Latest news with #NedMannoun
Sydney Morning Herald
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘He stood on the mayor's foot': How the Liverpool Council chaos turned physical
Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun's troubled relationship with a long-time political rival is frustrating the operations of one of Sydney's largest councils, an inquiry has heard, amid accusations Peter Ristevski goaded the mayor and trod on his foot at a meeting earlier this year. The discord between the elected officials is among matters under the spotlight of the NSW Office of Local Government's public inquiry into Liverpool City Council, which is examining councillors' conduct as well as its handling of finances, property purchases, staff employment and more than $150 million in state government grants for infrastructure projects. Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig announced the public inquiry in July last year after a report detailed serious allegations of dysfunction and maladministration at the western Sydney council. In the month prior, the council had sensationally ousted its 10th chief executive in eight years, John Ajaka, the former president of the NSW Legislative Assembly, after a falling out with Mannoun. Counsel assisting the inquiry Trish McDonald, SC, said in her opening address on Monday the inquiry would consider whether the functioning body of the council – which oversees dozens of suburbs earmarked for significant growth – was operating effectively. Loading To that end, McDonald said the hearings would examine the 'long history on the council' and 'antagonism' between Mannoun, a Liberal, and Ristevski, a former Liberal councillor who returned as an independent in the local government elections in September. The pair appeared to have 'a troubled relationship which seems to be spilling in, or affecting, the operation of council', the inquiry was told. The inquiry was told about one alleged incident on February 20, when Mannoun met councillors and external recruiters to discuss the appointment of a new chief executive officer.
The Age
14-07-2025
- Politics
- The Age
‘He stood on the mayor's foot': How the Liverpool Council chaos turned physical
Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun's troubled relationship with a long-time political rival is frustrating the operations of one of Sydney's largest councils, an inquiry has heard, amid accusations Peter Ristevski goaded the mayor and trod on his foot at a meeting earlier this year. The discord between the elected officials is among matters under the spotlight of the NSW Office of Local Government's public inquiry into Liverpool City Council, which is examining councillors' conduct as well as its handling of finances, property purchases, staff employment and more than $150 million in state government grants for infrastructure projects. Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig announced the public inquiry in July last year after a report detailed serious allegations of dysfunction and maladministration at the western Sydney council. In the month prior, the council had sensationally ousted its 10th chief executive in eight years, John Ajaka, the former president of the NSW Legislative Assembly, after a falling out with Mannoun. Counsel assisting the inquiry Trish McDonald, SC, said in her opening address on Monday the inquiry would consider whether the functioning body of the council – which oversees dozens of suburbs earmarked for significant growth – was operating effectively. Loading To that end, McDonald said the hearings would examine the 'long history on the council' and 'antagonism' between Mannoun, a Liberal, and Ristevski, a former Liberal councillor who returned as an independent in the local government elections in September. The pair appeared to have 'a troubled relationship which seems to be spilling in, or affecting, the operation of council', the inquiry was told. The inquiry was told about one alleged incident on February 20, when Mannoun met councillors and external recruiters to discuss the appointment of a new chief executive officer.
Sky News AU
27-06-2025
- Automotive
- Sky News AU
‘It's not even round': Today show host labels new western Sydney roundabout ‘Australia's worst' as councillor seeks investigation
A 'shocking' western Sydney roundabout has been dubbed 'Australia's worst roundabout' by a Today show host after it was revealed the new intersection is shaped like a diamond. The installation was part of a bid to improve traffic congestion across Austral, with a Liverpool Council petition receiving more than 2000 signatures calling for urgent upgrades, but footage suggests conditions have worsened in the area. The video, released by the Today show, shows multiple drivers struggling to navigate the oddly shaped roundabout, which connects Fifteenth Avenue and Twenty Eighth Avenue. One car can be seen doing a three-point turn, while another cuts across the intersection, narrowly avoiding colliding with a third car. Today show host Karl Stefanovic dubbed it 'Australia's worst roundabout.' The intersection has been further criticised by councillors, Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun declaring council will be 'putting the round back into roundabout.' 'The staff responsible have made some design changes that they intend on implementing as soon as possible,' he said. 'No one applied common sense.' Appearing on the Today show as he attends the Australian Local Government Conference in Canberra, councillor Peter Ristevski said he has had 'every single councillor that's here in Australia rip into me about our roundabout." 'It's quite embarrassing,' he said. 'I've asked for an investigation into this, and in particular what it's going to cost us to rectify this.' 'My inbox last night was bombarded with over 200 to 300 responses saying, 'what is going on, you guys can't even build a roundabout?.' Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Premier Chris Minns pledged $1 billlion in January to upgrade Fifteenth Avenue. It's understood no accidents have occurred at the roundabout, despite its dangerous appearance. Frustrated locals have taken to social media to express their disappointment. 'You would think that someone should have stopped for a second and thought 'that's a stupid roundabout, it's not even round',' one said. 'I can tell you with firsthand experience, it's shocking. Most people struggle with a normal roundabout, this just melts people's brains as they approach it,' said another.
