‘Someone will get hurt': Zoe Daniel feared for her safety in toxic election campaign

Zoe Daniel says the harder the struggle gets, the stronger she becomes. That's just her personality.
But it doesn't mean she wasn't shocked, saddened and disappointed that the battle for the seat of Goldstein became so toxic that the former MP feared for her safety and was worried someone was going to attack her home.
Sitting down with The Age for lunch at a cafe in Brighton East in the midst of packing up her electoral office, Daniel said she was, at times, scared for her personal safety during the election.
'I had the Australian Federal Police with me during the last week of the campaign,' she says. 'I was worried someone might attack our house.'
The teal independent lost the seat in Melbourne's south-east to Liberal Tim Wilson by a margin of 175 votes after a recount. The close count further drew out a campaign that had already seen, Daniel says, bad behaviour online spill over into real life.
During the campaign she says people screamed at her on the street calling her a 'c---' and a 'bitch', she reported harassment and stalking to police after a Facebook post identified her car in a private car park behind her electoral office, and she believes she was followed home in one instance.
Daniel says advertising for her campaign did not target Wilson personally and was focused on policy.
'I won't go low, I don't go low,' Daniel says. 'The problem with not going low is that you just go under a barrage of attack.'
Daniel says if voters in the electorate were driving down the highway seeing 'very personal' billboards targeting her, 'some of that will land'.
She says fellow teal Monique Ryan also 'had it pretty hard during the campaign as well'.
'I thought one of us is going to get hurt eventually,' she says.
Wilson said that after having had to make reports to state and federal police during election campaigns, he shared Daniel's concerns about safety.
'There is no place for conduct that makes candidates feel unsafe, and should it occur the best thing to do is report it to the police,' he said.
The campaign in Goldstein featured billboards along the Nepean Highway, trucks driving around and digital advertising calling on residents not to vote for Daniel.
She was also subject to attack ads run by third party proxy groups, including Australians for Prosperity and Repeal the Teal. One, a giant billboard opposite the Kingston City Hall displayed a photo of Daniel's head in a balloon.
'All hot air: Vote for change,' it stated. 'Blocked: Local voices. Disinterested: In local crime. Zero Delivery: On cost of living.'
It was authorised by Australians for Prosperity, headed by former Liberal MP Jason Falinski, who describes himself as Wilson's 'good friend' and was behind Wilson's tilt at the Liberal leadership.
At pre-poll booths, flyers were handed out with a photo of Daniel and the headline: 'Repeal the Teal'. They stated: 'Teals… Not open. Not accountable. Not independent. Not worth it. Put Zoe Daniel last.'
Repeal the Teal is an initiative of the Jewish activist network J-United, with the material authorised by Harriet Warlow-Shill, a Melbourne lawyer who hosted an online event in March headlined, 'Does my teal support terror? One Woman's Journey to find out'.
Warlow-Shill said the Repeal the Teal campaign was not linked to the Liberal Party, and that she resigned as a Liberal Party member in February.
A spokesman for the Liberals said neither Wilson nor the party engaged Australians for Prosperity or Repeal the Teal.
Daniel says much of the abuse towards her was 'opportunistic'.
'If you are a woman, they threaten to rape you or go after your children,' she says. 'As that kind of stuff continued to escalate, then people were getting those disgusting letters in their inboxes saying it was like 1930s Germany. I was really frightened of that.'
The letters were sent anonymously to some residents with Daniel corflutes outside their homes, accusing them of being antisemitic and hating Jews.
They claimed many in the Jewish community were considering their future in Victoria and Australia, and said Daniel's supporters were 'an active participant in our decisions to uproot our families and leave'.
The letters, signed off 'Your Jewish neighbour', said the writers were not connected with any political party.
Goldstein has a large Jewish population, with the latest census data showing 7.1 per cent of residents identify Judaism as their religious affiliation.
The only debate between Daniel and Wilson during the campaign was before members of the local Jewish community at the Brighton Hebrew Congregation, where Wilson wore a yarmulke and declared he was a Zionist.
He criticised Daniel for accepting funding from Climate 200, which he described as 'racist and antisemitic'.
Daniel asked Wilson where his funding had come from and noted that he declared zero dollars in funding after the last election.
'I think it's incredibly unfortunate to see a political party weaponise people's grief and trauma for political gain,' Daniel says. 'I thought it was disgusting.'
Daniel points to her advocacy for the Jewish community during her time as an MP, including helping to organise repatriation flights, establish an antisemitism envoy, introduce stronger laws criminalising hate crimes and support anti-doxxing laws.
During the campaign, Liberal senator James Paterson accused Daniel of 'abandoning' the Jewish community and participating in the 'vilification' of Israel.
'It's just an outright lie, but it's also designed to inflame and, for me, that was at a point where I was starting to feel really concerned,' Daniel says. 'It's really irresponsible. You just shouldn't be saying that.'
Daniel says she is proud of what she and her team achieved in Goldstein and believes the future is bright for the independent and teal movement, even though only eight of the 35 candidates supported by Climate 200 won seats this election.
'The independents got really close in lots of seats,' she says. 'There are various ways to measure success. I mean the presence of those independents now has the Liberal Party on its knees because the Liberal Party had to throw resources at so many seats that it previously would not have had to.'
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Daniel says the independents and teals have delivered a 'massive change' to Australian politics.
'I don't think you can only judge it based on who won and who lost because I think what you need to look at is the erosion of the major parties, and just how that's changing the political landscape.'
Daniel says there is a clear pathway for an independent in the future in Goldstein. 'Will it be me? I'm not sure,' she says. 'Do you want to have a look through my emails? Every single email is 'Please run in 2028', 'Please run in 2028', 'We'll be there', 'We'll be there'.'
Daniel thought she had won on election night and claimed victory at a celebratory party at the Elwood Bowls Club, but a surge in postal votes got Wilson across the line.
She says her supporters are disappointed but also proud and willing to keep going.
'I have the kind of personality where the harder it gets, the stronger I become. Not to say I'm not disappointed and generally pissed off.'
Daniel says anything can happen in the next three years, in terms of domestic politics, international politics and what unfolds for her workwise.
'I am not 'in the foetal position' as the former member described himself after his loss in 2022, and for him to be telling all and sundry that he hopes I 'find peace' is the height of arrogance,' she says. 'His feelings are his own to wrestle with, not mine. I will write my own story and Tim Wilson does not dictate when my chapters begin and end.'
Wilson said he thanked Daniel for her service to the community.
'The election is now over, the people of Goldstein have made their decision. As Australians, we must accept the results of elections and move on,' he said.
Daniel is sanguine about what is next for her.
