Public Inquiry into Liverpool City Council

The Minister for Local Government has appointed Ross Glover as Commissioner to hold a Public Inquiry under section 438U of the Local Government Act 1993 (The Act) into Liverpool City Council.

The Terms of Reference of the Inquiry are:

    1. In exercising its functions under section 21, 22, 23 and 24 of the Act, the governing body is meeting its obligations to provide strong and effective leadership in a manner consistent with the guiding principles set out in section 8A, 8B, and 8C of the Act, including whether its leadership with respect to Council’s management of its responsibilities relating to long term financial planning, public land management and provision of services is appropriate;

    1. In exercising its functions under section 21, 22, 23 and 24 of the Act, Council is meeting its obligations to act as a responsible employer, providing a safe, consultative and supportive working environment for the general manager and other staff in a manner consistent with the guiding principles set out in section 8A(1)(i) of the Act and any other statutory requirements considered relevant;

    1. In exercising its functions under section 21, 22, 23 and 24, and Part 2, Divisions 2 and 3 of Chapter 9 of the Act, the governing body’s Mayor and councillors’ conduct and decision-making both collectively and/or individually demonstrates an understanding of their role under sections 226 and 232 of the Act;

    1. In exercising its functions under section 21, 22, 23 and 24 of the Act, the governing body acts in accordance with the guiding principles set out in section 8A of the Act, including whether the governing body commands the confident of the community; and

    1. Any other matter that warrants mention, particularly those that may impact upon the effective administration of the Council’s functions and responsibilities or the community’s confidence in the Council being able to do so.

 

Resumption of Public Hearings

The first rounds of the hearings in the Inquiry were held from 14 July to 1 August 2025 and 18 August to 29 August 2025.

The next phase of the hearings in the Inquiry will be held over the course of four weeks in two sitting periods as follows:

  • 21 October 2025 to 31 October 2025; and
  • 17 November 2025 to 28 November 2025.

Subject to the direction of the Commissioner, and the need to hold a private hearing where the Commissioner deems that necessary, the hearings will be open to the public and will be livestreamed. Daily transcripts will be placed on the Inquiry website as they become available.

The hearings will continue to be held at Level 2, Chief Secretary’s Building, 121 Macquarie Street (access on Bridge Street), Sydney, NSW 2000.

Priority within the hearing room will be given to the representatives of persons who have an approved application for authorisation to appear. An overflow room displaying a live stream of the hearings will be available to members of the public.

Members of the public are strongly encouraged to view the public hearings via the livestream.

 

Livestream of public hearings

The public hearings of the Inquiry will be live streamed. Members of the public are strongly encouraged to watch the livestream as there is highly limited seating in the hearing room.

The live streams may be accessed here.

 

Public hearings: witness schedule

The schedule for each week of the public hearings will generally be published on the preceding Friday.

Public hearings will generally commence at 10am. The schedule is subject to change as the hearings proceed.

 

Witness schedule: week 1, 14 July – 18 July 2025

Monday 14 July 2025 Tuesday 15 July 2025 Wednesday 16 July 2025 Thursday 17 July 2025 Friday 18 July 2025
Openings Adam Dansie Farooq Portelli Tim Pasley
Openings Brad Medina Farooq Portelli Sheldon Rodricks

 

Witness schedule: week 2, 21 July – 25 July 2025

Monday 21 July 2025 Tuesday 22 July 2025 Wednesday 23 July 2025 Thursday 24 July 2025 Friday 25 July 2025
Farooq Portelli (resumed) Vishwa Nadan John Ajaka John Ajaka Eddie Jackson
Vishwa Nadan Vishwa Nadan John Ajaka John Ajaka Eddie Jackson

 

Witness schedule: week 3, 28 July – 1 August 2025

Monday 28 July 2025 Tuesday 29 July 2025 Wednesday 30 July 2025 Thursday 31 July 2025 Friday 1 August 2025
– John Ajaka Shayne Mallard Emily Tinson
Eddie Jackson (resumed) John Ajaka John Ajaka Shayne Mallard Emily Tinson

 

Witness schedule: week 4, 18 August – 22 August 2025

 Monday 18 August 2025 Tuesday 19 August 2025 Wednesday 20 August 2025 Thursday 21 August 2025 Friday 22 August 2025
Shayne Mallard Sandie Morthen Sandie Morthen, Lauren Myers Lauren Myers Nathan Hagarty MP, John Ajaka
Lauren Myers Nathan Hagarty MP John Ajaka

 

Witness schedule: week 5, 25 August – 29 August 2025

Monday 25 August 2025 Tuesday 26 August 2025 Wednesday 27 August 2025 Thursday 28 August 2025 Friday 29 August 2025
Nathan Hagarty Jason Breton Jason Breton Jason Breton Jason Breton

 

Witness schedule: week 6, 1 September – 5 September 2025

Monday 1 September 2025 Tuesday 2 September 2025 Wednesday 3 September 2025 Thursday 4 September 2025 Friday 5 September 2025
Jason Breton Jason Breton Fiona Macnaught Betty Green Peter Harle
Jason Breton (2pm)

 

Witness schedule: week 7, 20 October – 24 October 2025

Monday 20 October 2025 Tuesday 21 October 2025 Wednesday 22 October 2025 Thursday 23 October 2025 Friday 24 October 2025
– Peter Harle Peter Harle, Matthew Harte Matthew Harte Matthew Harte
– – Matthew Harte Matthew Harte Vishwa Nadan

 

