Cudgen land sale leads to donation stoush
Labor candidate urges State Government to come clean.
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STATE Labor candidate for Tweed Craig Elliot has urged the NSW Nationals to come clean about donations from a developer who recently purchased a block of land adjacent to the $534 million Tweed Valley Hospital.
It emerged this week that a Tweed couple who owned a 5.69 hectare block alongside the new hospital site had sold their land to Brisbane based apartment developer IRBS 1 Pty Ltd, formerly trading as Aspect Property Group.
According to RP Data, the $4 million sale of 741 Cudgen Road went through on December 14 and was settled on February 12.
Mr Elliot stated in a press release this morning that "the hospital at Cudgen has always been about property deals and allowing developers into Kingscliff".
"This is a disgrace. It is now absolutely clear. The NSW Premier and Nationals have been caught out," he said.
According to Mr Elliot, Aspect Property Group donated a total of $28,000 to the Liberal-National Party Forward Brisbane Leadership fund between 2009 and 2011.
But Mr Provest told the Tweed Daily News he was not aware of the sale until he was approached by the media.
"Until I was approached I did not know that land was for sale or purchased or anything like that," Mr Provest said.
"If it's State Significant Farmland and sold to a developer, it still stays State Significant Farmland, they won't be able to do anything, there are planning processes in place in relation to that."
It's not the first time the two parties have accused each other of receiving donations from developers.
In June of last year, shortly after NSW Labor committed to building the Tweed Valley Hospital at Kings Forest, Deputy Premier John Barilaro told NSW Parliament that Kings Forest mega-developer Leda Holdings, owned by billionaire Bob Ell, had donated a significant sum to the Labor Party.
"I question that Leda Holdings has donated at least $66,000 to the NSW Labor Party, Leda Holdings has donated at least $12,000 to the Queensland Labor Party," Mr Barilaro said.
"Mr Ell, of course the director of Leda Holdings, also has interests in Northstar Investment Pty Ltd and wait for it, has donated $110,000 to the NSW Labor Party."
Former Labor leader Luke Foley told Mr Barilaro at the time, "you don't want to start this mate", as the NSW Parliament erupted.
When contacted, Leda Holdings Pty Ltd said: "Historically, Leda has donated to the Liberal, Labor and National Party."
Originally published as Cudgen land sale leads to donation stoush
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