'I'm not dead,' she says. 'I'm not a career politician, so I've got other options, unlike my predecessor. I've done lots of different things in my life, and I've been really lucky with the opportunities that I have had. So I need to find the right path.'

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What airport mortgage document says about Newcastle, Port Stephens council ties to $235m loan

EXPERTS who reviewed a mortgage document for Newcastle Airport's $235 million loan say both Newcastle and Port Stephens ratepayers could be on the hook for the borrowings, but the councils say the document can not be "relied upon in isolation". The potential risk to ratepayer funds is outlined in a 57-page mortgage document, signed by City of Newcastle chief executive officer Jeremy Bath and Port Stephens Council senior executive Greg Kable in March 2023 and obtained as part of a Newcastle Herald investigation into Newcastle Airport's financial situation. Legal and business law experts consulted by the Herald have identified nine clauses in the publicly available mortgage document that indicate the councils, joint owners of the airport, could be held legally liable for the airport's $235 million Commonwealth Bank loan. 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While not examining the airport's financial situation, the Davidson Review said it was "considered unlikely" that any significant financial risks from the airport would be transferred to the City of Newcastle, without detailing how it came to this conclusion. In the months prior to the review, the Herald had been working to clarify whether ratepayers were exposed to the record $235 million CBA loan facility. When questioned about the possible liability to ratepayers as outlined in the mortgage document, councillors from Newcastle issued what they called an "unprecedented" joint statement. "Councillors were informed in February 2023 that there were a series of legally binding agreements that sat alongside the mortgage of head lease that govern the financial arrangements, including securing the loans against airport assets only, thereby limiting the financier's recourse," the joint statement reads. The councils declined to answer specific questions about clauses in the mortgage that would allow CBA to access council funds if anything goes wrong, and if they are enforceable. They also declined to identify documents that overrule the mortgage to establish that ratepayer funds are off-limits. The airport secured the loan in April 2023 to construct a new international terminal and fund its property development business. While the councils are not parties to the loan or guarantors, they are linked to the deal because they hold the head lease with the Commonwealth for the 28 hectares of land where the airport operates south of Williamtown RAAF Base. The airport can't operate without the lease, so the bank wanted it as security. To ensure the airport could get its $235 million loan, the councils voted unanimously in separate confidential sessions in February 2023 to offer up the head lease as security for the loan. The head lease mortgage document establishes a legal agreement between City of Newcastle, Port Stephens Council, and the CBA. According to the councils, "CBA has confirmed in writing to the airport that the commercial intent of the mortgage of the head leases is limited recourse third party securities". Despite the intent, three experts who reviewed the mortgage said it had the potential to cause heartache for ratepayers if anything goes wrong. When considered in isolation, they said the mortgage gives CBA legal recourse to council funds. Associate Professor Keturah Whitford, dean of staff at the Australian National University's College of Business and Economics, said, "critically, there is nothing in the mortgage which limits the liability of the councils to the realised value of their interests in the airport lease". Professor Whitford, who specialises in business law, reviewed only the mortgage document. She said under the mortgage, the councils agreed to "ensure that no event of default occurs" and to "procure the punctual payment" of the secured money. "While the councils may not be borrowers, guarantors or obligors under the loan facility, the mortgage secures, amongst other things, 'all money which any obligor is or may become actually or contingently liable to pay under or in connection with the finance documents'...," she said. "Further, the council indemnifies the CBA for losses in connection with, among other things, any default." According to the mortgage document, if the airport defaults on a loan payment or interest, the councils could have to pay the money. If CBA cannot recoup money owed from the airport, under the mortgage, the councils have agreed to compensate the bank for any losses, liabilities, costs, expenses and taxes it incurs. Under the mortgage terms, the bank can also enforce its right against the councils before it seeks funds from the airport. If this were to happen, the councils could claim against the airport. It is unknown how much money, if any, the councils could be held responsible for, as the agreement does not put a ceiling on the possible costs. According to the agreement, the councils cannot ask for the mortgage to be discharged until CBA is satisfied that all the secured money has been paid. There is nothing in the mortgage, like a limited recourse provision, to restrict Port Stephens or Newcastle councils' legal liability to the value of the head lease. This means that if the airport could not foot the bill, under the mortgage terms, the councils could have to pay more than the value of the head lease they have mortgaged to settle the airport's debt to CBA. The Herald asked the councils if they were required to ensure there was no default by the airport on its $235 million loan, if the councils were legally liable for the loan or if they had agreed to compensate CBA for any losses, liabilities, costs, expenses and taxes associated with the airport loan. They did not answer the questions. The joint response said the airport entities were independent of the councils regarding legal liability. "As previously explained to the Herald, there are a number of interrelated legal agreements and deeds that reflect the corporate structure of the airport separate to the councils that dictate the operation of the previous loan agreement with ANZ and now with the Commonwealth Bank," it reads. When the Herald asked individual councillors if they knew of any possible risk to ratepayer funds, Newcastle's Labor, Green, Independent, and Liberal councillors joined forces to dispel concerns, minus lord mayor Ross Kerridge and his Independent running mate Peter Gittins. The 11 councillors said they had "independently sought clarity" and "received multiple briefings" about the airport's financial situation. They said the council unanimously endorsed a proposal for the airport to refinance from ANZ to CBA, to increase its loan from $100 million to $235 million at its meeting on 28 February 2023. "The loan is secured solely against the airport's head lease with the Commonwealth Government," the joint statement reads. "This lease is the only security at risk in the unlikely event of a default. This ensures that there is no legal exposure to the councils or to ratepayer funds ... As councillors, we are committed to ensuring governance processes are followed, financial risk is properly understood, and the community is accurately informed." Questions about the mortgage arrangements come after Herald scrutiny of the airport's financial situation revealed the airport was looking to cut staff, had asked Defence to waive its rent, had been in discussions with councils to access a financial injection of up to $40 million, had been diverting millions in cash reserves to prop up its burgeoning property-development arm and was looking to borrow more money. The airport last month announced flights to Perth, and earlier this month said it had secured its first ongoing international service beyond Australasia, with flights direct to Bali. According to an airport spokeswoman, a valuation from last year based on "increases in land value, business growth" and Ernst & Young modelling that was done in 2019 valued the airport at $430 million. The $235 million loan is secured by the head lease and the airport's assets. Newcastle council's Newcastle Airport Partnership Company 1 and Port Stephens Council's Newcastle Airport Partnership Company 3 are the guarantors for the loan. The joint Newcastle councillor statement said Newcastle Airport's company structure was unanimously endorsed by council in November 2012 and approved by the then local government