Emails tendered to the ICAC reveal Mr Sidotis reliance on Liberal councillors to green light planning decisions linked to his familys interests, including in October 2015 when he wrote to councillor Tanveer Ahmed, Mate, without you Im f--ked.
Mr McNamara told the commission Ms McCaffreys request at the 2015 workshop was unusual because the council had repeatedly rejected calls to rezone the area.
Independent experts engaged by the council had found there was no public interest in increasing density in the area.
Furthermore, just two of 389 submissions from the community argued in favour of rezoning, both of which were from town planners on behalf of the Sidoti family.
Mr McNamara told the commission the issue had been thrashed to death.
My concern was that [councils] professional work was being undermined and discredited for, basically personal motives, Mr McNamara said.
He said the highly-regarded Ms McCaffrey was clearly uncomfortable when she approached him.
I think she felt she shouldnt be doing it. She said, Im under pressure to do this and Im not really comfortable with this situation.
Mr Sidoti is the former sports minister. He has moved to the crossbench while the ICAC investigation is underway.Credit:Wolter Peeters
Former general manager of the council Gary Sawyer also gave evidence on Tuesday, telling the commission Mr Sidoti was still actively attempting to lobby the council in 2017.
Mr Sawyer recalled a conversation with Ms McCaffrey, who suggested she had been lobbied by Mr Sidoti who was unhappy that his family properties had been left out of the rezoning.
Mr Sawyer also recalled an interaction with a stunned Liberal councillor Mirjana Cestar in February 2017, hours before a council meeting discussing the Sidotis rezoning proposal.
I walked into the council chamber and councillor Cestar was holding the phone and she said to me, something along the lines, I just cant believe the message Ive received from Sidoti.
Mr Sawyer said she did not repeat what Mr Sidoti had said, but that he told her not to vary from council staffs recommendation to reject the proposal, unless there were new grounds to do so.
I was certainly making sure that she was clear in what the ramifications might be...if it wasnt based on planning merit, he said.
The inquiry will also consider whether Mr Sidoti engaged in a breach of public trust by failing to disclose pecuniary interests between 2011 and 2019, contrary to his obligations under the ministerial code of conduct. He has strenuously denied all allegations.
The inquiry before Commissioner Peter Hall, QC, continues.
Lucy Cormack is a state political reporter with TheSydney Morning Herald.
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