By Royce Millar
A FARMER, a developer and former MP - all with close links to the Victorian Liberal Party - are poised to share in a $500 million bonanza from a controversial land rezoning on Melbourne's fringe by the state government.
The trio, at least two of whom have directed thousands of dollars into Liberal coffers, are set to be among the first beneficiaries of the Baillieu government's contentious policy to selectively open up ''green wedge'' land to housing and commercial development.
Friends in high places
The proposed rezoning of Brompton Lodge, an egg farm in Cranbourne South, is being pushed by the landowner and farmer, Peter Carpenter, along with former Liberal MP-turned lobbyist Geoff Leigh, and developer Watsons Pty Ltd.
The government's Growth Areas Authority backed the rezoning as part of the Coalition's staged review of Melbourne's urban boundary - known as ''logical inclusions''.
Tandberg
The process began this week with the authority identifying sites for ''logical inclusion'' within metropolitan Melbourne in Casey and Cardinia in Melbourne's south-east.
Brompton Lodge, a triangular, 100-hectare property purchased as a bush block by the Carpenter family for $50,000 in 1967, is among just three groups of properties that won the authority's support. In a submission to the government, developer Watsons estimated the market value of the site when developed at up to $500 million.
Through almost a decade of boundary reviews, and as recently as last year, the Bracks and Brumby Labor governments repeatedly deemed the property inappropriate for rezoning.
That assessment looks likely to be overturned under the Coalition, although the authority's recommendation is still to be assessed by an expert advisory committee before the final sign-off by Planning Minister Matthew Guy.
The revelation of Liberal ties to such properties is set increase pressure on the government over the ''logical inclusions'' policy.
Mr Carpenter this week told The Age argued that good road access and proximity to proposed West Cranbourne activity centre justified the rezoning of his farm. He stressed that Casey council had backed the rezoning since the early 2000s.
Mr Carpenter also confirmed:
■He had met Mr Guy, then shadow planning minister, on two occasions at Liberal fund-raisers before the November election.
■He was a close family friend of Liberal MP Donna Bauer, who won the nearby seat of Carrum from Labor in November.
■He had contributed thousands of dollars to local Liberal candidates, including Ms Bauer, former Casey mayor and now Mordialloc Liberal MP Lorraine Wreford, and current Casey councillor and unsuccessful candidate for the seat of Cranbourne, Geoff Ablett.
''Yes I've contributed to the Liberal party. I contributed to Donna's campaign, I've contributed to Lorraine's campaign and I contributed to Geoff Ablett, who I knew before any of this sort of thing. I knew him through my Rotary club.''
He said he had been to numerous fund-raising events involving Ms Bauer. ''I sit with her mum and dad, you know, because we're great friends.''
Mr Carpenter said he been given clear support, if not cast-iron guarantees, for the rezoning of his property. ''When people are campaigning they will sort of indicate all sorts of things, all of it positive to your view. But until they actually do what they promised to do, without a sting in the
tail, you really don't know.'' He confirmed that he had worked hard over the years at local and state level to convince politicians and bureaucrats of his case for rezoning.
He denied directly lobbying Mr Guy about his property at Liberal fund-raisers, but said he just hoped that as minister he would ''remember my face''.
Among those involved in pressing for rezoning of Brompton Lodge has been Mr Leigh, the former MP for Mordialloc and now a development industry lobbyist.
Last month The Age revealed that Mr Leigh had founded Business First, a Liberal fund-raising group that had breached electoral laws by failing to declare tens of thousands of dollars in donations to candidates.
At the time, Mr Leigh told The Age that while not sure, he believed that his client Watsons had contributed to Business First. Mr Leigh refused to talk to The Age this week.
Growth Area Authority chief executive Peter Seamer said yesterday the authority had recommended the property as a logical inclusion because it agreed with the Casey council that it was appropriate for development.
''All I can say is that we have looked at it from a planning point of view. The council has been pushing it for you years and we agree with them.''
Casey councillor and Liberal candidate for Cranbourne, Geoff Ablett, said he did not know who had contributed to his election campaign.
Asked if he knew the owner of Brompton Lodge, Cr Ablett said. ''Not really. Is it Peter someone?
He confirmed that he had backed the council's nomination of Brompton Lodge as a logical inclusion.
Opposition planning spokesman Brian Tee said the revelations about Liberal ties and Brompton Lodge raised serious questions for Mr Baillieu about his government's logical inclusions. ''This throws into doubt the credibility and probity of the whole process,'' he said.
Yesterday Mr Guy refused to answer a list of detailed written questions, including whether he had met Mr Carpenter, whether he was aware of his donations, and whether Mr Leigh had lobbied him about Brompton Lodge. Instead he responded with a statement denying any inappropriate action by the Growth Areas Authority.
Mr Guy said he would not comment on any property being considered for inclusion in the urban boundary because he had no role in deciding what was proposed by the authority.
Ms Wreford and Ms Bauer did not responded to calls and an email yesterday.