Road named after disgraced former Geelong mayor Frank De Stefano to be sold
Geelong councillors have restarted a process that will see the name of an infamous figure finally erased, well over a decade since the issue first made its way into the chamber.
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A road named after one of Geelong’s most infamous identities is set for the scrap heap after City Hall commenced the process to sell off the land for the second time.
Councillors voted unanimously at their most recent meeting to seek public feedback on discontinuing De Stefano Drive in North Geelong.
The road was named in honour of long-time Geelong councillor and former mayor Frank De Stefano, who was sentenced to a decade behind bars in 2003 for stealing $8.6m from clients of his accounting firm.
Located off Weddell Rd and opposite the former site of the Geelong saleyards, De Stefano Drive is now effectively an entry point to and carpark for Cultura’s Multicultural Aged Care Services (MACS) facility.
City Hall agreed to sell two parcels of land to MACS in 2011, including the 856 sqm area that takes in the road, however the statutory process required to complete the sale was never finalised, according to council documents.
Officers therefore recommended the process start again, with the land to be sold on terms negotiated in 2011.
“It will bring to a conclusion a piece of history that has significant infamy associated with it,” councillor Anthony Aitken said at the meeting.
Mr Aitken raised concern about the extended timeline of the sale, but his council colleague Andrew Katos said “better late than never”.
Following the public consultation period, a report will be presented to council that will seek formal endorsement of the sale.
MACS will reimburse City Hall for all costs incurred for the road discontinuance and the sale of the land.
Born in 1948, De Stefano was one of Geelong’s most well known figures in the 1980s and 1990s.
In addition to his accountancy business and councillor duties, including mayor from 1991-1993, he was Barwon Water chair for a period and lived in a luxurious Eastern Beach home.
Awarded an OAM for his services to ethnic communities, he handed back the honour in 2013 before it was formally rescinded.
De Stefano, who served seven years in jail before being released on home detention, lost the majority of the stolen money at Crown Casino, where he blew $6.6m.
The crimes he confessed to in 2000 shocked a community that had until then viewed him as an upstanding citizen and hero of the Italian community.
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