Witness schedule: week 8, 27 October – 31 October 2025

Monday 27 October 2025 Tuesday 28 October 2025 Wednesday 29 October 2025 Thursday 30 October 2025 Friday 31 October 2025
Peter Ristevski Fiona Macnaught Peter Ristevski Peter Ristevski Peter Ristevski
Peter Ristevski Matthew Harte Peter Ristevski Peter Ristevski

 

Witness schedule: week 9, 3 November – 7 November 2025

Monday 3 November 2025 Tuesday 4 November 2025 Wednesday 5 November 2025 Thursday 6 November 2025 Friday 7 November 2025
– – – – –
– – – Matthew Harte (from 4.30pm) –

 

Witness schedule: week 10, 10 November – 14 November 2025

Monday 10 November 2025 Tuesday 11 November 2025 Wednesday 12 November 2025 Thursday 13 November 2025 Friday 14 November 2025
– – – Craig Knappick –
– – – – –

 

Witness schedule: Week 11, 17 November – 21 November 2025

Monday 17 November 2025 Tuesday 18 November 2025 Wednesday 19 November 2025 Thursday 20 November 2025 Friday 21 November 2025
Peter Ristevski Shayne Mallard Ethan Monaghan Robert Bennett Ned Mannoun
Craig Knappick Robert Bennett Ethan Monaghan Robert Bennett  Ned Mannoun

 

Witness schedule: Week 12, 24 November – 28 November 2025

Monday 24 November 2025 Tuesday 25 November 2025 Wednesday 26 November 2025 Thursday 27 November 2025 Friday 28 November 2025
Ned Mannoun Ned Mannoun Ned Mannoun Ned Mannoun
(9.00am to 12.00pm)
Ned Mannoun Ned Mannoun Ned Mannoun Ethan Monaghan
(from 2.00pm)

 

Witness schedule: Week 13, 1 December – 5 December 2025

Monday 1 December 2025 Tuesday 2 December 2025 Wednesday 3 December 2025 Thursday 4 December 2025 Friday 5 December 2025
Jason Breton
(8.00am to 9.30am)
Ned Mannoun
(9.30am to 5pm)

List of issues

A preliminary list of key issues to be examined during the public hearings is in this Liverpool City Council Public Inquiry – List of Issues document.

The list is non-exhaustive of the issues that may be explored and is subject to amendment as the Inquiry receives further material and as evidence is adduced during the course of the public hearings.

 

Daily Transcripts

Transcripts of each day of the public hearings will be published on this website. The transcripts will generally be available on the day following each hearing day.

Public hearings of the Inquiry will commence on 14 July 2025 from 10am at Level 2, Chief Secretary’s Building, 121 Macquarie Street (access on Bridge Street), Sydney, NSW 2000.

As space in the hearing room is greatly limited, priority will be given to parties who have an approved application for authorisation to appear. Once capacity in the hearing room is reached, it will not be possible to admit anyone else. Members of the public are encouraged to view the public hearings via a livestream, a link to which will be published on this website prior to 14 July 2025.

 

Change in Inquiry contact details

The Inquiry’s contact details have changed as of 20 November 2024. All contact with the Inquiry should be by the following means:

  • By email addressed to the attention of the Solicitors Assisting the Inquiry at LiverpoolCCInquiry@holdingredlich.com
  • By post addressed to the attention of the Solicitors Assisting the Public Inquiry into Liverpool City Council, Holding Redlich, Level 65, 25 Martin Place, Sydney NSW 2000

No contact is to be made with the Commissioner directly.

 

Submissions to the inquiry

The Minister for Local Government has appointed Ross Glover to hold a public inquiry into the Liverpool City Council (Inquiry) pursuant to section 438U of the Local Government Act 1993 (NSW).  The Terms of Reference for the Inquiry can be found on the Inquiry’s webpage at /public-inquiries/liverpool-city-council-public-inquiry/

Submissions are an essential part of the Inquiry process, allowing the Inquiry to consider a wide range of perspectives.  The Commissioner encourages a wide range of persons or groups to make written submissions to the Inquiry directed to its Terms of Reference.

Submissions may be sent by email to LiverpoolCCInquiry@holdingredlich.com or by post addressed to the attention of the Solicitors Assisting the Public Inquiry into Liverpool City Council, Holding Redlich, Level 65, 25 Martin Place, Sydney NSW 2000.

The original closing date for submissions was 16 December 2024. Due to a number of requests for extensions of time, the closing date for submissions is extended to 17 January 2025. The Commissioner may also consider late submissions.

No written acknowledgement of submissions will be provided.

Submissions received by the Inquiry will not be automatically made public. The Commissioner may decide to release all or part of a submission publicly, including on the Inquiry’s webpage, considering factors such as the sensitivity of the information, the relevance of the submission to the Terms of Reference, and the public interest.  The Commissioner may also provide an interested party with access to all or part of a submission to obtain their response to the matters contained in it.

Requests to keep submissions anonymous may be made. Any person making a submission that wishes the Commissioner to consider a request that their identifying details be suppressed or otherwise be protected from publication or disclosure must set out (either in correspondence accompanying the submission or in the body of the submission itself) that such a request is made and briefly identify the basis for it.

 

Inquiry public hearings 

Further information about the public hearings is available in the Information Paper available on the Inquiry website and the Notice of Public Hearings, available at the link below.

The Commissioner has issued a Practice Direction regarding the conduct of the public hearings, available at the link below. The Practice Direction includes a form that must be completed by persons and legal representatives wishing to appear and be heard at the public hearings of the Inquiry. The form must be completed and sent to the Solicitors Assisting the Inquiry by 5pm, Friday 4 July 2025.