Gold Coast City Council Crime and Corruption Commission investigation: Tate and Dickson slam critics

The Gold Coast’s Mayor has blasted his critics in a scathing attack after being cleared of inappropriate conduct by the state’s corruption watchdog over the controversial sale of Bruce Bishop Carpark and Black Swan Lake.

GOLD Coast Mayor Tom Tate tells critics it’s time to “get the credit card out” after multiple Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) probes found no inappropriate conduct.

A 13-month CCC investigation into the council’s controversial handling of Black Swan Lake and the $48 million sale of Bruce Bishop carpark found “no evidence of corrupt conduct”.

Speaking exclusively to the Gold Coast Bulletin yesterday, Cr Tate and council chief executive Dale Dickson both took aim at Save Surfers Paradise Inc (SSPI) boss Deborah Kelly, demanding a public apology and for her group to cough up more than $250,000 in legal fees.

The Surfers Paradise Transit Centre and Bruce Bishop carpark. Photo: Supplied

Ms Kelly is a lawyer, successful business owner and her SSPI group includes some powerful and respected figures in the city.

OTHER NEWS:

Teen’s solo flight lands on the Coast

Full list of Coast Easter services

Reason rideshare program Mobike is quitting the Coast

But yesterday an emboldened Cr Tate said: “My message to my critics is this – to put your self-serving agenda ahead of this city’s reputation is abhorrent and I think the people will judge them accordingly.

“Deborah Kelly has cost ratepayers a lot of money and the courts have awarded costs – she should get her credit card out and start making good.

Mayor Tom Tate. Photograph: Jason O'Brien

“It has personally been a distressing time but I have no qualms about the CCC doing a thorough investigation – I have to take that on the chin and the truth came out eventually.”

SSPI will face off against the council in the Supreme Court later this year in a bid to stymie the decision to sell the carpark.

As it stands, SSPI will be forced to pay costs which city hall says will exceed $250,000 to defend the decision to sell the carpark to Care Park and Far East Consortium.

The Bruce Bishop carpark in Surfers Paradise. Picture: Jerad Williams

Cr Tate received four letters from the CCC notifying him that various investigations against himself and the council were over on Thursday morning, shortly before the announcement was made public.

He said he felt relieved but intends to continue defamation proceedings against fellow councillor Peter Young and the ABC in relation to a 2017 Four Corners program.

“In life you have your good name and you have to defend that to the best of your ability,” Cr Tate said.

Mr Dickson, giving a rare interview, said he was “pleased” with the results which “did not surprise” him.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE BULLETIN FOR JUST $5 A MONTH FOR THE FIRST THREE MONTHS

Gold Coast Council CEO Dale Dickson. Photo: Jerad Williams

“As council CEO over an extended period of time I have personally been the subject of many public assertions of corrupt conduct and misconduct by a range of individuals and not once has there ever been any evidence to support those,” he told the Bulletin.

“My personal and professional reputation has on occasion been the plaything of individuals who have wanted to advance their own commercial or political interests but I am pleased to be validated through the independent investigation of the CCC.

“Deborah Kelly has been very vocal in her public commentary in relation to myself and I would welcome her to now acknowledge the findings of the CCC and do the right thing by apologising for her attempts to discredit me personally,” Mr Dickson said.

TIMELINE

* 2017: Gold Coast City Council votes to fill in the borrow pit known as Black Swan Lake, sparking outrage from environmentalists.

* January 24 2018: The Gold Coast Turf Club announces it will move forward with filling it in. Later that month the CCC directed the Local Government Director-General to investigate the matter, including claims of conflict of interest.

* January 25, 2018: Save Surfers Paradise Inc (SSPI) lodged claims with the Supreme Court accusing Mayor Tom Tate of failing to declare a material conflict of interest when he voted to support selling Bruce Bishop Carpark.

* March 2, 2018: The CCC launched an investigation into the decision to sell Black Swan Lake related to reported conflicts of interest.

* March 9, 2018: The probe into the council widened to include allegations relating to the sale of Bruce Bishop Carpark and also Mr Dickson’s contract.

* June 15, 2018: Cr Tate fires off a letter to the CCC urging for the investigation to be sped up after three months.

* July 31, 2018: The Gold Coast City Council votes to sell Bruce Bishop Carpark for $48 million.

* August 9, 2018: The Supreme Court ruled in favour of Council against SSPI regarding the sale.

* September 8, 2018: Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath granted SSPI a ‘fiat’ - special leave to continue its case against the council.

* October 25, 2018: Council announced it would pursue SSPI for costs.

* April 18, 2019: The CCC announce it had “not identified any evidence of corrupt conduct’’ into the council’s decisions regarding either Black Swan Lake or the Bruce Bishop Carpark.