Bosses' Computers Used For Approvals

Illawarra Mercury

Wednesday February 20, 2008

By COURTNEY TRENWITH

FORMER Wollongong City Council town planner Beth Morgan used her superiors' computers to disguise the fact she had approved multimillion-dollar development applications for her lovers, an ICAC inquiry heard yesterday.

The confession was one of many made by Ms Morgan during her second day of evidence in which she said she had bypassed council planning policies and procedures to ensure the approval of development applications (DAs) made by her lover and developer Frank Vellar.

Ms Morgan, 32, admitted she sent Mr Vellar council reports and complaints made against his DAs to build the proposed $100 million Quattro project and to redevelop the North Beach Bathers' Pavilion.

She had appointed herself assessment officer for the Quattro project.

Ms Morgan also said she had approved a modification of businessman Michael Kollaras' DA for his development at 14 Harbour St, at a time she was having sex with him. Mr Kollaras denies he ever had a sexual relationship with her.

On Monday she told the commission she also had a sexual relationship with developer Glen Tabak.

She said yesterday she had decided to tell the truth in the ICAC inquiry after giving a false statement in June last year.

"Because there is only so long in your life you can go along putting up with it and where you just eventually have to take the stand and say what the truth is," Ms Morgan said.

"You have to face it. You either cross that bridge now or it's going to haunt you forever."

Ms Morgan said she was scared into giving the false statement on June 4, in which she denied receiving gifts from developers and that she had had sex with Mr Tabak or Mr Kollaras.

Ms Morgan told Commissioner Jerrold Cripps she had been forced into making the false statement by Ron Younan, who she had paid $50,000 in the belief he was a corrupt ICAC officer who would destroy evidence against her in the investigation.

She said he told her to say whatever he wanted her to or "he would see me hang".

She feared for her safety but was too scared to contact ICAC or the police.

"I just thought that if I went along with it they (Mr Younan and his alleged accomplice Gerry Carroll) are not going to do anything to me," she said.

Ms Morgan told the inquiry she had used development, assessment and compliance manager John Gilbert's log on when she approved a 10 per cent reduction in section 94 developer contribution fees for Mr Vellar's Quattro development, saving him $84,807.94.

Ms Morgan claimed Mr Gilbert, who is also a named witness in the inquiry, gave her permission to use his computer because her own log on was not working.

She gave evidence that she had had to override the automatic computer program to allow the fee reduction.

Ms Morgan also used senior planning officer Chris Hammersley's computer in March 2005 to approve the refund of a $10,000 cash deposit paid to the council by Mr Kollaras.

Mr Hammersley denied allowing Ms Morgan to use his computer, counsel assisting the commission Noel Hemmings, QC, said.

Ms Morgan said: "I believe he gave me the right to use the computer because when you leave your computer you're supposed to shut it down."

An email sent from Ms Morgan to Mr Kollaras on March 30, 2005 referred to her use of Mr Hammersley's computer to benefit Mr Kollaras.

"Your lucky day today approval issued this morning," Ms Morgan wrote.

"You're the best. Thank you very very much," Mr Kollaras replied.

Ms Morgan: "Tell Tabak (who was the builder) he definitely owes Chris a lunch. Not that he did anything but give me his computer to access for half and hour but he still owes him one."

Mr Hammersley is not a witness in the inquiry.

Ms Morgan also gave evidence against former council officer Joe Scimone, who resigned last year amid sexual harassment allegations.

Ms Morgan told the inquiry she had stopped being friends with Mr Scimone "sometime in 2004 because Joe wouldn't take no for an answer".

"He was smarter than me and he knew people of influence and of power and he could get things done like hiring and firing of people, causing grief to people," she said.

Ms Morgan said Mr Scimone was "involved" with developers, interfered with the processing of developments, and had been offered a jetski for getting "in on" the council's waste contract, which he was in charge of.

On Monday, the inquiry heard Ms Morgan did not disclose numerous gifts received from Mr Vellar and Mr Tabak, including holidays and cash payments.

She admitted to approving DAs that did not meet planning guidelines but claimed she had felt pressured because of a climate created by former general manager Rod Oxley to approve all DAs.

She told the inquiry she felt pressured by Mr Oxley, who is a witness, to approve non-conforming DAs or she risked losing her job.

Ms Morgan will be cross-examined today. Mr Vellar is also expected to give evidence today.

© 2008 Illawarra Mercury

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