Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli ‘cleared’ after investigation into campaign donations

Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli says she has been “cleared” after an Electoral Commission investigation into claims she might have received campaign donations from developers.

Rosanna Natoli has been declared Sunshine Coast mayor after a nearly two-week wait on results.

Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli says she has been “cleared” after an Electoral Commission investigation into claims she might have received campaign donations from developers.

The Sunday Mail revealed at the weekend that the commission had begun an investigation into the untested allegations against both Ms Natoli and her councillor husband Joe after a referral from the Crime and Corruption Commission.

It followed a complaint earlier this year from Sunshine Coast retiree Geoff Lynch, an ally of former Wallabies coach John “Knuckles” Connolly who stood unsuccessfully against Mr Natoli in the March council elections.

The complaint alleged that the Natolis had received thousands of dollars in donations from Sunshine Coast Indian community identity, orthodontist and alleged developer Vas Srinivasan, his wife and associates.

The Srinivasans, who are not accused of any wrongdoing, have declined to comment.

Mr Lynch alleged the donations were in breach of laws introduced by the former Palaszczuk government banning donations from developers.

The ban, which followed a CCC inquiry into hefty developer donations at the 2016 local government elections, was upheld by the High Court in 2019 after an unsuccessful LNP challenge.

Rosanna Natoli interviewing Vas Srinivasan when she was a reporter for Channel 7. Source: Facebook.

Ms Natoli told The Courier-Mail that she had been “cleared of any wrongdoing”.

“I’ve responded to the ECQ upon their inquiry and have received written advice that they are satisfied I have complied with the rules,” she said.

It’s understood the commission has not spoken with Mr Natoli.

Among other lines of inquiry, the commission had to determine whether the source of the donations to the Natolis fell within the definition of a developer under the Local Government Act.

Ms Natoli, a former Channel 7 presenter, won the $250,000-a-year mayoralty following the retirement of long-serving council leader Mark Jamieson.

She beat opponents Ashley Robinson and Jason O’Pray in a hard-fought contest that came down to preferences to join her husband on the council.

Joe Natoli, the councillor for Maroochydore-based Division 4, won his second term in office at the March election after previously serving as Maroochy Shire mayor.

Electoral returns sent to the CCC as part of Mr Lynch’s complaint show Ms Natoli received four campaign donations of $2500 each from Dr Srinivasan, his father and mother Arumugam and Kalavathi and his wife Christine Valentine.

The donations, all made last December, were followed by two more in February of $495 each from Arumugam Srinivasan.

Cr Joe Natoli and Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli.

Mr Lynch’s complaint included company searches linking Dr Srinivavasan to companies allegedly behind development applications for sites at Parreara, Nirimba and Urangan.

In 2022, plans were lodged with the council for a redevelopment of Dr Srinivasan’s Invisible Orthodontics practice on Nicklin Way at Parrearra, involving an eight-unit apartment building and a food outlet on neighbouring blocks.

Mr Natoli’s 2020 election returns, which were also submitted as part of Mr Lynch’s complaint, revealed he received $1000 from Ms Valentine for that campaign.

Ms Valentine is a joint shareholder with Dr Srinivasan in a company called Christine Valentine Property Pty Ltd, according to company records lodged with Mr Lynch’s complaint.

The Natolis declined to comment last week when contacted by The Courier-Mail, referring The Courier-Mail to the CCC which said it did not confirm or comment on any complaint or investigation or referrals to other agencies.

The ECQ said it was “unable to comment on compliance activities which may or may not be in progress”.

Mr Lynch said he made the complaint in May and believed the investigation had taken “far too long”.

He said he decided to lodge the complaint because he and other Sunshine Coast locals were upset that the Natolis were “on a sort of anti-development stance”.

“It needs to be looked into and it’s taking far too long from our perspective,” he said.

Local Government Association of Queensland CEO Alison Smith said public agencies like the ECQ should be able to comment publicly if complaints had been dismissed.

“Complaints and allegations are often designed to cause damage to someone’s reputation, particularly when they are made public,” she said.

“We believe there is a strong public interest case for any official government agency to have the ability to publicly respond, particularly when allegations are spurious, unfounded, vexatious or have been reviewed and dismissed.”