Acting mayor denies ‘walking away’ from city issues for $30k China trip

The acting mayor of an embattled southeast council has been accused of walking away from local duties to go on a $30,000 sistership trip to China.

A $30,000 mayoral mission to China in June has sparked fury within Logan City Council, after the acting mayor was accused of ditching local duties.

Outspoken Logan councillor Lisa Bradley accused acting mayor Cherie Dalley of putting an overseas trip ahead of focusing on local issues, which include a suspended mayor and a councillor.

Cr Lisa Bradley accused the acting mayor Cherie Dalley of walking away from Division 6.

“You’re walking away from Division 6 and then going overseas — what does this say to our community?” Cr Bradley said.

“Relying on Chinese all the time for investing in our city has proved a disaster as well.

“No offence to you acting mayor, but I really do not believe you are walking away from Division 6 and then going over to China — what are you saying to our city?”

Logan City Council Division 8 Cr Cherie Dalley, Thursday, September 21, 2017. Cherie, pictured here with a buffer between bush and houses, is concerned about fire hazards (AAP Image/Richard Walker)

Cr Dalley objected to the claim she had “walked away” and said she had become “tired of the political bun fight going on in Division 6” but was still representing that electorate until Monday, March 18.

“I object, Cr Bradley, to your insinuation that I walked away. I simply did not walk away.

“I will still represent Division 6 — the same as I have been trying to represent every other division. I find the comment offensive.”

In May, Cr Dalley stepped in to fill positions of both mayor and Division 6 when Cr Stacey McIntosh and Mayor Luke Smith were suspended.

Last week, she relinquished her role as Division 6 representative, handing it to acting CEO Silvio Trinca.

Officers told today’s committee the trip was necessary as it would drum up business for the city’s fledgling innovation hub, The Kingston Butter Factory.

The officer said a council in Melbourne had scored an $80 million contract for its innovation hub on a recent trip to China.

He also said the council was being consulted on the trip as a matter of courtesy as it was not a requirement to get permission for such overseas missions.

“It’s not a requirement to seek council approval to do this trip but … we are 100 per cent transparent and this is the third time we have reported to this committee about this trip,” he said.

“We are doing our job which is to enforce the council’s Global Connections Strategy, which includes visiting sistership cities.”

Cr Jon Raven supported the $30,000 sistership mission and Cr Darren Power said it was a waste of money.

Outspoken councillor Darren Power said the five-day trip to celebrate Logan’s 10th anniversary with its China sister cities of Suzhou and Xuhui, was wasting ratepayer funds.

Cr Power also said he did not trust the Chinese government and said he was worried any partnership could result in a loss of intellectual property and mentioned the recent Huawei debacle, in which the China technology giant has been banned for tendering for Australia’s 5G network.

“Chinese investment, particularly in some industries, is a concern for a lot of people in government especially about the phone network,” he said.

“My concern is we have a lot of defence technology in Logan and … there would be incentive to steal our intellectual property.”

The mission got support from Cr Jon Raven who said it wasn’t a holiday and the itinerary had been tightened so money was not wasted.

In October, council slashed its original 2018-19 overseas travel budget of $426,000 to $200,000.

“We have to maintain these relationships,” Cr Raven said.

“You may not like this — and you may not trust the Chinese — which is a ridiculous thing to say … but there is not enough investment in Australia to build the fantastic projects we have for this city such as a private hospital.

“If we don’t go to talk to people in other countries we have no relationships to get that funding.”