by Samantha Williams
June 24, 2003, St. George Leader
Hurstville Council has pledged $50,000 to the Dragons Back to Kogarah efforts, with councillors Bill Pickering and Chris Lee the only dissenters.
Cr Pickering, a former mayor of Hurstville, opposed the donation because, three weeks earlier, winger Hassan Saleh was fined $2,000 by the club for calling his daughter and her friends "[expletive deleted] sluts" during a night out at Cronulla.
The proposal passed eight votes to two at the budget meeting on June 18.
Cr Merv Lynch declared an interest and did not vote because he is a member of St. George Leagues Club.
Cr Pickering said his opposition to the donation was not just based on recent events.
"Common decency and responsibility for ratepayers’ money are the key issues in this matter," Cr Pickering said.
"Councillors are scratching around for gutless excuses to justify this money being paid to a football club instead of being used for essential community services." Cr Pickering also reminded councillors that almost half - 40 percent - of people who used the regional library and aquatic centre were residents of Kogarah Municipality.
"Kogarah Council has never given us one cent towards the operation of these services and yet they expect Hurstville to pay $50,000 for football games held in their municipality," he said.
Return to Kogarah (R2K) member Lachlan McLean, who attended the meeting, said he was elated about the council’s decision.
"I went to that meeting just to hear the result," Mr McLean said.
"I can empathise with Cr Pickering but that player was brought into line and I don’t see why a decision like that should go against a whole community."
Hurstville’s contribution of $50,000 has been matched by Rockdale, while the State Government has set aside $800,000.
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