minister. "It was specifically designed to allow the airport to raise debt independently of the councils and to protect ratepayers of its two shareholder councils." First-time Port Stephens councillor Mark Watson urged people to focus on the "positives" about the airport. "We are expecting dividends in the near future, providing well-needed funds to inject into our roads and community projects," he said. "The airport loans have zero impact on councils operations and ratepayers funds." Fellow councillor Paul Le Motte was not on council when the refinancing deal was approved. However, he said he was "comfortable with all I have seen and heard" about the airport's finances and any potential impact on council funds. A leading industry expert's legal review of the mortgage document conducted for the Herald identified nine clauses where the councils could potentially be held legally liable for the airport's loan. He said CBA might have agreed in a separate document to limit its recourse not to make the councils legally liable for the airport's loan. The councils must be a party to the agreement for this to occur. City of Newcastle's Mr Bath and Port Stephens Council's Mr Kable signed the mortgage on behalf of the councils in March 2023. At the time when councillors voted to approve the loan deal, they were told the councils would "not be a borrower, guarantor or obligor under the facility agreement" and that each new agreement the councils had to enter into, including the mortgage, consent deed and financier side deed, was due to the councils holding the head lease. When asked if there was anything in the mortgage, consent deed or financier side deed that would prevent the bank from accessing council funds if anything goes wrong at the airport, the councils said the Herald's "questions referred to only some of the documents in the suite of transaction documents". The councils declined when asked to name the document that limited the bank's ability to access ratepayer funds. "The mortgage of the head leases is just one of a suite of commercial in confidence documents that govern the financial arrangements of the airport's loan facility," they said. "Together, these documents limit the financier's recourse in the highly unlikely event of a default. These documents have existed since 2013 and remain in place under the current loan facility, which was supported by both councils in 2023." It's understood Newcastle Airport's legal counsel prepared the mortgage. Several past and present councillors who spoke to the Herald said they were not informed about any potential risk to council funds. They understood that only the airport was on the hook if the debt was called in. Reaction from the airport and councils, including many elected councillors, to the Herald's reporting about the airport's finances has been swift and dismissive. The reporting has faced a chorus of vocal opposition to publicly discredit the information and distance the councils from the airport's business operations, repeatedly pointing to the airport's independent 10-member board as being responsible for decision-making. As previously reported, the council-controlled partnership boards are the ultimate authority at the airport. Any decision worth more than $1 million must be referred to the partnership boards for approval. Newcastle's representatives on the two partnership boards are Mr Bath and deputy lord mayor Callum Pull, who replaced former lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes this year. General manager Tim Crosdale and Labor mayor Leah Anderson represent Port Stephens. At a Newcastle council meeting in March, after councillors were earlier briefed by Newcastle Airport management, Labor's Deahnna Richardson described concerns about the airport's finances as "deliberate misinformation". Cr Richardson was one of many councillors who took aim at Cr Kerridge during the meeting because, days before, he called for an independent inquiry into the matter and refused to hand over a letter he wrote to Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig. Cr Kerridge, who has declared a conflict of interest in relation to the airport and does not attend briefings, said he was concerned about the discrepancies between the Herald's reporting and the official responses from the councils and the airport. Mr Hoenig dismissed the request, citing concern that Cr Kerridge was "unable to assess what the council's financial arrangements are with a company half owned by his council". Cr Liz Adamczyk described having to clarify what she claimed as "misinformation" about the airport's finances as "tedious" and a "waste of our time". She detailed an "incredible amount of work" that had gone into trying to "course correct", responding to what she called untruthful claims "out in the media". "And what we are doing now, I think, is just ridiculous in having to ask questions to again be clarified for the benefit of correcting that misinformation that is coming from the lord mayor and the Herald," she said. Cr Declan Clausen also criticised media reporting on the airport and Cr Kerridge for requesting the investigation. "I'm deeply concerned that the lord mayor expects that NSW taxpayers, or even worse our own ratepayers, should fund an inquiry into an asset that we own based on nothing more than innuendo that has been published in the media that has been fact checked and responded to by the airport, by the audit office, by our own ARIC [Audit, Risk and Improvement] committee, and proven to be untrue," he said. Cr Clausen was asked to identify who did the fact-checking of the reporting and what was proven to be untrue. In response, he said he was "directly responding to the misinformed claims made by the lord mayor regarding the airport". The Herald stands by its reporting, much of which is based on the airport's own internal reports. EXPERTS who reviewed a mortgage document for Newcastle Airport's $235 million loan say both Newcastle and Port Stephens ratepayers could be on the hook for the borrowings, but the councils say the document can not be "relied upon in isolation". The potential risk to ratepayer funds is outlined in a 57-page mortgage document, signed by City of Newcastle chief executive officer Jeremy Bath and Port Stephens Council senior executive Greg Kable in March 2023 and obtained as part of a Newcastle Herald investigation into Newcastle Airport's financial situation. Legal and business law experts consulted by the Herald have identified nine clauses in the publicly available mortgage document that indicate the councils, joint owners of the airport, could be held legally liable for the airport's $235 million Commonwealth Bank loan. In response, airport owners Port Stephens Council and City of Newcastle said in a joint statement earlier this year that the mortgage document could not be "relied upon in isolation to understand the financing arrangements", but declined to elaborate when asked for other relevant documents. In the weeks since the release of the Davidson Review, an independent inquiry into the City of Newcastle's policies, processes and procedures, simmering tensions within the council over the airport have overflowed into a public spat. Labor councillor Declan Clausen has made reference to past comments made by lord mayor Ross Kerridge regarding the financial situation of the airport, accusing the lord mayor of "rewriting history" by deleting past Facebook posts and saying the review showed: "every major decision about the airport was made lawfully, responsibly, and with proper controls and oversight". While not examining the airport's financial situation, the Davidson Review said it was "considered unlikely" that any significant financial risks from the airport would be transferred to the City of Newcastle, without detailing how it came to this conclusion. In the months prior to the review, the Herald had been working to clarify whether ratepayers were exposed to the record $235 million CBA loan facility. When questioned about the possible liability to ratepayers as outlined in the mortgage document, councillors from Newcastle issued what they called an "unprecedented" joint statement. "Councillors were informed in February 2023 that there were a series of legally binding agreements that sat alongside the mortgage of head lease that govern the financial arrangements, including securing the loans against airport assets only, thereby limiting the financier's recourse," the joint statement reads. The councils declined to answer specific questions about clauses in the mortgage that would allow CBA to access council funds if anything goes wrong, and if they are enforceable. They also declined to identify documents that overrule the