Moreton Bay Regional Council seeking advice on whether or not it can vote on stadium funding application

A southeast Queensland leagues club’s decision to hand out free game day tickets to local councillors may have backfired with councillors unable to approve a $2.5 million funding request due to conflicts of interest.

Dolphin Stadium.

Redcliffe District Rugby League Football Club has lodged a $2.5 million grants request with Moreton Bay Regional Council – to go towards the final stage of Dolphin Stadium.

The stadium, at Kippa-Ring north of Brisbane, was opened on Augusts 1, 2016.

Moreton Bay Regional Council has contributed funding to the first and second stages of the stadium, as did State and Federal Governments.

While home to the Redcliffe Dolphins Intrust Super Cup team the stadium has also hosted multiple carnivals, top level football games, W-League and A-league games.

The Intrust Super Cup grand finals will also be played at the stadium until 2021.

$1 A WEEK FOR THE FIRST 8 WEEKS. Min. cost $4

Federal LNP MP Luke Howarth promised $3.5 million of funding towards stage 3 of the project during the recent election.

The project is estimated to cost $6 million all up.

It will add an extra 3000 seats – bringing the seated capacity of the stadium to 10,000.

The Community Grant application was put to the council on Wednesday but the nine councillors in attendance and Mayor Allan Sutherland all declared a perceived conflict of interest citing the fact the club had given them free tickets to games and in some cases covered the cost of airfares to attend away matches. (Councillors Koliana Winchester and Brooke Savage were absent from the meeting).

Once stage 3 is complete Redcliffe Dolphins Stadium will be able to seat 10,000 people. Picture: Peter Cronin

This meant the matter was unable to be decided.

As a Community Grant Application cannot be approved by a delegated decision Moreton Bay Regional Council voted to have the Acting CEO write a letter to the Local Government Minister seeking approval for the conflicted councillors to participate in the vote.

The council’s cautious approach follows Councillor Adrian Raedel being suspended from his role earlier this year, after being charged by the Crime and Corruption Commission and a report which found there was a “concerning level of instability” within the council.