The website www.nswfreedomofinformation.net has been publicly highlighting and reporting on rampant corruption of various pieces of NSW legislation since its launch in October 2021.

That corruption has since October 2021 become more widely known than initially thought possible.

The Site Administrator Telina Webb initially launched her website because Port Stephens Council had used public monies to have her media release removed from the internet and various online news publication sites.  Council achieved this via threats of defamation.

There can be no mistaking Telina Webb is a True Blue Whistleblower!  But she has no protections.

Webb did initially perceive the systemic abuse and misuse of public resources, monies, and corruption of the public’s legislation as only being occasioned by Port Stephens Council.

But that has since proven a total misconception as NSW government records evidence the length and breadth of public servant attitudes towards the public in the exercise of trusted delegated authority, resulting in systemic abuse and misuse of the legislation in place for the public's benefit.

Of particular concern has been the way public servants use the public’s beneficial legislation for deliberate and calculated nefarious purposes.

Webb, a qualified criminologist, is primarily interested in white collar crime offences concerning the primary pieces of legislation the GIPA Act 2009 and the PPIP Act 1998.

Both pieces of legislation were freely gifted by Parliament to the people of NSW, for their benefit, to ensure they can freely and openly scrutinise government activities, and also have reassurance personal information is rightfully protected.

In fact, public scrutiny of government employees and actions is supported by the former Attorney-General George Brandis "In a democracy, it is not character assassination to call a public official to account, nor subject their performance to public scrutiny,"27th February 2015.  Evidently someone forgot to give Port Stephens Council the memo.

But the reality is far from this mythical concept of democracy in action.

Of serious concern is the repeated actions by NSW government agencies to seek legal costs against those members of the public who take their GIPA and PPIP matters to the NSW Civil & Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) for review of agency decisions.  Port Stephens Council supports this punitive response to the public's legislated rights.

Such a review process is legislated and as such it is the public’s right to do so if they so choose.

Neither piece of legislation makes provision for the claiming of legal costs.  After all, they are beneficial legislation; they are neither penal nor fiscal.

This is also supported by the general consensus NCAT is a no costs forum.

However the government website www.caselaw.nsw.gov.au lists case after case where the NCAT has granted NSW government agencies their Costs Wishes; a penalty designed to punish for exercising legal rights and dissuade valid applicants from re-entering the NCAT arena in the future.

NCAT does have limited powers to grant a Costs Wish but only ‘if a particular law gives NCAT the discretion to do so according to the NCAT Policy Costs Guideline (Point 5), available on the NCAT website here.

But what does this mean ‘if a particular law gives NCAT the discretion to do so,”?

An example would be the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 Section 208.  This provision gives the NCAT the jurisdiction to grant a Costs Wish if one of the parties applies for it, but only under special circumstances.

The NCAT Act 2013 Section 60 gives the Tribunal that jurisdiction to grant a Costs Wish, providing a Costs Wish Applicant meets the criteria listed in the special circumstances which NCAT must consider before doing so.  In other words, it must be supported by the enabling legislation.  It is the enabling legislation 'which is the particular law' referred to.

The Residential Tenancies Act 2010 is enabling legislation; it enables the Tribunal to hear a matter about tenancy issues.

Likewise, the GIPA and PPIP Acts are enabling legislation.

However neither GIPA nor PPIP make provision for legal costs.

Yes GIPA makes provision for an agency to pay an access applicant some costs; but that provision is not reciprocal.

Yes PPIP makes provision for an agency to pay an aggrieved applicant damages; but that provision is also not reciprocal and does not concern legal costs.

Case in point, enter Port Stephens Council.  Ta-Dah!

This agency has been successful in obtaining several Costs Wishes against Telina Webb and her husband Paul McEwan.Those Costs Wishes were in the context of both GIPA and PPIP.

Despite protestations about these costs, and their inability to bring an appeal on a question of law in the NSW Supreme Court, Port Stephens Council has continually pursued the Costs Wishes despite these pursuits not being founded in law.

The most recent act by Port Stephens Council occurred today 16th April 2025, when Council issued Bankruptcy Notices to Webb and McEwan in the Federal Court of Australia.  Making matters worse if that were remotely possible, the Notices were founded on a false representation; Council had doubled up on the claimed amounts.

The documentation was reliant on NSW Local Court judgements which Council had earlier secured courtesy of NCAT awarding unqualified Cost Wishes.

However, instead of instigating enforcement proceedings in the Local Court under a Statement of Claim, which has a right of defence, Port Stephens Council decided to bypass Local Court processes and instead intimate proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia.

This was all orchestrated by Council’s Governance Manager / Corporate Policeman Tony Leslie Wickham and his long-standing compatriot Senior in-house solicitor Lisa Helene Marshall.

Such action defies the reasoning of any ordinary person, but certainly does exemplify the lengths punitive public servants will go to, at the expense of public resources, to show its power and might albeit the action taken is not based in law.

Tony Wickham is listed on the Council organisation chart as head of legal services, so make no mistake he is definitely calling the shots on this one.

His corrupt conduct has been exposed!  The whistle has been blown!  And not just once but repeatedly over the past decade.  He’s not simply angry, he’s furious!

It’s the same with Lisa Marshall.  She is also very angry her corruption has been exposed.

Wickham and Marshall have already tried to initiate defamation proceedings against Webb, earlier reported here.  But they both withdrew because they knew Webb’s publications were totally founded on Council records, hence founded in truth.  And yes, Port Stephens Council footed the bill for them; and why not when they're signing off on legal expense invoices.

“This dynamic duo is hell-bent on crucifying my husband and I, trying everything possible to impact our relationship which is unbreakable incidentally, to crush us financially, and to totally destroy our good names.  We’re not taking it personally anymore however.  We could be anyone.  Any person doing what we’re doing would see the same.  And they are using every means in their arsenal regardless of illegality or cost.  Again, they do nothing which uses their own money, it’s all ratepayers money; absolutely disgraceful and criminal given the recent 30% rate rise.  This is all due to particularly my exposing their corrupt, criminal conduct.  Now it’s just a matter of protecting their empires, their superannuation, their benefits, all of which they know is at risk every time a light shines on them.  They’re both creeping towards a big fat retirement package.  They’re just there for the money and nobody’s going to get in their way,” opined Webb.

“All this has happened to us because we dared to question Port Stephens Council, particularly its Development Application processes, the valueless Code of Conduct, and the impossibility of accessing due process.  I will never stop blowing the whistle!”

This Site intends to follow this matter to fruition and will continue to publish how Port Stephens Council intends to bring this ultimate act of bastardry to its intended completion.

Contact:Tony Wickham, tony.wickham@portstephens.nsw.gov.auLisa Marshall, lisa.marshall@portstephens.nsw.gov.auLeah Anderson, Mayor, mayor@portstephens.nsw.gov.auTim Crosdale, General Manager, tim.crosdale@portstephens.nsw.gov.au
Councillors:Giacomo Arnott, Giacomo.arnott@portstephens.nsw.gov.auPeter Francis, peter.francis@portstephens.nsw.gov.auPaul Le Mottee, paul.lemottee@portstephens.nsw.gov.auRoz Armstrong, Rosalyn.armstrong@portstephens.nsw.gov.auNathan Errington, nathan.errington@portstephens.nsw.gov.auMark Watson, mark.watson@portstephens.nsw.gov.auJason Wells, Jason.wells@portstephens.nsw.gov.auChris Doohan, chris.doohan@portstephens.nsw.gov.auBen Niland, ben.niland@portstephens.nsw.gov.au
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