mortgage to establish that ratepayer funds are off-limits. The airport secured the loan in April 2023 to construct a new international terminal and fund its property development business. While the councils are not parties to the loan or guarantors, they are linked to the deal because they hold the head lease with the Commonwealth for the 28 hectares of land where the airport operates south of Williamtown RAAF Base. The airport can't operate without the lease, so the bank wanted it as security. To ensure the airport could get its $235 million loan, the councils voted unanimously in separate confidential sessions in February 2023 to offer up the head lease as security for the loan. The head lease mortgage document establishes a legal agreement between City of Newcastle, Port Stephens Council, and the CBA. According to the councils, "CBA has confirmed in writing to the airport that the commercial intent of the mortgage of the head leases is limited recourse third party securities". Despite the intent, three experts who reviewed the mortgage said it had the potential to cause heartache for ratepayers if anything goes wrong. When considered in isolation, they said the mortgage gives CBA legal recourse to council funds. Associate Professor Keturah Whitford, dean of staff at the Australian National University's College of Business and Economics, said, "critically, there is nothing in the mortgage which limits the liability of the councils to the realised value of their interests in the airport lease". Professor Whitford, who specialises in business law, reviewed only the mortgage document. She said under the mortgage, the councils agreed to "ensure that no event of default occurs" and to "procure the punctual payment" of the secured money. "While the councils may not be borrowers, guarantors or obligors under the loan facility, the mortgage secures, amongst other things, 'all money which any obligor is or may become actually or contingently liable to pay under or in connection with the finance documents'...," she said. "Further, the council indemnifies the CBA for losses in connection with, among other things, any default." According to the mortgage document, if the airport defaults on a loan payment or interest, the councils could have to pay the money. If CBA cannot recoup money owed from the airport, under the mortgage, the councils have agreed to compensate the bank for any losses, liabilities, costs, expenses and taxes it incurs. Under the mortgage terms, the bank can also enforce its right against the councils before it seeks funds from the airport. If this were to happen, the councils could claim against the airport. It is unknown how much money, if any, the councils could be held responsible for, as the agreement does not put a ceiling on the possible costs. According to the agreement, the councils cannot ask for the mortgage to be discharged until CBA is satisfied that all the secured money has been paid. There is nothing in the mortgage, like a limited recourse provision, to restrict Port Stephens or Newcastle councils' legal liability to the value of the head lease. This means that if the airport could not foot the bill, under the mortgage terms, the councils could have to pay more than the value of the head lease they have mortgaged to settle the airport's debt to CBA. The Herald asked the councils if they were required to ensure there was no default by the airport on its $235 million loan, if the councils were legally liable for the loan or if they had agreed to compensate CBA for any losses, liabilities, costs, expenses and taxes associated with the airport loan. They did not answer the questions. The joint response said the airport entities were independent of the councils regarding legal liability. "As previously explained to the Herald, there are a number of interrelated legal agreements and deeds that reflect the corporate structure of the airport separate to the councils that dictate the operation of the previous loan agreement with ANZ and now with the Commonwealth Bank," it reads. When the Herald asked individual councillors if they knew of any possible risk to ratepayer funds, Newcastle's Labor, Green, Independent, and Liberal councillors joined forces to dispel concerns, minus lord mayor Ross Kerridge and his Independent running mate Peter Gittins. The 11 councillors said they had "independently sought clarity" and "received multiple briefings" about the airport's financial situation. They said the council unanimously endorsed a proposal for the airport to refinance from ANZ to CBA, to increase its loan from $100 million to $235 million at its meeting on 28 February 2023. "The loan is secured solely against the airport's head lease with the Commonwealth Government," the joint statement reads. "This lease is the only security at risk in the unlikely event of a default. This ensures that there is no legal exposure to the councils or to ratepayer funds ... As councillors, we are committed to ensuring governance processes are followed, financial risk is properly understood, and the community is accurately informed." Questions about the mortgage arrangements come after Herald scrutiny of the airport's financial situation revealed the airport was looking to cut staff, had asked Defence to waive its rent, had been in discussions with councils to access a financial injection of up to $40 million, had been diverting millions in cash reserves to prop up its burgeoning property-development arm and was looking to borrow more money. The airport last month announced flights to Perth, and earlier this month said it had secured its first ongoing international service beyond Australasia, with flights direct to Bali. According to an airport spokeswoman, a valuation from last year based on "increases in land value, business growth" and Ernst & Young modelling that was done in 2019 valued the airport at $430 million. The $235 million loan is secured by the head lease and the airport's assets. Newcastle council's Newcastle Airport Partnership Company 1 and Port Stephens Council's Newcastle Airport Partnership Company 3 are the guarantors for the loan. The joint Newcastle councillor statement said Newcastle Airport's company structure was unanimously endorsed by council in November 2012 and approved by the then local government minister. "It was specifically designed to allow the airport to raise debt independently of the councils and to protect ratepayers of its two shareholder councils." First-time Port Stephens councillor Mark Watson urged people to focus on the "positives" about the airport. "We are expecting dividends in the near future, providing well-needed funds to inject into our roads and community projects," he said. "The airport loans have zero impact on councils operations and ratepayers funds." Fellow councillor Paul Le Motte was not on council when the refinancing deal was approved. However, he said he was "comfortable with all I have seen and heard" about the airport's finances and any potential impact on council funds. A leading industry expert's legal review of the mortgage document conducted for the Herald identified nine clauses where the councils could potentially be held legally liable for the airport's loan. He said CBA might have agreed in a separate document to limit its recourse not to make the councils legally liable for the airport's loan. The councils must be a party to the agreement for this to occur. City of Newcastle's Mr Bath and Port Stephens Council's Mr Kable signed the mortgage on behalf of the councils in March 2023. At the time when councillors voted to approve the loan deal, they were told the councils would "not be a borrower, guarantor or obligor under the facility agreement" and that each new agreement the councils had to enter into, including the mortgage, consent deed and financier side deed, was due to the councils holding the head lease. When asked if there was anything in the mortgage, consent deed or financier side deed that would prevent the bank from accessing council funds if anything goes wrong at the airport, the councils said the Herald's "questions referred to only some of the documents in the suite of transaction documents". The councils declined when asked to name the document that limited the bank's ability to access ratepayer funds. "The mortgage of the head leases is just one of a suite of commercial in confidence documents that govern the financial arrangements of the airport's loan facility," they said. "Together, these documents limit the financier's recourse in the highly unlikely event of a default. These documents have existed since 2013 and remain in place under the current loan facility, which was supported by both councils in 2023." It's understood