Ban developers from bankrolling council elections: OSCAR

THE State Government is under pressure from community groups wanting major electoral reform banning donations from developers and their associates.

THE State Government is under pressure from community groups wanting major electoral reform banning donations from developers and their associates, ahead of local government elections in March next year.

The Organisation of Sunshine Coast Associations of Residents (OSCAR), which represents 27 residents' groups, and Brisbane Residents United, which represents 40 groups across the state capital, have written to Local Government Minister Jackie Trad with a list of reforms it wants implemented.

The two peak bodies have called for Recommendation 11 of the CMC report "Independence, Influence and Integrity in Local Government" to be used as the basis to amend electoral legislation requiring public disclosure of gifts and donations prior to a local government election. The calls come as residents groups plan to converge on the centre of Brisbane tomorrow from 10am for a march on Parliament House, followed by a rally in the Brisbane Botanic Gardens.
 

The rally is calling for planning reform legislation to recognise how planning issues can impact on people.

The "Our Places, Our Spaces" rally will demand greater community input into planning decisions.

The peak residents groups also want third parties to be required to lodge a return on the Monday before an election itemising gifts received in the period starting 12 months before the election; expenditure for political purpose in the period starting 12 months before the election; gifts expected for the period from the Monday before an election and ending six months after the election and expenditure expected to be incurred for a political purpose in the period starting the Monday before an election and ending the Sunday after it.

The suggested reforms would require CEOs to make publicly available on the Tuesday before a poll all details of election expenditure, barring that incurred in the last week of a campaign.

OSCAR president Ian Christesen said the development industry was almost totally dependent on council decisions for its profit.

The Property Council of Australia's Queensland division executive director Chris Mountford said the developer group supported "appropriate regulation aimed at ensuring that the community maintains confidence that political donations do not influence decisions made by elected officials".

Originally published as Ban developers from bankrolling council elections: OSCAR