Private eye chases Glamorgan Spring Bay Council leak

GLAMORGAN Spring Bay Council has hired private investigators to find the source of a document leaked to the Mercury in early September.

GLAMORGAN Spring Bay Council has hired private investigators to find the source of a document leaked to the Mercury in early September.

A private investigator from the LKA Group, which claims to be Australia’s leading provider of private investigation services, contacted a Mercury reporter this week to ask the source of the leak.

Police have also confirmed an officer was brought in to witness statutory declarations from councillors and staff, despite at least one senior council officer being a justice of the peace.

The leaked document, which had been labelled “strictly confidential” discussed a proposal for a 200-berth marina, 20 floating houses and a residential development at Waterloo Point in Swansea.

According to the document the council’s general manager David Metcalf indicated the project had been referred to the state’s Co-ordinator General.

When asked about the cost of the investigation, Mr Metcalf said he had no comment to make because it was a confidential internal investigation.

Mercury editor Matt Deighton said it was concerning that a journalist could be approached by a council or a private investigator and be asked to reveal confidential sources or information.

“It’s obviously a concern that a private investigator would ring up a Mercury reporter and ask them to reveal their sources, which is a clear breach of our code of conduct,” he said. “If I was a ratepayer of Glamorgan Spring Bay, I would be equally concerned that my rates were being spent in such a fashion.”

The council has published some details of the Swansea plan on its website since the leak, despite no developer being locked in for the project.

The development, if it went ahead, would require the relocation of the town’s recreation ground, bowls club and golf course.

Mayor Michael Kent confirmed in late September that an internal investigation had begun into the leak.

He said if the leak came from a councillor it would be indicative of wider issues inside the council. He said he had raised concerns about the leak with Local Government Minister Peter Gutwein.

Originally published as Private eye chases Glamorgan Spring Bay Council leak