Newcastle Airport's legal counsel prepared the mortgage. Several past and present councillors who spoke to the Herald said they were not informed about any potential risk to council funds. They understood that only the airport was on the hook if the debt was called in. Reaction from the airport and councils, including many elected councillors, to the Herald's reporting about the airport's finances has been swift and dismissive. The reporting has faced a chorus of vocal opposition to publicly discredit the information and distance the councils from the airport's business operations, repeatedly pointing to the airport's independent 10-member board as being responsible for decision-making. As previously reported, the council-controlled partnership boards are the ultimate authority at the airport. Any decision worth more than $1 million must be referred to the partnership boards for approval. Newcastle's representatives on the two partnership boards are Mr Bath and deputy lord mayor Callum Pull, who replaced former lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes this year. General manager Tim Crosdale and Labor mayor Leah Anderson represent Port Stephens. At a Newcastle council meeting in March, after councillors were earlier briefed by Newcastle Airport management, Labor's Deahnna Richardson described concerns about the airport's finances as "deliberate misinformation". Cr Richardson was one of many councillors who took aim at Cr Kerridge during the meeting because, days before, he called for an independent inquiry into the matter and refused to hand over a letter he wrote to Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig. Cr Kerridge, who has declared a conflict of interest in relation to the airport and does not attend briefings, said he was concerned about the discrepancies between the Herald's reporting and the official responses from the councils and the airport. Mr Hoenig dismissed the request, citing concern that Cr Kerridge was "unable to assess what the council's financial arrangements are with a company half owned by his council". Cr Liz Adamczyk described having to clarify what she claimed as "misinformation" about the airport's finances as "tedious" and a "waste of our time". She detailed an "incredible amount of work" that had gone into trying to "course correct", responding to what she called untruthful claims "out in the media". "And what we are doing now, I think, is just ridiculous in having to ask questions to again be clarified for the benefit of correcting that misinformation that is coming from the lord mayor and the Herald," she said. Cr Declan Clausen also criticised media reporting on the airport and Cr Kerridge for requesting the investigation. "I'm deeply concerned that the lord mayor expects that NSW taxpayers, or even worse our own ratepayers, should fund an inquiry into an asset that we own based on nothing more than innuendo that has been published in the media that has been fact checked and responded to by the airport, by the audit office, by our own ARIC [Audit, Risk and Improvement] committee, and proven to be untrue," he said. Cr Clausen was asked to identify who did the fact-checking of the reporting and what was proven to be untrue. In response, he said he was "directly responding to the misinformed claims made by the lord mayor regarding the airport". The Herald stands by its reporting, much of which is based on the airport's own internal reports. EXPERTS who reviewed a mortgage document for Newcastle Airport's $235 million loan say both Newcastle and Port Stephens ratepayers could be on the hook for the borrowings, but the councils say the document can not be "relied upon in isolation". The potential risk to ratepayer funds is outlined in a 57-page mortgage document, signed by City of Newcastle chief executive officer Jeremy Bath and Port Stephens Council senior executive Greg Kable in March 2023 and obtained as part of a Newcastle Herald investigation into Newcastle Airport's financial situation. Legal and business law experts consulted by the Herald have identified nine clauses in the publicly available mortgage document that indicate the councils, joint owners of the airport, could be held legally liable for the airport's $235 million Commonwealth Bank loan. In response, airport owners Port Stephens Council and City of Newcastle said in a joint statement earlier this year that the mortgage document could not be "relied upon in isolation to understand the financing arrangements", but declined to elaborate when asked for other relevant documents. In the weeks since the release of the Davidson Review, an independent inquiry into the City of Newcastle's policies, processes and procedures, simmering tensions within the council over the airport have overflowed into a public spat. Labor councillor Declan Clausen has made reference to past comments made by lord mayor Ross Kerridge regarding the financial situation of the airport, accusing the lord mayor of "rewriting history" by deleting past Facebook posts and saying the review showed: "every major decision about the airport was made lawfully, responsibly, and with proper controls and oversight". While not examining the airport's financial situation, the Davidson Review said it was "considered unlikely" that any significant financial risks from the airport would be transferred to the City of Newcastle, without detailing how it came to this conclusion. In the months prior to the review, the Herald had been working to clarify whether ratepayers were exposed to the record $235 million CBA loan facility. When questioned about the possible liability to ratepayers as outlined in the mortgage document, councillors from Newcastle issued what they called an "unprecedented" joint statement. "Councillors were informed in February 2023 that there were a series of legally binding agreements that sat alongside the mortgage of head lease that govern the financial arrangements, including securing the loans against airport assets only, thereby limiting the financier's recourse," the joint statement reads. The councils declined to answer specific questions about clauses in the mortgage that would allow CBA to access council funds if anything goes wrong, and if they are enforceable. They also declined to identify documents that overrule the mortgage to establish that ratepayer funds are off-limits. The airport secured the loan in April 2023 to construct a new international terminal and fund its property development business. While the councils are not parties to the loan or guarantors, they are linked to the deal because they hold the head lease with the Commonwealth for the 28 hectares of land where the airport operates south of Williamtown RAAF Base. The airport can't operate without the lease, so the bank wanted it as security. To ensure the airport could get its $235 million loan, the councils voted unanimously in separate confidential sessions in February 2023 to offer up the head lease as security for the loan. The head lease mortgage document establishes a legal agreement between City of Newcastle, Port Stephens Council, and the CBA. According to the councils, "CBA has confirmed in writing to the airport that the commercial intent of the mortgage of the head leases is limited recourse third party securities". Despite the intent, three experts who reviewed the mortgage said it had the potential to cause heartache for ratepayers if anything goes wrong. When considered in isolation, they said the mortgage gives CBA legal recourse to council funds. Associate Professor Keturah Whitford, dean of staff at the Australian National University's College of Business and Economics, said, "critically, there is nothing in the mortgage which limits the liability of the councils to the realised value of their interests in the airport lease". Professor Whitford, who specialises in business law, reviewed only the mortgage document. She said under the mortgage, the councils agreed to "ensure that no event of default occurs" and to "procure the punctual payment" of the secured money. "While the councils may not be borrowers, guarantors or obligors under the loan facility, the mortgage secures, amongst other things, 'all money which any obligor is or may become actually or contingently liable to pay under or in connection with the finance documents'...," she said. "Further, the council indemnifies the CBA for losses in connection with, among other things, any default." According to the mortgage document, if the airport defaults on a loan payment or interest, the councils could have to pay the money. If CBA cannot recoup money owed from the airport, under the mortgage, the councils have agreed to compensate the bank for any losses, liabilities, costs, expenses