ICAC: Planning manager accuses mayor Angelo Tsirekas of helping mates jump planning queue
A Sydney mayor has been accused of running his “own little fiefdom” for property developers, as he was criticised in an ICAC hearing for helping his mates “jump the queue” on planning assessments. Live coverage here.
A former council employee has criticised a Sydney mayor and Chinese property developer’s move to revise draft council documents to “piggyback” a controversial development at the centre of corruption investigations to bypass planning assessments.
Former Canada Bay Council Statutory Planning Manager, Narelle Butler, has told ICAC it was “very inappropriate” for mayor Angelo Tserikas to work with now-defunct iProsperity development firm planners to bypass months of council planning assessment for a 7-day-old planning proposal for a series of high-rise towers reaching up to 46 storeys in height.
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The former council manager also told the public inquiry that Cr Tserikas operated his “own little fiefdom”, while using his office space as a meeting place for developers.
A fiefdom is described as a territory controlled by an overlord.
Last week, former Canada Bay Council planning director turned iProsperity town planner, David Furlong, told the corruption watchdog that he worked with Canada Bay Mayor Angelo Tsirekas to accelerate a newly submitted planning proposal.
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Emails tendered to ICAC show Cr Tsirekas forwarded a draft notice of motion by councillor Neil Kenzler for the consideration of a three-year-old planning proposal by neighbouring developer Billbergia in the Rhodes Station Precinct in May 2016.
The original motion did not include the assessment of the planning proposal by iProsperity for the corner of Marquet and Mary streets, Rhodes, which was only submitted seven days earlier.
Additional emails tendered to the corruption commission reveal Mr Furlong and Cr Tsirekas worked to develop an amended notice of motion to include the five lots controlled by iProsperity when investigating the “planning merits” of the Billbergia development.
Ms Butler accused the mayor and iProsperity contractor David Furlong of “jumping the queue” to include the newly-submitted planning proposal into the Billbergia planning proposal.
“It was very in appropriate for a private planning consultant to forward a draft or amended motion of a councillor to include additional information like that,” Ms Butler said.
The planning expert said the move by Mr Furlong and Cr Tsirekas would benefit iProsperity as the proposal was being “expedited … and also not being subject to the same assessment that the strategic planning staff had already done with the Billbergia proposal”.
Ms Butler said iProsperity got the benefit “of all the work that’s gone beforehand in relation to the Billbergia Planning Proposal”.
“We now have a motion, which was basically a recommendation for refusal, and seeking to proceed and pulling iProsperity into that,” she said.
Throughout his evidence, Mr Furlong refused suggestions the move to include iProsperity land in the amended notice of motion “benefit” the Chinese developer.
Ms Butler said it was not appropriate for council to request formal advice from a land owner of their intentions for their land, something Mr Furlong and Cr Tserikas included in the amended notice of motion to council.
When it came to allegations of Cr Tserikas operating a fiefdom out of his council offices, Ms Butler said he used the space as an opportunity for people to come and meet with him.
“He had developed a certain culture, I suppose, and an expectation among members of the development industry in particular, who was seeking to either do development in Canada Bay or who had actually lodged applications with us to do development that his door was open, if you like and that they could come and talk to him,” she said. “They could contact him to seek a meeting with him (and) that he would have council staff assist with that process as well.”
Chief commissioner Peter Hall reminded the ICAC Mr Furlong was a witness providing evidence in the proceedings, rather than a person of interest himself.
The ICAC is probing allegations Cr Tsirekas partially exercised his official functions to favour the interests of Billbergia, Prolet Pty, iProsperity and contractor Joseph Chidiac, as well as allegations he accepted benefits, including overseas flights and accommodation, as a reward for favouring iProsperity’s planning interests.
The mayor is yet to give evidence in the four-week hearing.
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