Zoe Moffatt
Hume council will investigate implementing a Developer Contact Register, following the Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission (IBAC) Operation Sandon report into Casey council.
Councillor Trevor Dance raised the notice of motion for a report on implementing a policy that requires councillors to list all contact with developers within the Hume region, in relation to any proposed, current or future planning applications.
In a long council debate on October 9, Cr Jack Medcraft rejected the idea and questioned why it has been raised now and not at the start of the term.
“I’ll be very interested to see how it comes up with the strategy and policy,” said Cr Medcraft, who was the only councillor in the end to vote against the proposal.
“What’s the cost to set this thing up? And are we that bad that we have to be monitored everyday?
“I can understand where it’s coming from and why we want it but really, if we can’t be trusted to declare what we are doing everyday.
“This is a circus if it’s going to go down that track. I really am concerned… it’s a minefield… [and is] going to cause so much grief.”
Speaking to the motion, Cr Dance said the Operation Sandon report made recommendations including a developer register.
“Full transparency of any councillor contact with developers can really only be a good thing for all parties in the community, and even developers themselves,” he said.
“Two other councils have already jumped on this in Victoria already, it’s best to follow what IBAC are doing and the recommendations.
“Really I don’t see the issue with it. We have other registers out there that we fill in. It worries me that there’s a bit of a hesitation there.”
Council officers are due to report back in early November.
In response to questions from Star Weekly about Operation Sandon in August, Hume council said it is committed to acting with integrity in all interactions and believes its existing conflict of interest provisions are sufficient.
The Operation Sandon report handed down 34 recommendations that could impact the ways councils interact with developers building in their communities.
It investigated whether any Casey councillors accepted payments, gifts or other benefits, including political donations, in exchange for voting on or influencing council decisions on planning matters that favoured the interests of developer and planning consultant John Woodman and his clients.