and taxes it incurs. Under the mortgage terms, the bank can also enforce its right against the councils before it seeks funds from the airport. If this were to happen, the councils could claim against the airport. It is unknown how much money, if any, the councils could be held responsible for, as the agreement does not put a ceiling on the possible costs. According to the agreement, the councils cannot ask for the mortgage to be discharged until CBA is satisfied that all the secured money has been paid. There is nothing in the mortgage, like a limited recourse provision, to restrict Port Stephens or Newcastle councils' legal liability to the value of the head lease. This means that if the airport could not foot the bill, under the mortgage terms, the councils could have to pay more than the value of the head lease they have mortgaged to settle the airport's debt to CBA. The Herald asked the councils if they were required to ensure there was no default by the airport on its $235 million loan, if the councils were legally liable for the loan or if they had agreed to compensate CBA for any losses, liabilities, costs, expenses and taxes associated with the airport loan. They did not answer the questions. The joint response said the airport entities were independent of the councils regarding legal liability. "As previously explained to the Herald, there are a number of interrelated legal agreements and deeds that reflect the corporate structure of the airport separate to the councils that dictate the operation of the previous loan agreement with ANZ and now with the Commonwealth Bank," it reads. When the Herald asked individual councillors if they knew of any possible risk to ratepayer funds, Newcastle's Labor, Green, Independent, and Liberal councillors joined forces to dispel concerns, minus lord mayor Ross Kerridge and his Independent running mate Peter Gittins. The 11 councillors said they had "independently sought clarity" and "received multiple briefings" about the airport's financial situation. They said the council unanimously endorsed a proposal for the airport to refinance from ANZ to CBA, to increase its loan from $100 million to $235 million at its meeting on 28 February 2023. "The loan is secured solely against the airport's head lease with the Commonwealth Government," the joint statement reads. "This lease is the only security at risk in the unlikely event of a default. This ensures that there is no legal exposure to the councils or to ratepayer funds ... As councillors, we are committed to ensuring governance processes are followed, financial risk is properly understood, and the community is accurately informed." Questions about the mortgage arrangements come after Herald scrutiny of the airport's financial situation revealed the airport was looking to cut staff, had asked Defence to waive its rent, had been in discussions with councils to access a financial injection of up to $40 million, had been diverting millions in cash reserves to prop up its burgeoning property-development arm and was looking to borrow more money. The airport last month announced flights to Perth, and earlier this month said it had secured its first ongoing international service beyond Australasia, with flights direct to Bali. According to an airport spokeswoman, a valuation from last year based on "increases in land value, business growth" and Ernst & Young modelling that was done in 2019 valued the airport at $430 million. The $235 million loan is secured by the head lease and the airport's assets. Newcastle council's Newcastle Airport Partnership Company 1 and Port Stephens Council's Newcastle Airport Partnership Company 3 are the guarantors for the loan. The joint Newcastle councillor statement said Newcastle Airport's company structure was unanimously endorsed by council in November 2012 and approved by the then local government minister. "It was specifically designed to allow the airport to raise debt independently of the councils and to protect ratepayers of its two shareholder councils." First-time Port Stephens councillor Mark Watson urged people to focus on the "positives" about the airport. "We are expecting dividends in the near future, providing well-needed funds to inject into our roads and community projects," he said. "The airport loans have zero impact on councils operations and ratepayers funds." Fellow councillor Paul Le Motte was not on council when the refinancing deal was approved. However, he said he was "comfortable with all I have seen and heard" about the airport's finances and any potential impact on council funds. A leading industry expert's legal review of the mortgage document conducted for the Herald identified nine clauses where the councils could potentially be held legally liable for the airport's loan. He said CBA might have agreed in a separate document to limit its recourse not to make the councils legally liable for the airport's loan. The councils must be a party to the agreement for this to occur. City of Newcastle's Mr Bath and Port Stephens Council's Mr Kable signed the mortgage on behalf of the councils in March 2023. At the time when councillors voted to approve the loan deal, they were told the councils would "not be a borrower, guarantor or obligor under the facility agreement" and that each new agreement the councils had to enter into, including the mortgage, consent deed and financier side deed, was due to the councils holding the head lease. When asked if there was anything in the mortgage, consent deed or financier side deed that would prevent the bank from accessing council funds if anything goes wrong at the airport, the councils said the Herald's "questions referred to only some of the documents in the suite of transaction documents". The councils declined when asked to name the document that limited the bank's ability to access ratepayer funds. "The mortgage of the head leases is just one of a suite of commercial in confidence documents that govern the financial arrangements of the airport's loan facility," they said. "Together, these documents limit the financier's recourse in the highly unlikely event of a default. These documents have existed since 2013 and remain in place under the current loan facility, which was supported by both councils in 2023." It's understood Newcastle Airport's legal counsel prepared the mortgage. Several past and present councillors who spoke to the Herald said they were not informed about any potential risk to council funds. They understood that only the airport was on the hook if the debt was called in. Reaction from the airport and councils, including many elected councillors, to the Herald's reporting about the airport's finances has been swift and dismissive. The reporting has faced a chorus of vocal opposition to publicly discredit the information and distance the councils from the airport's business operations, repeatedly pointing to the airport's independent 10-member board as being responsible for decision-making. As previously reported, the council-controlled partnership boards are the ultimate authority at the airport. Any decision worth more than $1 million must be referred to the partnership boards for approval. Newcastle's representatives on the two partnership boards are Mr Bath and deputy lord mayor Callum Pull, who replaced former lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes this year. General manager Tim Crosdale and Labor mayor Leah Anderson represent Port Stephens. At a Newcastle council meeting in March, after councillors were earlier briefed by Newcastle Airport management, Labor's Deahnna Richardson described concerns about the airport's finances as "deliberate misinformation". Cr Richardson was one of many councillors who took aim at Cr Kerridge during the meeting because, days before, he called for an independent inquiry into the matter and refused to hand over a letter he wrote to Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig. Cr Kerridge, who has declared a conflict of interest in relation to the airport and does not attend briefings, said he was concerned about the discrepancies between the Herald's reporting and the official responses from the councils and the airport. Mr Hoenig dismissed the request, citing concern that Cr Kerridge was "unable to assess what the council's financial arrangements are with a company half owned by his council". Cr Liz Adamczyk described having to clarify what she claimed as "misinformation" about the airport's finances as "tedious" and a "waste of our time". She detailed an "incredible amount of work" that had gone into trying to "course correct", responding to what she called untruthful claims "out in the media". "And what we are doing now, I think, is just