Minister for Local Government and Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

address

date

Hon. Mark Furner

Minister for Local Government and Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships

Dear Minister,

Re: investigation of the Gold Coast City Council

I am a resident of the Gold Coast and over the past 5 years I have become very concerned at the manner in which the Mayor and some Councillors of the Gold Coast City Council conduct themselves. While the Belcarra report did decide to not to prosecute the Council in regard to election donations, the Chairman of the Crime and Corruption Commission nevertheless was highly critical of the manner in which the Council conducts its business and stated that great improvements were needed in accountability, transparency and ethical behaviour.

I ask that you investigate the behaviour of the Councillors in regard to:-

• The influence of developer donations on voting on applications for development
• The conflict of interest procedures followed by Councillors such that they do not remove themselves from the chamber when the vote is taken on a matter in which they have a conflict of interest.
• The influence of the Mayor’s Technical Advisory Committee made up solely of developers, on the amendments to the City Plan.
• Increasing number of development applications assessed as code assessable without public rights of objection or as Material Change of Use with excessive relaxations approved in height and density and reductions in parking, communal space and set back leading to loss of confidence by residents in their City Plan 2016.
• Failure to demonstrate community benefit when approving such relaxations
• The increasing number of major redactions (blacked out sections) in reports paid for by ratepayers such as the Feasibility Study on the Offshore Cruise Terminal, several koala reports and the Height Review study by Urbis. The Information Commission rebuked the Council for the failure to be more transparent and accountable.
• The attempted takeover of public open space for commercial development on The Spit, Wavebreak island, Queens Park, Bishop Park and Black Swan Lake.
• The change to the purpose of the Open Space Preservation Levy from land acquisition to koala management and maintenance without public consultation.
• The push polling clearly evident in so-called public consultation questionnaires
• The unhealthy environment of bullying and harassment in Council resulting in staff fearful of losing their jobs and of some Councillors fearful of being placed on notice with no recourse of appeal.

Other comments;

I believe that it is essential for the good governance of the Gold Coast that an urgent investigation into the actions of the Councillors is undertaken

Yours sincerely

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