Push for log where elected members record interactions with developers
Adelaide City councillor Anne Moran plans to reintroduce a developer “transparency” motion in light of a communication breakdown.
- Push for councillors to log conversations with developers
- Push for development register shunned
- Deputy lord mayor Houssam Abiad ties to failed building director
- Council accepts Houssam Abiad’s explanation for register of interests omission
An oversight that meant Adelaide City Council’s deputy lord mayor’s close ties to the director of a failed building company were not recorded in his register of interests has prompted renewed calls for elected members to log private discussions with developers.
Cr Anne Moran will next week lodge a motion calling for councillors to record whenever they meet with a developer.
It follows Cr Robert Simms first bringing the log idea to the council in May, and Cr Moran pushing for a voluntary register a fortnight later.
Both earlier motions were knocked back by the council.
The Advertiser last week revealed Deputy Lord Mayor Houssam Abiad was a business partner of one of the two directors of failed builder D & C Homes in another company, DAB Wholesales.
Cr Abiad said he tried to update his register of interests in December via Post-it note to reflect this, however it was not recorded following a communication breakdown.
Cr Moran said recent events had proven the log was necessary to ensure the council was “squeaky clean”.
“An innocent person hides nothing,” Cr Moran said.
“We cannot afford to have information falling through the cracks.
“We are told over and over again that the (register of interests) must be done and they are very important — there is no mucking around.”
Cr Abiad was the acting lord mayor when Cr Simms brought the idea to council the first time, and used his casting vote to knock back the motion.
At the time, elected members said Cr Simms was “grandstanding” and that logging conversations with developers was “a waste of time”.
Cr Simms is also considering relodging a motion.
“Additional transparency is always a good thing and sometimes in registers there can be mistakes made, so having an additional layer is a good safeguard,” Cr Simms said.
Cr Abiad said he did not support the log because meeting rules already forced elected members to disclose if they had any conflicts.
However, he would support an “overhaul” of the way the council received updates of its register of interests.
“What I would support, though, is a system that allows (councillors) to electronically submit and update the register of interest then provide them with a receipt,” Cr Abiad said.
“Automate the process and make it easier to update.”
ASIC documents showed that both Cr Abiad and D & C Homes co-director Andrew Di Bacco are directors and shareholders of DAB Wholesales, which was set up in January 2018, and is registered to Cr Abiad’s home address.
The business operates a newly launched website, Developer Direct Online, which Cr Abiad said had not yet started trading.
D & C Homes was placed in liquidation on Thursday with debts of about $800,000.