ridiculous in having to ask questions to again be clarified for the benefit of correcting that misinformation that is coming from the lord mayor and the Herald," she said. Cr Declan Clausen also criticised media reporting on the airport and Cr Kerridge for requesting the investigation. "I'm deeply concerned that the lord mayor expects that NSW taxpayers, or even worse our own ratepayers, should fund an inquiry into an asset that we own based on nothing more than innuendo that has been published in the media that has been fact checked and responded to by the airport, by the audit office, by our own ARIC [Audit, Risk and Improvement] committee, and proven to be untrue," he said. Cr Clausen was asked to identify who did the fact-checking of the reporting and what was proven to be untrue. In response, he said he was "directly responding to the misinformed claims made by the lord mayor regarding the airport". The Herald stands by its reporting, much of which is based on the airport's own internal reports. EXPERTS who reviewed a mortgage document for Newcastle Airport's $235 million loan say both Newcastle and Port Stephens ratepayers could be on the hook for the borrowings, but the councils say the document can not be "relied upon in isolation". The potential risk to ratepayer funds is outlined in a 57-page mortgage document, signed by City of Newcastle chief executive officer Jeremy Bath and Port Stephens Council senior executive Greg Kable in March 2023 and obtained as part of a Newcastle Herald investigation into Newcastle Airport's financial situation. Legal and business law experts consulted by the Herald have identified nine clauses in the publicly available mortgage document that indicate the councils, joint owners of the airport, could be held legally liable for the airport's $235 million Commonwealth Bank loan. In response, airport owners Port Stephens Council and City of Newcastle said in a joint statement earlier this year that the mortgage document could not be "relied upon in isolation to understand the financing arrangements", but declined to elaborate when asked for other relevant documents. In the weeks since the release of the Davidson Review, an independent inquiry into the City of Newcastle's policies, processes and procedures, simmering tensions within the council over the airport have overflowed into a public spat. Labor councillor Declan Clausen has made reference to past comments made by lord mayor Ross Kerridge regarding the financial situation of the airport, accusing the lord mayor of "rewriting history" by deleting past Facebook posts and saying the review showed: "every major decision about the airport was made lawfully, responsibly, and with proper controls and oversight". While not examining the airport's financial situation, the Davidson Review said it was "considered unlikely" that any significant financial risks from the airport would be transferred to the City of Newcastle, without detailing how it came to this conclusion. In the months prior to the review, the Herald had been working to clarify whether ratepayers were exposed to the record $235 million CBA loan facility. When questioned about the possible liability to ratepayers as outlined in the mortgage document, councillors from Newcastle issued what they called an "unprecedented" joint statement. "Councillors were informed in February 2023 that there were a series of legally binding agreements that sat alongside the mortgage of head lease that govern the financial arrangements, including securing the loans against airport assets only, thereby limiting the financier's recourse," the joint statement reads. The councils declined to answer specific questions about clauses in the mortgage that would allow CBA to access council funds if anything goes wrong, and if they are enforceable. They also declined to identify documents that overrule the mortgage to establish that ratepayer funds are off-limits. The airport secured the loan in April 2023 to construct a new international terminal and fund its property development business. While the councils are not parties to the loan or guarantors, they are linked to the deal because they hold the head lease with the Commonwealth for the 28 hectares of land where the airport operates south of Williamtown RAAF Base. The airport can't operate without the lease, so the bank wanted it as security. To ensure the airport could get its $235 million loan, the councils voted unanimously in separate confidential sessions in February 2023 to offer up the head lease as security for the loan. The head lease mortgage document establishes a legal agreement between City of Newcastle, Port Stephens Council, and the CBA. According to the councils, "CBA has confirmed in writing to the airport that the commercial intent of the mortgage of the head leases is limited recourse third party securities". Despite the intent, three experts who reviewed the mortgage said it had the potential to cause heartache for ratepayers if anything goes wrong. When considered in isolation, they said the mortgage gives CBA legal recourse to council funds. Associate Professor Keturah Whitford, dean of staff at the Australian National University's College of Business and Economics, said, "critically, there is nothing in the mortgage which limits the liability of the councils to the realised value of their interests in the airport lease". Professor Whitford, who specialises in business law, reviewed only the mortgage document. She said under the mortgage, the councils agreed to "ensure that no event of default occurs" and to "procure the punctual payment" of the secured money. "While the councils may not be borrowers, guarantors or obligors under the loan facility, the mortgage secures, amongst other things, 'all money which any obligor is or may become actually or contingently liable to pay under or in connection with the finance documents'...," she said. "Further, the council indemnifies the CBA for losses in connection with, among other things, any default." According to the mortgage document, if the airport defaults on a loan payment or interest, the councils could have to pay the money. If CBA cannot recoup money owed from the airport, under the mortgage, the councils have agreed to compensate the bank for any losses, liabilities, costs, expenses and taxes it incurs. Under the mortgage terms, the bank can also enforce its right against the councils before it seeks funds from the airport. If this were to happen, the councils could claim against the airport. It is unknown how much money, if any, the councils could be held responsible for, as the agreement does not put a ceiling on the possible costs. According to the agreement, the councils cannot ask for the mortgage to be discharged until CBA is satisfied that all the secured money has been paid. There is nothing in the mortgage, like a limited recourse provision, to restrict Port Stephens or Newcastle councils' legal liability to the value of the head lease. This means that if the airport could not foot the bill, under the mortgage terms, the councils could have to pay more than the value of the head lease they have mortgaged to settle the airport's debt to CBA. The Herald asked the councils if they were required to ensure there was no default by the airport on its $235 million loan, if the councils were legally liable for the loan or if they had agreed to compensate CBA for any losses, liabilities, costs, expenses and taxes associated with the airport loan. They did not answer the questions. The joint response said the airport entities were independent of the councils regarding legal liability. "As previously explained to the Herald, there are a number of interrelated legal agreements and deeds that reflect the corporate structure of the airport separate to the councils that dictate the operation of the previous loan agreement with ANZ and now with the Commonwealth Bank," it reads. When the Herald asked individual councillors if they knew of any possible risk to ratepayer funds, Newcastle's Labor, Green, Independent, and Liberal councillors joined forces to dispel concerns, minus lord mayor Ross Kerridge and his Independent running mate Peter Gittins. The 11 councillors said they had "independently sought clarity" and "received multiple briefings" about the airport's financial situation. They said the council unanimously endorsed a proposal for the airport to refinance from ANZ to CBA, to increase its loan from $100 million to $235 million at its meeting on 28 February 2023. "The loan is secured solely against the airport's head lease with the Commonwealth Government," the joint statement reads. "This lease is the only security at risk in the unlikely event of a default. This ensures