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Once every now and again Borderline begs the question have they no shame. Local government in Albury-Wodonga is well represented by serial recidivists when it comes to a complete inability to feel any sense of shame. Such behaviour is usually accompanied by delusional bouts of the a grand vision where shame can have no part. Such visions are usually a spur of the moment type of thing like when Pat Gould got her photo in the paper wanting to preserve the waterwheel at Nouriel Park. Apparently a bit of a clean and a paint job will cost $30,000. Nice work if you can get it. Obviously councillor Gould was motivated to some extent by the upcoming September elections where each and every councillor wants to connect to their constituents in a meaningful way. No doubt a restored waterwheel will appeal to some.

Some visions however are more grander than others. Councillor Hull's vision is grander than most. His vision was not a capricious spur of the moment vision at all. It was a calculated, cynical attempt to further his political ambitions. Grand visions get you re-elected. The trouble is Cr Hulls vision became nothing more than a delusional invention. He wasn't going to let on though.

Cr Hull's vision is an expensive vision. Most visions are especially if they can get their hand in the ratepayer's pockets. Councillor Hull's vision is a double whammy when it comes to the cost impost he would put upon the ratepayers of Albury. What councillor Hull wanted to do is at the cost of a couple of million was to restore and house the Uiver in a purpose-built hanger.. That's only part of the vision. Another aspect of his vision which we shall concern ourselves here is his secret plan to relocate the Camden Museum of Aviation to Albury. This part of the plan would have cost many more millions. Why this plan was withheld from other councillors except the Mayor is still a mystery. His justification for his actions were vague and unconvincing. He spent months telling anyone who was prepared to listen that secrecy was important to the eventual outcome of his plan. Or was it just he had something to hide.

Cr Hull's in this instance was assisted by his wife Barbara, chief executive of Regional Development Australia - Murray. Ms Hull's appointment to this position is a curious story in itself. On the interview panel was none other than the general manager of Albury City Council, Les Tomich. Some people believe that Mr Tomich had a conflict of interest in this matter and should not have been on the interview panel considering the interviewee was a wife of a Albury councillor. Life goes on. Ms Hull it seems threw the full weight of her organisation behind her husband's bid to save the Uiver.It seems she is also throwing her weight behind her husband's political ambitions deputy mayor... mayor and now that he's joined the Liberal Party who knows.

'My husband doesn't own the Uiver,' she told the Border Mail. Are we led to believe that Barbara Hulls comment in this instance was a bit of a Freudian slip and suggested joint ownership of the Uiver.

Councillor Hull would have you believe as explained in a previous Borderline article that he had no conflict of interest in the matter. Councillor Hull is a pilot himself and owns an airplane. Councillor Hull's secret negotiations were patently a conflict of interest. A few councillors tried to explain to him what a conflict of interest is to no avail. That's why a couple of councillors have brought a Code of Conduct complaint against him which is to be adjudicated by Mr Gerry Holmes. This particular complaint, one of 11 Code of Conduct complaints currently before him. Mr Holmes is a Sydney barrister who charges upwards of $400 an hour to investigate and make a finding on the matter before him. Money for jam. It is usually the case that Mr Holmes judgements have more to do with protecting the integrity of the Albury City Council than any notion of justice to an aggrieved councillor, resident or member of staff. Have whitewash will travel.

When Borderline got wind of the Hull's interest in relocating the Camden Museum of Aviation. We started to do a bit of investigating of what exactly the Camden Museum of Aviation was. Naturally we consulted the Internet and try as we did googling any information it seemed fruitless except for a fairly rudimentary website from the museum itself... The Camden Museum of Aviation is one of the largest privately owned collections of military aircraft in the southern hemisphere with 22 aircraft, 200 engines and other military items on display. The RAAF, Army Aviation and Fleet Air Arm collection has been restored wherever possible to taxiable, non flyable, standard. Correct wartime markings and camouflage colours have been researched with service records and photographs, whilst authentic cockpit instruments are installed and electrical, fuel, hydraulic and pneumatic systems made operable wherever possible… One of the largest collections of military aircraft in the southern hemisphere - sounds like a magnificent display. Indeed if Councillor Hull's 'negotiations' were to succeed it could have meant big things for Albury. No doubt a grateful Albury public would welcome such a collection. But were they interested in relocating? Apparently not. As a another web page on the museums's website states; NEWSFLASH. There has been some speculation about the future of The Camden Museum of Aviation in a recently published article. The museum has received a number of offers of assistance from other aviation organisations, for which we grateful and there has been some discussion about possible directions forward. Some suggestions, such as relocating the collection to another site, have been put forward, but this option is not currently being considered… This particular piece of information seems to be at odds with councillor Hull's version of events. Then on another page the message is more furtive; The museum is currently closed to the public, however private viewing by appointment (subject to available dates) can be arranged by contacting Nicole on 0447 778 020. Borderline got on the phone to Nicole and asked her how long the Camden aviation Museum had been closed. 'Four years,' she said. Then on another page was another particularly intriguing message. The corporate office of the museum at Camden ( about 55 km from Sydney) was not located in Camden at all. It was located in Lavington - P.O. Box 183, Lavington NSW 2640. Australia. M: 0447 778 020. Borderlie apparently wasn't speaking to Nicole in Camden but Nicole in Lavington.

