Council watchdog won’t pursue secret caravan meeting claim

The council watchdog has decided not to pursue claims against five Fraser Coast councillors who took part in a private meeting ahead of a controversial vote on the Torquay Beachfront Caravan Park.

The council watchdog has decided not to pursue claims five Fraser Coast councillors who took part in a private meeting ahead of a controversial vote, which put the potential closure of the Torquay Beachfront Caravan Park back on the table.

The council watchdog has decided not to pursue claims five Fraser Coast councillors took part in a private meeting ahead of a controversial vote, which put the potential closure of the Torquay Beachfront Caravan Park back on the table.

Fraser Coast Regional Council chief executive Ken Diehm was reportedly aware councillors Zane O’Keefe, Michelle Byrne, Michelle Govers, Lachlan Cosgrove and John Weiland were referred to the Office of the Independent Assessor.

Mr Diehm has not made any statement regarding the meeting, but a council spokeswoman said any allegations referred to the OIA were confidential.

It’s understood the complaint related to claims there may have been a breach of transparency framework put in place as a result of the Operation Belcarra review which aimed to ensure integrity and mitigate corruption risks in local government.

As a result of the recommendations, there are restrictions around Queensland councillors holding private meetings with a select few to discuss a topic about an upcoming public council meeting if the purpose is to agree on a decision beforehand.

When initially approached, an OIA spokesman said the office was “unable to confirm or deny whether it has received a complaint or is investigating a matter unless the complainant or the subject councillor makes it publicly known”.

“If the matter becomes publicly known, the OIA may still not provide information if there is a risk of prejudicing operational activities or where legal obligations require the OIA to maintain confidentiality,” he said.

A council spokeswoman declined to comment on the matter.

“Any allegations relating to councillor conduct and referral to the Office of the Independent Assessor are confidential,” she said.

“For these reasons, Fraser Coast Regional Council will not be commenting.”

The council watchdog has decided not to pursue claims five Fraser Coast councillors who took part in a private meeting ahead of a controversial vote, which put the potential closure of the Torquay Beachfront Caravan Park back on the table.

The Local Government Act 2009 also states councils must “act in a way that is transparent and accountable” and if councillors are deliberately meeting in smaller groups without public notice or an official agenda, and minutes being taken, it may be seen as a breach even if not technically illegal.”

The idea is to avoid perceived predetermined decisions or collusion.

There is no suggestion that this occurred in this instance, only that the circumstances were looked into by the OIA.

The allegations included that a meeting to discuss the issue may have taken place when councillors knew the caravan parks were a live issue before the council and due to be debated at public meetings.

All councillors were contacted at the time and none responded.

Several councillors have since posted on social media that they received a notice this week that the OIA would not pursue a formal investigation.

The letter from the OIA said councillors were required to bring an open mind to decision-making and be open to their opinion being changed by reasonable and persuasive argument.

“There was no evidence that you purported to be making a decision during that informal meeting or that you did not have an open mind to the upcoming matter.”

It was originally reported that the meeting was understood to have happened behind closed doors, however while the meeting was held with only a select number of councillors, outside of formal councillor briefings, it’s understood it did take place in a park.

The council in October 2024, voted unanimously to suspend the redevelopment of the Torquay and Pialba Caravan Parks and plans for both parks were referred back to the chief executive for further consultation with councillors.

The motion opened the door for the Torquay Caravan Park to eventually be closed in favour of “alternate” uses (though this would still be put back to a vote after community consultation).

Official council briefings were held about the subject before it came back to a heated February 2025 meeting where councillor Paul Truscott spoke about the “overwhelming” public support for keeping the parks open, drawing criticism from councillors Lachlan Cosgrove and Zane O’Keefe who were both called to order by Mayor George Seymour.

The Fraser Coast council, Mr Diehm, the individual councillors and the OIA have each been contacted for comment.