that there is no legal exposure to the councils or to ratepayer funds ... As councillors, we are committed to ensuring governance processes are followed, financial risk is properly understood, and the community is accurately informed." Questions about the mortgage arrangements come after Herald scrutiny of the airport's financial situation revealed the airport was looking to cut staff, had asked Defence to waive its rent, had been in discussions with councils to access a financial injection of up to $40 million, had been diverting millions in cash reserves to prop up its burgeoning property-development arm and was looking to borrow more money. The airport last month announced flights to Perth, and earlier this month said it had secured its first ongoing international service beyond Australasia, with flights direct to Bali. According to an airport spokeswoman, a valuation from last year based on "increases in land value, business growth" and Ernst & Young modelling that was done in 2019 valued the airport at $430 million. The $235 million loan is secured by the head lease and the airport's assets. Newcastle council's Newcastle Airport Partnership Company 1 and Port Stephens Council's Newcastle Airport Partnership Company 3 are the guarantors for the loan. The joint Newcastle councillor statement said Newcastle Airport's company structure was unanimously endorsed by council in November 2012 and approved by the then local government minister. "It was specifically designed to allow the airport to raise debt independently of the councils and to protect ratepayers of its two shareholder councils." First-time Port Stephens councillor Mark Watson urged people to focus on the "positives" about the airport. "We are expecting dividends in the near future, providing well-needed funds to inject into our roads and community projects," he said. "The airport loans have zero impact on councils operations and ratepayers funds." Fellow councillor Paul Le Motte was not on council when the refinancing deal was approved. However, he said he was "comfortable with all I have seen and heard" about the airport's finances and any potential impact on council funds. A leading industry expert's legal review of the mortgage document conducted for the Herald identified nine clauses where the councils could potentially be held legally liable for the airport's loan. He said CBA might have agreed in a separate document to limit its recourse not to make the councils legally liable for the airport's loan. The councils must be a party to the agreement for this to occur. City of Newcastle's Mr Bath and Port Stephens Council's Mr Kable signed the mortgage on behalf of the councils in March 2023. At the time when councillors voted to approve the loan deal, they were told the councils would "not be a borrower, guarantor or obligor under the facility agreement" and that each new agreement the councils had to enter into, including the mortgage, consent deed and financier side deed, was due to the councils holding the head lease. When asked if there was anything in the mortgage, consent deed or financier side deed that would prevent the bank from accessing council funds if anything goes wrong at the airport, the councils said the Herald's "questions referred to only some of the documents in the suite of transaction documents". The councils declined when asked to name the document that limited the bank's ability to access ratepayer funds. "The mortgage of the head leases is just one of a suite of commercial in confidence documents that govern the financial arrangements of the airport's loan facility," they said. "Together, these documents limit the financier's recourse in the highly unlikely event of a default. These documents have existed since 2013 and remain in place under the current loan facility, which was supported by both councils in 2023." It's understood Newcastle Airport's legal counsel prepared the mortgage. Several past and present councillors who spoke to the Herald said they were not informed about any potential risk to council funds. They understood that only the airport was on the hook if the debt was called in. Reaction from the airport and councils, including many elected councillors, to the Herald's reporting about the airport's finances has been swift and dismissive. The reporting has faced a chorus of vocal opposition to publicly discredit the information and distance the councils from the airport's business operations, repeatedly pointing to the airport's independent 10-member board as being responsible for decision-making. As previously reported, the council-controlled partnership boards are the ultimate authority at the airport. Any decision worth more than $1 million must be referred to the partnership boards for approval. Newcastle's representatives on the two partnership boards are Mr Bath and deputy lord mayor Callum Pull, who replaced former lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes this year. General manager Tim Crosdale and Labor mayor Leah Anderson represent Port Stephens. At a Newcastle council meeting in March, after councillors were earlier briefed by Newcastle Airport management, Labor's Deahnna Richardson described concerns about the airport's finances as "deliberate misinformation". Cr Richardson was one of many councillors who took aim at Cr Kerridge during the meeting because, days before, he called for an independent inquiry into the matter and refused to hand over a letter he wrote to Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig. Cr Kerridge, who has declared a conflict of interest in relation to the airport and does not attend briefings, said he was concerned about the discrepancies between the Herald's reporting and the official responses from the councils and the airport. Mr Hoenig dismissed the request, citing concern that Cr Kerridge was "unable to assess what the council's financial arrangements are with a company half owned by his council". Cr Liz Adamczyk described having to clarify what she claimed as "misinformation" about the airport's finances as "tedious" and a "waste of our time". She detailed an "incredible amount of work" that had gone into trying to "course correct", responding to what she called untruthful claims "out in the media". "And what we are doing now, I think, is just ridiculous in having to ask questions to again be clarified for the benefit of correcting that misinformation that is coming from the lord mayor and the Herald," she said. Cr Declan Clausen also criticised media reporting on the airport and Cr Kerridge for requesting the investigation. "I'm deeply concerned that the lord mayor expects that NSW taxpayers, or even worse our own ratepayers, should fund an inquiry into an asset that we own based on nothing more than innuendo that has been published in the media that has been fact checked and responded to by the airport, by the audit office, by our own ARIC [Audit, Risk and Improvement] committee, and proven to be untrue," he said. Cr Clausen was asked to identify who did the fact-checking of the reporting and what was proven to be untrue. In response, he said he was "directly responding to the misinformed claims made by the lord mayor regarding the airport". The Herald stands by its reporting, much of which is based on the airport's own internal reports.

The Age

3 hours ago

• The Age

‘Quite traumatised': Brisbane bus driver may have permanent ear damage after attack

A Brisbane bus driver suffered facial injuries and possible permanent damage to his ear in a 'brutal' attack that was captured on camera, the drivers' union says. A 21-year-old man from Sunnybank has been charged over allegations of an assault that occurred on a bus in South Brisbane on Friday night in front of shocked passengers. Footage that was first published on community Facebook page Brisbane Incident Alerts shows a bus driver trying to remove a man from the bus about 6pm. Police will allege the passenger responded by repeatedly punching the 46-year-old driver, stopping briefly to leave the bus before returning and punching him in the head. Rail Tram and Bus Union state secretary Tom Brown described the alleged attack as 'brutal' and said the driver had suffered facial injuries and possible permanent damage to his ear. 'He is quite traumatised by the incident and that's something that might take a while to heal up,' Brown told ABC Radio on Monday morning. 'This was a brutal and sustained assault … some of those punches would have floored [professional boxer] Jeff Horn. '[He's] a known trouble-maker on the bus, so he's not just a danger to the driver, he's a danger to other passengers. 'Our driver identified him and tried to escort him off the bus, and then obviously it blew up.'