Property Council’s Victorian chief Danni Hunter accused of making racist comments

Property Council’s Victorian chief Danni Hunter is facing calls to stand down after she was accused of making racist comments at an industry awards night.

Property Council’s Victorian chief Danni Hunter has been accused of making racist comments.

A racism scandal has erupted within one of the state’s key industry bodies with calls for the Property Council’s Victorian chief to stand down.

Whistleblowers inside the peak advocacy group have sensationally accused Victorian executive director Danni Hunter of making racist comments at a recent industry awards night.

It prompted one colleague, who the Herald Sun has chosen not to name, to resign from the Property Council in the days after the June 23 event.

One attendee, speaking confidentially, said Ms Hunter refused initially requests to apologise for her comments, which included repeatedly referring to her fake tan and saying she wanted to be “Indian” or “Aboriginal”.

“Danni had a tan for the ball and told a staff member that she needed lots more fake tans because she wanted to look Indian or Aboriginal,” one witness said.

“That team member asked for an apology but Danni refused.

“The team member quit a couple of days later and didn’t want to come back because of how she was made to feel.”

Ms Hunter only apologised at an all staff meeting after an investigation was launched.

But Property Council staffers have accused the organisation of failing to take the allegations seriously.

Danni Hunter currently servesexecutive director of the Property Council of Australia’s Victorian division. Picture: Tony Gough

“I’m just so upset that the company has tried to pretend this never happened, it was weeks before any mention was made and a staged apology was attempted to make it go away,” one said.

“It tells us all that the leadership here wants to protect itself more than look after its people.

“There should be zero tolerance but reputation is more important to the company. Everyone is hurting by the way we’ve been treated like fools.

“Our members all have clear policies about this behaviour, and we say that we do too, but when something like this happens we are prepared to look the other way.”

A spokesman for the Property Council of Australia said a complaint had been made and “taken very seriously.”

“The matter has been investigated confidentially in accordance with the Property Council’s people and culture policies.

“That process has resulted in a number of appropriate consequences and actions, including the senior staff member taking responsibility and issuing a full apology,” they said.

Before joining the Property Council Ms Hunter headed the Urban Development Institute of Australia (Victoria) and held senior positions in the state government and private sector.

She was also a key advisor to Opposition Leader Matthew Guy when he was Minister for Planning and has long been considered a potential Liberal MP.

But senior Liberals said the allegations would kill any hope of a career in politics despite being regarded as a future star of the party.

In March Ms Hunter was instrumental in lobbying against a planned major housing reform that was shelved just days after being announced by the Andrews Government

She was among the most outspoken opponents to the government’s plan to introduce a new social housing tax that would have raked in $800 million a year.

She was publicly accused by Daniel Andrews of reneging on an agreement to back the plan.