Council ‘in the clear'

AN independent investigation has cleared the Clarence Valley Council of any impropriety in its dealings with Maclean-based developer, Andrew Baker.

Andrew Baker.

AN independent investigation has cleared the Clarence Valley Council of any impropriety in its dealings with Maclean-based developer Andrew Baker.

In August this year The Daily Examiner reported development applications lodged by Mr Baker were to be investigated by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).

At the time Mr Baker said he had spent close to $1 million trying to sort out development applications lodged during the past three years and claimed the council had not complied with its own development control or local environment plans.

He met then-acting general manager Mike Colreavy who referred the matter to the ICAC. The ICAC subsequently told the council the matters appeared mostly speculative and unsubstantiated and it would take the matter no further.

The council then appointed an investigator of its own; one the new general manager Scott Greensill said had no relationship with either the council or Mr Baker.

In a report to be tabled at a meeting of the council's civil and corporate committee tomorrow, Mr Greensill said the investigator, Chris Drury of Sparke Helmore Lawyers, found no evidence of corrupt conduct on the part of any officer or councillor of the Clarence Valley Council in any of the matters on Mr Baker's list of complaints.

"There is no evidence of wrongful conduct on the part of any officer or councillor of Clarence Valley Council in any of the matters on Mr Baker's list of complaints," he said in his report.

"There is no evidence that council officers had not discharged their functions of assessing any of the development applications submitted by Mr Baker's com- panies fairly or objectively.

"All council officers have assessed the Baker applications objectively and without regard to the identity of the applicant.

"Contrary to the assertion of Mr Baker (an unnamed council employee) did not remove a document from a file prior to the inspection of the file by Mr Baker."

One area where Mr Drury was critical of the council was in its correspondence with Mr Baker.

"Mr Baker was entitled to, but did not receive, an explanation in writing from council as to the basis for a stop-work order that was issued to workmen employed by Mr Baker's company upon land at Gulmarrad," he said.

Mr Greensill said he intended to approach Mr Baker to try to improve and progress a "productive working relationship" to address current concerns and "overcome any impediments that may exist".

He said a formal response relating to the stop-work order had now been prepared and sent.

Originally published as Council ‘in the clear'