MR PETER WAITE, OAM, AND HORNSBY SHIRE COUNCIL
Page: 13046
Mr O'FARRELL (Ku-ring-gai—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) [5.59 p.m.]: Tonight I speak in support of Mr Peter Waite, OAM, who has spent many years serving the community of Pennant Hills and the northern part of Sydney generally. I take this opportunity to briefly summarise some of his achievements. He has been president of Pennant Hills Rotary Club and a member of that club for more than 15 years. He is a life benefactor of Hornsby hospital and was instrumental during the past term of Parliament in saving Hornsby hospital from the plans of the Minister for Health to close it. Mr Waite has been both president of the committee of Pennant Hills primary school and a member of it. He is a significant donor of money and time to various groups, including Scouts Australia and the Pennant Hills business group. Those scouts and cubs who use the Cherrybrook Scout Hall owe Peter Waite a huge debt of gratitude. I know he assisted during the construction of the hall Indeed, he physically helped to build it. From 1980 to 1987 Peter Waite was a councillor on Hornsby shire council. In 1996 he received an Order of Australia medal for his services to the local community.
I have listed some of the significant contributions Peter Waite has made to the community surrounding Pennant Hills. When someone of Peter's calibre comes to see me about his concerns it pays me to listen, and that is why I am making this contribution. For some time Mr Waite has raised with me ongoing concerns about Hornsby shire council, initially and principally about Hornsby council's decision to establish a bioremediation plant at Thornleigh. I have spoken about this saga on numerous occasions during the term of this Parliament, but the short version of the saga is that between $3 million and $5 million of ratepayers' money was wasted, in my view, by the administration led by the general manager, who was seeking a miracle cure to the problem of green waste in northern Sydney. The general manager was led by the former Minister for the Environment to set such unrealistic quotas on green waste reduction that councils were essentially left open to every crackpot who promised a miracle cure and, regrettably for Hornsby shire ratepayers, their council accepted one. As I said, $3 million to $5 million was lost.
In addition to the bioremediation issue, Mr Waite is justifiably angry about the way he has been treated by Hornsby council, particularly by former Hornsby councillor Scott Cardamatis. In July 1999 Peter Waite raised what he believed to be the improper use of a council car by a Hornsby councillor. The council investigated the matter, as the relevant council car was being used by former councillor Scott Cardamatis for trips to and from the local gym. That was clearly an inappropriate use of a ratepayer-funded car. Mr Waite was subsequently subjected to what he conceded was an unnecessary interrogation at a Hornsby council meeting and was subjected to a politically motivated application for an apprehended violence order. The application was eventually withdrawn and costs were awarded against Mr Cardamatis on the basis that the application was frivolous.
Essentially Mr Waite, a good citizen of Hornsby shire, was pursued and vilified for base political reasons. Mr Waite had an outstanding record to that community and was subjected callously, wilfully and without regard to the impact upon himself and his family to scandalous accusations simply for asking whether ratepayers were getting value for money from councillors and, in particular, whether councillors were misusing council vehicles. I am concerned about the political nature of the apprehended violence order and the damage that was done to Peter Waite and his name in the media as a result of the apprehended violence order. That was all done to help to create a smokescreen around the his real concern.
I raise this matter because Peter Waite and his family have suffered as a result of this incident and the way it was handled by the former Hornsby shire council. Peter Waite is owed both an apology by Hornsby shire council and the local community owes him a debt of gratitude. Mr Cardamatis' unfortunate involvement represents the complete antithesis of Mr Waite's distinguished contribution over the years. The personal nature of his retaliation against Peter Waite for raising real concerns speaks volumes about the methods that Mr Cardamatis employs to gain advantage anywhere he can. Once again I state my strong support for Peter Waite regarding both of these issues, and I hope that his contribution to our community continues, and that it continues to be acknowledged.