Mayor gets tough on conflict of interest fears over carpark plan

The push to develop a council-owned carpark in North Hobart has prompted concerns about conflict of interest ... and an unusual intervention by the mayor.

Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds at an open Hobart City Council meeting to discuss building heights. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

HOBART’S Lord Mayor has taken the unusual step of reassuring ratepayers about council’s commitment to rules regarding conflict of interest.

Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds says she wants to restore confidence in council processes after receiving numerous complaints from residents in relation to a carpark redevelopment proposed for North Hobart.

In a statement to be delivered today at a public meeting about the future of a council-owned carpark in Condell Place, Cr Reynolds says she has reminded all elected members about good governance and conflicts of interest.

She said Hobart Council’s general manager had also received a notification that an alderman may have a pecuniary interest in relation to the disposal of council land for commercial development.

Cr Reynolds says she will call for declarations of pecuniary conflicts of interest at an upcoming council meeting on Monday, warning any undeclared conflicts may face action.

“I have received numerous complaints by Hobart residents in the last week questioning whether Council has sufficient policies and processes regarding elected members with pecuniary interests and the potential development of Council land,” Cr Reynold’s statement says.

“Concerns have been raised about a decision of a council committee taken on Tuesday regarding the disposal of Council land for a commercial development and whether elected members involved in the decision may be neighbouring land owners.”The comments follow a push to redevelop the Condell St carpark, which is at the rear of the busy Elizabeth St restaurant strip. There is interest from private developers to turn the site into a multi-storey carpark.

At Tuesday night’s finance and governance committee meeting, Alderman Marti Zucco submitted a notice of motion calling for an urgent report “addressing any issues for the Council immediately pursuing expressions of interest for the redevelopment of the Condell carpark”.

Speaking to the Sunday Tasmanian yesterday, Alderman Zucco said he owned a commercial property next to the carpark in question, but he said his actions were not a conflict of interest.

“I am not making a decision on anything … all we are doing at the moment is seeking a report. I do not have a conflict of interest on that basis,” he said.

Ald Zucco said there was also provision under the Local Government Act for an elected member to make decisions, regardless of conflict of interest, if the matter was going to benefit a substantial proportion of the electors.

Cr Reynolds said she would remind aldermen about good governance at tomorrow night’s meeting.

“At the upcoming Council meeting on Monday I will call for declarations of pecuniary conflicts of interest and it is the responsibility of each individual elected member to determine if they have a pecuniary interest and to declare that interest. Any elected member that fails to make a declaration may be the subject of a complaint to the Director of Local Government,” her statement says.

The North Hobart Traders Association and Ald Zucco will hold a public meeting on the issue today at 4.30pm at the Uniting Church in Swan St.