By Paul Ellercamp
St. George & Sutherland Shire Leader
September 12th 2002
Kogarah Council is to formally approach Hurstville & Rockdale councils asking them each to contribute $50,000 to the campaign to get the St. George-Illawarra Dragons back to Jubilee Oval.
But in what’s described as “an oversight”, Kogarah has not put any money into the campaign itself.
The oversight has brought to a head a simmering issue amongst Kogarah, Rockdale and Hurstville councils which threatens to undermine the regional approach the councils have taken to the Dragons campaign.
Sources at both Rockdale and Hurstville feel they are being locked out of influence in the Dragons campaign.
They say they have not been included in key meetings and were left out of the media launch last week when the Dragons formally announce their return to Kogarah.
The first time that Rockdale mayor, Shaoquett Moselmane, knew of the launch was when he saw Kogarah mayor Jim Taylor on TV.
Hurstville Council is believed to have learnt of the launch the night before.
But neither council was invited along, nor was included in meetings with the St. George Leagues Club where the club’s $400,000 guarantee of the fund-raising campaign was discussed.
Now Rockdale and Hurstville are being asked for money while Kogarah has put none into the campaign itself.
Rockdale mayor Moselmane said yesterday: “Kogarah Council itself should show leadership on this issue. They should be more inclusive. They should put their money where their mouth is.”
Rockdale Council has voted $7,000 to support a fundraising co-ordinator, but has left the issue of donating to the campaign proper until later.
Hurstville council has twice deferred the issue, awaiting more information.
Hurstville mayor Badalati said yesterday: “When the letter comes in, our council will consider it”.
While Kogarah Council voted $20,000 last Monday night to support a fund-raising co-ordinator to raise the needed $400,000, there was no contribution to the campaign.
Kogarah mayor Jim Taylor described this yesterday as “an oversight”. He thought the issue had been covered in a previous council resolution.
But none of the resolutions passed at Kogarah so far authorise any contribution to the campaign.
Mayor Taylor would not say when the “oversight” would be rectified.
When the issue was raised at last Monday’s Kogarah Council meeting, Cr Sam Witheridge (Lib) suggested that approaches to Hurstville and Rockdale should be written into the resolution.
In the end, a new point was added to the resolution, that Kogarah write to Rockdale and Hurstville asking them to match the Leagues Club’s contribution of $50,000.