Vinegar Hill Monument in the grounds of Castlebrook Memorial Park on March 5.
Hobart City Council has joined eight other Australian councils in pledging to end its involvement with any company profiting from abusive practices towards people seeking asylum.
The pledge states that the council will no longer do business with companies, such as Wilson Security and Ferrovial鈥檚 Broadspectrum, that take up contracts in Australia鈥檚 immigration detention camps.
The massive win by independent City of Sydney Council Lord Mayor Clover Moore and the big swing to Labor in outer suburban councils are big blows to Premier Mike Baird and the state government. This comes on top of a growing slide in the government's popularity as a result of a series of policies that have caused widespread public backlash in the state.
Plans to build a mosque in Buchanan in the Hunter Valley, NSW, were approved 6鈥4 after nearly two hours of emotional speeches at a meeting of Cessnock Council on July 20.
The Newcastle Muslim Association applied to build a 390 square-metre place of worship and funeral home on 23 hectares at Buchanan, south of Maitland.
But the 12 residents who spoke against the mosque said it is too big, will create traffic congestion and noise and is inappropriate in a rural area. Some also said they were concerned about the safety of their children travelling to school and feared increased crime.
A proposal for a refugee hub at Callan Park has won the support of Leichhardt Council.
Leichhardt Council decided on December 8 to write to the state and federal governments to request funding for the establishment of a Refugee Welcome Centre in Callan Park.
Leichardt Mayor Darcy Byrne said: 鈥淏y offering a place in our own backyard to the orphans and widows fleeing Syria and elsewhere, we can put our good intentions into action.鈥
Rather than reducing traffic congestion in Sydney, a report commissioned by the Leichhardt Council has found that the giant WestConnex tollway project will increase traffic problems in the city's inner west.
The report, which analysed the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the M4 East component of WestConnex 鈥 a tunnel from Concord to Ashfield 鈥 was released on October 20.
Newcastle is a major centre for coal exports. When Newcastle City Council flirts with any hint of fossil fuel divestment, expect controversy.
On August 25, the council approved a policy giving preference to 鈥渆nvironmentally and socially responsible investments鈥. This was supported by Labor and Greens councillors, and opposed by Liberal and independent councillors.
The Labor-dominated Newcastle council has defied pressure from unions and senior ALP figures to rescind moves to investigate moving a $270 million investment portfolio away from banks that fund 鈥樷榮ocially and environmentally鈥欌 harmful projects and industry.
Labor鈥檚 Cr Declan Clausen, who moved the original motion, said it was not against the coal industry or coal jobs, but a symbolic move in support of 鈥樷榙ifferent jobs for the future鈥欌 and a shift to renewables and a clean energy industry.
- Previous page
- Page 2
- Next page