A leaked letter reveals the Minister for Local Government has criticised Northern Beaches Council for seeking to limit debate.
At the December 2025 meeting of Northern Beaches Council, Independent Narrabeen Ward Councillor (Cr) Vincent De Luca OAM put forward a motion demanding an apology for comments made by Your Northern Beaches Independent Team (YNBIT) Curl Curl Ward Cr Joeline Hackman, where she had claimed volunteer surf-lifesavers were dangerous on jet-skis.
Cr Hackman withdrew the comments and subsequently issued a personal apology to Surf Life Saving NSW Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Steven Pearce (image below, R-L). Cr De Luca sought a statement of support by Northern Beaches Council for Surf Life Saving Northern Beaches, and for Cr Hackman to withdraw and apologise for her statement in the Council Chamber as a matter of Council business.
Cr De Luca’s motion was amended by the YNBIT party, with support from The Greens councillors Ethan Hrnjak, Kristyn Glanville and Bonnie Harvey, along with Good For Manly Councillor and Northern Beaches Deputy Mayor Candy Bingham. The motion was altered to instead request NSW Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig ‘prevent motions of this nature from being tabled’, noting the risk of ‘psychosocial injuries’ to councillors.
The Northern Beaches Advocate has obtained a leaked copy of Minister Hoenig’s reply to Northern Beaches Mayor Sue Heins (full letter). Minister Hoenig’s rebuke of the request from Northern Beaches Council was clear, reinforcing council’s role as a democratic institution.
“While I acknowledge the need for councils to comply with their obligations under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 to provide safe workplaces, including at meetings, this needs to be counterbalanced by a recognition that councils are democratic institutions and that councillors, as elected representatives, should be free to engage in open and robust debate on matters before the council,” wrote Minister Hoenig.
He went on to say the Office of Local Government had issued guidelines earlier this year to ensure councils, ‘do not operate in a way that unduly constrains councillors from being able to speak freely … or hinders public debate’.
In light of the Minister’s reply, Cr De Luca (image above) sought to address the matter at next week’s meeting of Council (Tuesday, 17 February) but was denied space on the business paper ‘due to legal concerns’.
Cr De Luca criticised his opponents for seeking to suppress the democratic process.
“The Your Northern Beaches registered political party, founded and formerly lead by Michael Regan, is happy to dish out criticism but they don’t like it served up to them.
“I sought to defend our selfless volunteer lifesavers who were subjected to a vicious and, in view of Surfing NSW’s letter, a misleading comment, that they were dangerous.
“They changed a motion seeking to support surf lifesaving into a motion suppressing freedom of speech and they were called out for it by the Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig.
“Minister Hoenig’s letter clearly stated he would not accept their proposal to limit debate at Council. I may be a minority on this council, but I will not be silent, I will stand up for our volunteers and the community.
“The attempt to further silence me by not accepting my motion onto the business paper which sought to highlight the Minister’s response to Council is deplorable,” said Cr De Luca.
Images: Northern Beaches Advocate (file), supplied
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