Council firm ‘funded mayoral push’

A RATEPAYER-funded company set up by Ipswich City Mayor Paul Pisasale was a donor at a fundraising event celebrating his 20 years in government.

Paul Pisasale.

A RATEPAYER-funded company set up by Ipswich City Mayor Paul Pisasale was a “bronze’’ sponsor and donor at a fundraising event celebrating his 20 years in local government.

The city council-owned ­Ipswich City Properties paid $5000 to Mr Pisasale’s political campaign fund, Forward Ipswich Inc, after taking a corporate table at the December 2012 dinner.

The company, of which Mr Pisa­sale is a director, was created in 2009 to facilitate the $45 million buyout of Ipswich City Square for redevelopment.

An internal council document prepared ahead of the event, which raised more than $80,000, has also recorded “Defence Housing’’ as buying five tickets and ­donating $1000.

Mr Pisasale last night confirmed he had asked the company to sponsor a table at the fundraiser and that Ipswich City Properties had not been included in records of donors that had sponsored the event. He blamed an “accounting error’’ for the omission.

“I have just checked and found our records had another company sponsoring the table which was actually paid for by Ipswich City Properties, and there was no record of them,’’ Mr Pisasale said.

“There is nothing improper here. I wrote to Ipswich City Properties and asked if they wanted to sponsor a table and they did.

“I have done nothing wrong, it’s not improper — it was an anniversary dinner we are talking about.’’

The $5000 from Ipswich City Properties was not included in a list of attendees Mr Pisasale gave to the media this week.

Mr Pisasale confirmed that Forward Ipswich was a fundraising entity set up to raise donations after he had previously handled campaign funds and been hit with an “massive’’ tax bill after they were treated as income.

Forward Ipswich Inc is an incorporated association that is regulated by Queensland’s Fair Trading. Under Queensland law, political donations to councils only have to be declared within three months of the local government elections, held every four years.

The anniversary dinner was held after Mr Pisasale won re­election in Apri, 2012. Mr Pisasale said Forward Ipswich Inc was also a “community fund’’ that gave money to charities and “helped people’’. “It’s there to support the city of Ipswich and its leader,’’ he said. “All of the money will be spent in the community.’’

The annual return submitted to Fair Trading for the 2013 financial year showed Mr Pisasale raised just under $100,000, with $83,100 at the anniversary dinner and $13,000 through functions.

It does not give a breakdown of the entities that gave money to Forward Ipswich Inc.

The return shows that $65,694 was spent by Forward Ipswich up and until June 2013, which included $32,490 for the cost of the anniversary dinner, $10,255 for advertising, $13,700 for functions and $3000 on fundraising.

At the end of June 2013, Forward Ipswich had a balance of $109,403 in cash.

Last year, it was revealed Mr Pisasale was a co-owner in a Brisbane riverside apartment with the wife of a developer.

At the time, Mr Pisasale said the purchase of the $1.15 million property was separate to his dealings with the developer, Steve Wil­liams, who is a director in ­Sekisui House Australia. Mr Pisasale claims he lost money on the apartment after selling it last year.

Sekisui is building a 4000-home development just outside of Ipswich.

The developer awarded a $260,000 contract to Australian Water Holdings, the company at the centre of the NSW corruption hearings.