ABC News
05-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
A waterfront mini city in Liverpool, a campaigning council and a Sydney developer with a colourful past
Minutes after the Rosehill Gardens Racecourse mini city plan was scuttled, one council spruiked a solution. Half an hour south-west of the racecourse lies a large swathe of industrial land, ripe for rezoning, Liverpool City Council declared. A planning proposal for a $9 billion waterfront mini city was well advanced. It could be signed off 'with the stroke of the Premier's pen', the council's timely press release suggested. Mayor Ned Mannoun called for an urgent meeting with the NSW premier and followed up with a direct text to Chris Minns. He hasn't heard back. If the 31.4-hectare site is rezoned from light industrial to mixed use, major landholders Coronation Property and Leamac Property Group stand to make a windfall. The developers have been advocating for rezoning for a decade and are currently locked in final negotiations with the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI). If you have any information about a story, contact Amy Greenbank. They are proposing to build 11,000 apartments over 30 to 40 years, a large retail hub, a primary school, pedestrian bridges, and an 8-kilometre foreshore walk "Moore Point", as it will be known, is a "once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver Australia's next Great Riverfront City", according to exhibited planning documents. But the proposed high-rises will be built on a floodplain, as the site sits on a peninsula between the Georges River and Lake Moore. A 2022 flood study found that if the development went ahead it would likely generate 25,000 vehicles, but the roads only had capacity for 5,500 evacuating cars in a "probable maximum flood". "Noah's flood is not a planning benchmark," Mr Mannoun said, arguing the flood level criteria was unnecessarily restrictive and holding back housing. The DPHI has asked the developers to conduct further flood modelling. It's not the first time Mr Mannoun has publicly advocated for a Coronation project. While in office in 2016, he featured in two promotional videos for the developer, supporting an earlier Liverpool project called the 'Paper Mill'. "It's wonderful and it's so exciting, and it's great to be part of the project… Let's embrace it," he told viewers. The high-rise was later hit with a building work rectification order, including for "uncontrolled cracking" in four basements. Owners sued Coronation's building arm, MN Builders, and a subsidiary in the Supreme Court over alleged defects on common property. In 2021, the council took legal action against Coronation over unpaid rates at the Shepherd Street site. The matter was resolved out of court. Coronation also failed to deliver a promised boardwalk allowing direct access to the Georges River, which was a requirement under its 2017 voluntary planning agreement (VPA) with the council. "We don't have an issue with them [Coronation]," Mr Mannoun said, adding he was unaware of the alleged defects in the Paper Mill. A spokesperson for Coronation said it had largely fulfilled its VPA, and the "final portion" of the riverwalk works would be completed within three months, adding the rectification works on the Paper Mill site had been finished. Liverpool City Council said the boardwalk would be delivered in six months and Coronation "had not failed to meet its obligations", as it was a complex project. The VPA required the riverwalk to be completed before the Occupation Certificate was signed off, which was several years ago. Mr Mannoun said he "pitches and promotes" a range of developers who had "good quality" projects in his council area. He is not overly concerned about the optics of maintaining close proximity to developers, even with a looming inquiry into his council, which begins public hearings on July 14. "Define too close. What's too close? If people want to meet with the mayor, they meet the mayor," he said. In 2024 an interim investigation into Liverpool City Council by the Office of Local Government NSW alleged elected officials, "in particular the mayor", were intervening in the development assessment process. "Every mayor and councillor makes representations … no-one can produce where I've done something inappropriate," Mr Mannoun told the ABC. A spokesperson for Coronation said it maintained a "good working relationship" with local councillors and state and federal MPs. Australian-owned and operated Coronation Property has been plagued by controversy in recent years. The company currently has nine high-rise projects in the pipeline, which it estimates to be worth $5.7 billion. However, in 2022 its building arm, MN Builders, narrowly avoided being stripped of its building registration. After a brief Supreme Court battle, the company struck an enforceable undertaking with the Department of Customer Service and agreed to conduct an independent audit of its practices. The company was also named in the former NSW building commissioner's resignation letter in 2022. David Chandler briefly quit shortly after issuing MN Builders a stop work order over Coronation's Merrylands project 'Mason and Main'. In his resignation letter, which was sent to the anti-corruption watchdog, Mr Chandler raised concerns about an alleged relationship between then-minister Eleni Petinos' office and Coronation. He also stated he received a message from the former deputy premier John Barilaro, who had joined the Coronation board, shortly after issuing the order. A spokesperson for Coronation said its Moore Point project would be the "jewel in the crown" for south-western Sydney, where there is a dire shortage of housing. Coronation is represented by Premier Communications Group, where former NSW premier Morris Iemma is senior counsel.
