Bid to create policy for meetings between Brisbane councillors and property developers voted down

Concerns have been raised over the revelation councillors and developers can hold meetings behind closed doors, with no witnesses, with calls for an overhaul of the system. WHAT DO YOU THINK? TAKE OUR POLL

Deputy Mayor Cr Krista Adams said she could not support the motion in its current form. Picture: News Corp/Attila Csaszar

A motion to create rules for private meetings between property developers and local councillors – including requiring a third party to be present and mandatory note-taking – has sparked heated debate in Brisbane.

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Labor councillor for Morningside Kara Cook today raised a motion in the City Planning and Economic Development Committee to create a policy about councillors meeting with property developers, taking into consideration recent recommendations by the Office of the Independent Assessor (OIA).

Cr Cook said the community had suspicions about what was discussed in closed-door meetings between local councillors and property developers.

“There is nothing right now to stop councillors from meeting behind closed doors with developers with no witnesses … I’ve certainly heard stories about those sorts of things happening,” she said.

Deputy Leader of Opposition Cr Kara Cook said greater transparency was needed over meetings between property developers and councillors. Picture: News Corp/Attila Csaszar

“We don’t even have a record of how often this occurs. If the question was asked, well, how many councillors have met with developers, there is not a readily accessible number that we could come up with. We don‘t know if people are meeting with developers daily on these issues, who would know.

“I think residents of the city are suspicious that developers get a free run, that developers are running rampant across the city and they‘re sick of it, they want to know that there is full transparency and accountability when it comes to how these developments come about.”

The suggested policy included that an appropriate third party be present in meetings and outlined what notes should be collected during meetings prior to and after a development application was lodged.

Brisbane city skyline in April 2021. Picture: NCA NewsWire / John Gass

Forest Lake councillor Charles Strunk said he felt the issue may have been overlooked and was worth looking into.

However, committee chair and LNP councillor for Holland Park Krista Adams slammed the motion, saying the onus was on individual councillors to seek legal advice around their meetings with developers.

“As grown adults and elected representatives, it is your responsibility to take legal advice if you require it to decide what your policy and your stance is going to be on meeting with developers,” Cr Adams said.

“I think it is a councillors responsibility to meet with people who are suggesting and proposing opportunities in their ward, whether it be DAs, festivals and events, libraries.”

Both Cr Adams and LNP councillor for Paddington Peter Matic said the OIA policy was not suited for Brisbane City Council because development applications were decided by council officers and not councillors.

“I think the OIA insight was definitely talking about the other councils around Queensland where you‘ve got councillors that are actually related to 80 per cent of the population either by marriage or by bloodline,” Cr Adams said.

The motion was denied, with Cr Cook and Cr Strunk voting for the motion and LNP Councillors Adams, Matic, Fiona Hammond, and Lisa Atwood voting against the motion.