Divided Onkaparinga council calls in electoral authorities as voting submissions deemed fake

THE Electoral Commission has been called in to investigate how submissions from ratepayers were faked ahead of a vote to cut the number of councillors.

“Fake submissions” from ratepayers are at the centre of the scandal.

THE Electoral Commission has been asked to investigate an alleged voting scam over an Onkaparinga Council decision to cut its number of councillors.

The probe to examine 55 “fake submissions” from ratepayers comes as the council voted on Tuesday night 10-8 to reduce it’s total team of councillors from 20 to 15.

The Elector Representation Review, which examines the the merits of council changes, found many of those who had supposedly made submissions on the preferred size of the council not only denied any knowledge, but were unaware there was to be a vote. A report into the ratepayer process found: “Acting on this suspicion a number of respondents were contacted by telephone and it was revealed that none of the persons contacted, which directly related to a total of fourteen submissions or 25 per cent of the questionable submissions, had made a submission to council, nor were they generally aware of the review or its purpose.

“This matter was subsequently reported to Council and Electoral Commission SA.”

Onkaparinga councillors remain bitterly divided over the payment of $6800 to its CEO Mark Dowd so he could play golf at the Kooyonga Golf Course, while also hosting potential investors in the region. The money is being repaid.

The review of whether to have 12 or 15 councillors had divided the voting body along similar lines, with the minority fearing the abolition of councillor numbers would be used by the dominant faction to campaign against them at the next election.

The council last night also accepted dozens of submissions the consultants had earlier rejected.

The consultants’ report previously stated: “The review of the submissions received also revealed thirty-one response forms which exhibited the opinions and comments of a councillor on the reverse side of the pro-forma document.

“Some of the information provided is inaccurate, and the document also contained assertions/opinions which are unsubstantiated.’’

But after heated debate last night it was found that the submissions could not be ruled out when the residents who made the submissions objected.

Don Chapman, who supported the 15-councillor options, had said the actions of the consultants was a direct attack on the democratic process of ratepayers deciding how many councillors they wanted.

“This was a direct attack on democracy, and for them to make this decision really undermines confidence in the community.’’

Cllr Chapman said he feared if the vote was for 12 councillors it would greatly reduce public scrutiny. Advocate for Facebook group, City of Onkaparinga Council Watch, Yvonne Wenham, said the initial cancellation of the “31 submissions” was an attack on the views of the community.