IBAC assess complaint about Whitehorse Council

AN anti-corruption watchdog is assessing a complaint about the actions of Whitehorse Council.

AN anti-corruption watchdog is assessing a complaint about the way Whitehorse Council handled the Forest Ridge Development surrounding the former Channel 10-owned studio.

The matter was taken to the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission by Fight Forest Ridge Action Group leader Chris Coney on July 14. The action group, which is strongly against the Nunawading development, has been campaigning for a review of a decision to approve the development at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, as Whitehorse Leader reported last week.

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The group has been pushing for answers about how the council came to support the development, which has been laballed “concrete-ville”, at the tribunal hearing, after nine of 10 councillors voted against the plan at a meeting in September.

Whitehorse Council's offices.

The group is outraged not all 10 councillors were required to vote on the altered version of the plan endorsed by the council at the tribunal.

Council chief executive Noelene Duff advised the group council officers gave the council’s consent, acting under its entitled legal delegation, after consulting with ward councillors.

An email from the commission last week advised Mr Coney the complaint was being “assessed in accordance with the Protected Disclosure Act 2012 to determine whether it is a protected disclosure complaint”.

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In response to the inquiry, council general manager city development Jeff Green said: “Any person is welcome to contact IBAC regarding Victorian public sector organisations. Due process has been followed through the development plan overlay (DPO) process,” he said.

“Under a DPO, it is thecouncil that reviews future planning permit applications for each stage of the development.”