Donna Gates quits senior council role as sweeping legal changes impact on meetings

GOLD Coast Deputy Mayor Donna Gates is resigning from a senior council committee post just 24 hours after councillors were given a private briefing about sweeping legal reforms.

Gold Coast Deputy Mayor Donna Gates is seen before a hearing at the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) in Brisbane, Wednesday, April 26, 2017. Ms Gates has resigned as deputy chair of Council’s planning committee in the wake of sweeping legal reforms. (AAP Image/Dan Peled)

DONNA Gates has quit as the deputy chair of council’s powerful planning committee just 24 hours after councillors were given a private briefing about sweeping legal reforms following Operation Belcarra.

Cr Gates has wiped away tears after announcing she will resign from a planning committee at council.

“I love this city. You know how much I love it,” she said, after speaking at full council.

She said new State Government laws were “clunky and unwieldy”.

Councillor Gates said the declarations would slow up the decision making at city hall.

CRIME AND CORRUPTION POLL REPORT ON GOLD COAST CITY COUNCIL RELEASED

Deputy Mayor Donna Gates chooses not to take part in a debate at the Gold Coast City Council meeting, stands outside the Evandale chamber.

The council’s most northern-based councillor in the city’s fastest-growing region has to make numerous declarations during planning matters, and under the legal changes faced the increasing possibility of having to leave meetings.

She has denied she stood down from a council committee because the Crime and Corruption Commission was circling City Hall.

The State corruption watchdog is currently investigating Coast council decisions on Black Swan Lake and the Bruce Bishop Carpark along with other development issues.

Outside council, Cr Gates said: “There is no circling occurring that I’m aware of. I’ve had no contact at all from the CCC since Belcarra.

“I have absolutely no guilt associated with any part of my representation in this city for 11 years.”

The Deputy Mayor recently left the chamber when debate involved the Gold Coast Turf Club, of which she was appointed a director.

The Bulletin can reveal councillors yesterday in a closed session were given a briefing by CEO Dale Dickson and the City Solicitor David Montgomery on how meetings would be impacted by the new State Government legislation.

“They (the councillors) were given a briefing about conflict of interest,” a source said. “I think it (the changes) will make declarations a little bit more complex.”

The Bulletin understands Cr Gates will move from the economy, planning and environment committee and be added to the transport infrastructure committee.

In a shock move, veteran councillor Dawn Crichlow, a rival of Mayor Tom Tate, is to be added to the planning committee.

Southern-based councillor Gail O’Neill will become deputy chair of planning.

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Councillor Dawn Crichlow is set to return to a committee. Photo: Jerad Williams

State Parliament this month passed new laws in the wake of Operation Belcarra which was sparked by the 2016 council election.

In the lead-up to the inquiry, the Bulletin — in up to 60 reports — revealed an LNP bloc operated during the independent election.

The Belcarra reforms were expected to impact most on Cr Gates because she staged a fundraiser at the Gold Coast Turf Club in the lead-up to the election.

Cr Gates appeared at the CCC hearings after making a declaration of $174,000 in campaign donations with about $80,000 from property developers. But she maintains her campaign war chest was less due to the cost of staging functions.

In September last year, when developer donations again appeared in the spotlight, Cr Gates broke down in a Bulletin interview, saying she would not sell her soul for $1 million.

Asked about voting on development applications linked to donors, she said: “I consider it an obligation which in my view is representation of the people of Division One (electorate) and I’m doing so with every ounce of my fibre and if that includes me staying in the room to get a better outcome for my city I will do it happily.

“My greatest upset about this is the damage to the city of the Gold Coast. I don’t care about Donna Gates. I’m really distraught. It’s been a tough year to be honest. But you put your head up for public office and you get that.”