Councillor and business owner Franz Knoll says he has no conflict on Central Market redevelopment

Adelaide City councillor Franz Knoll says there’s no reason he should step out of meetings about the redevelopment of the Central Market Arcade at this stage — though he does own a business there.

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Adelaide city councillor and prominent food business owner Franz Knoll said he didn’t step out of a confidential meeting to discuss the redevelopment of the Central Market Arcade because he didn’t have a conflict of interest.

Cr Knoll and his family own Barossa Fine Foods and Angelakis Bros — the latter of which is a tenant in the arcade.

The councillor said he did not have a conflict discussing the redevelopment at a confidential committee meeting held on August 6 because “no decisions were being made’’.

It is understood matters involving timelines, possible rent rebates and positioning of tenants were discussed at the meeting.

The meeting’s minutes only reveal that “Strategic Property Investigations” were discussed.

Adelaide City councillor Franz Knoll in front of his family’s business, Barossa Fine Foods, in the Central Market. Picture: Matt Loxton

“This item contains certain information of a confidential nature … the disclosure of which could reasonably be expected to confer a commercial advantage on a person with whom the Council is conducting business, prejudice the commercial position of the Council and prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied the information and confer a commercial advantage on a third party,’’ the meeting minutes state.

The minutes of the confidential elements of the meeting were to “remain confidential and not available for public inspection until 6 August 2026’’.

However Cr Knoll freely admitted to The Advertiser that the redevelopment was discussed at the meeting.

“If no decision’s made there’s no conflict of interest,’’ he said.

“And also, I’m a person who has retail experience in all those areas. And if it doesn’t relate specifically to my premises or anything like that, then I’m perfectly within my rights to sit there and listen to the conversation, as I have been in various forums.

“If a decision is made … I’ll get governance to have a chat to me about that and then we’ll make a decision at that point depending on what that is.’’

Cr Knoll said councillors who lived in North Adelaide made decisions regarding that suburb and asked “at what point” do people have to step out?

“I have experience of 30-40 years of experience in this business which can help get an outcome for all people,’’ he said.

In regard to conflicts of interest, The Local Government Act states that: “a member of a council has a material conflict of interest in a matter to be discussed at a meeting of the council if (the member or a relative of the member) would gain a benefit, or suffer a loss, (whether directly or indirectly and whether of a personal or pecuniary nature) depending on the outcome of the consideration of the matter at the meeting’’.

The council’s manager governance Rudi Deco said it was up to each member to determine whether they had a conflict of interest.

“It’s up to the relevant member to assess and declare a conflict of interest,’’ he said in a statement.

“A material conflict of interest would only apply if Councillor Knoll (or prescribed persons under section 73 of the Local Government Act 1999) would gain a benefit, or suffer a loss, (whether directly or indirectly and whether of a personal or pecuniary nature) depending on the outcome of the consideration of the matter at the meeting.

“In other words, a Council decision is to be made for these provisions to apply. The conflict of interest provisions don’t apply when a presentation is provided to the Members.’’

Cr Knoll’s son Stephan Knoll is the Local Government Minister and also has an interest in the businesses through a trust, Sausage Boys Pty Ltd, which owns shares in Knoll Consultants & Investments.

The Minister has previously told parliament that he took all necessary steps to divest himself of any potential conflicts after coming to office at the March election.

“I have handed over permanent proxy in relation to the discretionary trust and I have disclosed my directorship of Sausage Boys both in my public register and in my ministerial register of interests,’’ he said in December last year.

“I have done exactly what I have needed to make sure that I can serve the people of South Australia faithfully”.

The council administration has been contacted for comment.

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