Parramatta councilor's push for more details on reported ICAC raid rejected

A bid to seek further information about a reported raid on Parramatta City Council by the NSW corruption watchdog has been voted down.

At Monday night's meeting, independent councilor Kellie Darley moved a motion for the council to acknowledge "significant community concern" following media reports that Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) officers entered council offices last month and seized the mobile phones of senior staff just hours before a council meeting.

Cr Darley argued the lack of official information had fueled speculation and misinformation in the community.

"The fact they came into council administration offices and took this course of action signals to me this was a very public statement," she said.
"I appreciate we can't know the reasons at this stage, but there is other information we can share. When people don't have information, they speculate - and that often leads to things that aren't true."

Her motion sought to publicly recognise community concerns and address what she described as an "information void."

The proposal was defeated, but Labor councilor Patricia Prociv successfully moved an amendment reaffirming the council's "zero-tolerance approach to fraudulent or corrupt behaviour" and its commitment to fully cooperate with any external investigation. The amendment also stated that the council would continue delivering "the highest level of service" to residents.

The amendment passed unanimously, with neither motion prompting debate or attracting public statements from councilors for or against.

After the meeting, Cr Darley expressed disappointment at the outcome, accusing colleagues of "sweeping it under the carpet" and pledging to raise the issue again in future meetings.

The ICAC has declined to comment on the reports.