As you can see by the Border Mail articles (right) Councillor Hull was supposedly approached by Nicole Fransen at a Uiver open day. That was their first meeting or was it. Some are of the opinion Cr Hull was up to his ears in various aspects of the secret negotiations, an allegation Cr Hull denies. That brief introduction, apparently with the use of a business card got the ball rolling quick smart and soon almost everyone got in the act. Border Mail, November 3 2011; Cr Hull arranged two meetings involving Ms Fransen and senior council staff members Les Tomich and Tracey Squire about the potential relocation of the Camden museum. Cr Hull's wife Barbara, in her role as Regional Development Australia Murray region chief executive, also attended one of the meetings…

There were a lot of questions about the Camden Museum of Aviation that remain to be answered. Did any of these people visit the museum? Did the museum even exist? The first thing was to find the exact location of the museum. Presumably it was at the Camden airport. Not so. Borderline finally located it about 10 km away …a few hundred metres from the intersection of Narellan Rd and Camden Valley Way near McDonalds restaurant Narellan. There it was. The Camden Museum of Aviation.

Had we come to the right place? Surely this couldn't be it. Yes we had. Borderline double checked the address on the web again ...The Camden Museum of Aviation is located at 11 Stewart St, Harrington Park (formerly Narellan). We are 8 kilometres from the Hume Highway - expressway turnoff, and only a few hundred metres from the intersection of Narellan Rd and Camden Valley Way (near McDonalds restaurant Narellan). We are down the road from the Candy & Sweets store opposite McDonalds). The couple of tin sheds showed no indication of the apparent treasures inside. Not a sign to be seen. This was the museum that councillor Hull spent months in apparent secret negotiations to relocate to Albury. Struth.

No wonder Councillor Hull found himself in difficulties explaining himself because the whole thing was dodgy from the start. It seems many of the exhibits at the Camden Museum of Aviation were in much the same wretched condition as the Uiver. At least the exhibits at the Camden Museum of Aviation were undercover. Though as the cockpit of the Beaufort bomber from the museums webpage (right) suggests restoration would be a highly challenging task if this particular 'display' was any indication of the quality of the collection. There was no doubt about it any attempt at a relocation of the museum would be a hugely expensive multi-million operation far beyond the technical and financial resources of Albury. Surely Cr Hull would have known this from the start.

No wonder Cr Hull wanted his part in the fiasco to remain secret when a VCrs Van de Ven and Duncan-Strelec started asking a few questions. He just couldn't help himself and the only way he could extricate himself from the mess was to deny he had anything to do with it except that on one fateful day he was approached by a woman in the Camden Museum of Aviation about a possible relocation of the museum to Albury. That was the whole extent of his involvement. He lied. For a while he thought he could get away with it by spinning a web of lies. As Abe said...

Albury Wodonga News Weekly. Oct 7 2011

YOU have to hand it to Cr Neville Hull.
Elected as Albury's deputy mayor in a surprise move by his fellow councillors on Monday night, he has not wavered from what appears to be his chosen task on council - saving the Uiver.
When most of us have thrown up our hands in despair over the future of the old plane, he has continued to try and find a solution to its future.
This week he told NewsWeekly that he was working on a scheme that would see the Uiver be on display as the centrepiece of a new tourist display for the city.
We can only hope that his words are based on reality, and not just hope.

Really.