Minister probes Wilson conflict

By Rebecca Fraser
A CASEY Council committee has determined that deputy mayor Rob Wilson had an undeclared conflict of interest last December when he voted on a junior football club’s funding application.
At an in-camera meeting on Tuesday night council resolved to refer the matter to Local Government Victoria.
Casey CEO Mike Tyler said the move came after the complaint committee received and considered reports from an external investigator, as well as legal advice.
He said after evaluating this material the committee decided that Cr Wilson did have an undeclared conflict of interest.
As previously reported in the News, the Narre South Lions Junior Football Club (NSLJFC) lodged the complaint after a council meeting on Tuesday 6 December at which Cr Wilson successfully moved that an application for government grants be discussed in camera.
Included in this was an item for training lights to be erected at Strathaird Reserve for the (NSLJFC).
The report listed the total project costs for the Narre Warren South light poles as $31,905 with a $12,000 football club contribution, $762 from Casey Council and a $19,143 government grant.
During the in-camera session, the light tower application was removed from the list of grant applications.
Cr Wilson received a letter in February threatening legal action after he ordered $30,000 worth of floodlights from a small business owner last year but never paid him for them.
The lights were ordered when Cr Wilson was secretary of the Maranatha Methodist Cricket Club and were destined for Strathaird Reserve, which houses both clubs.
He resigned as a committee member last month.
The latest move comes as another blow to the controversial councillor, who recently came under fire after he voted to have council pay for the floodlights at Strathaird Reserve at a February council meeting.
This could have helped the deputy mayor dodge a potential lawsuit but the motion, put up by Springfield Ward councillor Michael Farley, was later rescinded.
The News understands that several other conflict of interest complaints were submitted to Casey CEO Mike Tyler after the February meeting, but due to the confidentiality of in-camera meetings Mr Tyler could not reveal if any other complaints had been discussed on Tuesday.