By Cam Lucadou-Wells
An IBAC recommendation to ban property developers from making political donations remains up in the air.
The State Government has announced it will accept most of IBAC’s 34 recommendations arising from its Operation Sandon inquiry into Casey Council and property developers.
On 20 March, Premier Jacinta Allan announced the government would accept 32 of them in full or in-principle.
However, IBAC’s recommended ban on political donations from “high-risk groups” such as property-developers is still being considered.
It follows a recently-released report by the state’s Electoral Review Expert Panel which found prohibiting donations by property developers was “unnecessary”.
“Victoria’s disclosure requirements and low general cap on political donations make it unnecessary to introduce bans on donations from particular industries,” the Panel stated.
It found there were “significant policy and administrative challenges” to such a ban, such as the cost and burden of doing background checks of donors and determining what industries an organisation belonged to.
“At the moment, there does not appear to be a clear, established policy rationale for determining which industries a ban should apply to,” the panel stated.
“Industry-specific bans may unreasonably slur or stigmatise an industry.”
Meanwhile, the government partially accepted the proposed creation of an interdepartmental taskforce to oversee the recommendations’ implementation.
It didn’t support the taskforce making quarterly progress reports to IBAC, stating it was “not appropriate”.
“Significant policy development and legislative change is ordinarily subject to Cabinet consideration.”
The taskforce will report back to the public within 18 months.
Many recommendations were accepted by the government as part of its Housing Statement, which will shake up the state’s planning system.
As recommended by IBAC, it will look at taking planning decisions out of councillors’ hands.
Premier Jacinta Allan said the government was “strengthening planning and local government as part of our once-in-a-generation reform to build more homes”.
Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny said: “Victorians deserve to have trust in the state’s planning system, and we’re accepting these recommendations as part of our work to make sure good decisions are made faster – and more transparently.”
The government has already announced reforms at local councils, including mandatory training for councillors, a uniform councillor code of conduct and more powers for the Local Government Minister against errant councillors.
As part of Operation Sandon, former Casey mayors Sam Aziz and Geoff Ablett were especially highlighted for accepting more than $1.15 million in payments and in-kind support from developer John Woodman.
They were found to promote Woodman’s interests in several key planning decisions at Casey without declaring their conflict of interest.
Woodman was also found to cultivate influence at state government level, paying lobbyists and donating generously to Labor and Liberal party coffers.
He’d also funded 11 ‘friendly’ candidates’ campaigns in the Casey elections in 2016, and was linked to a community residents action group funded by developer Leightons.
It’s yet to be seen whether Aziz and Ablett will face criminal charges. IBAC has powers to refer alleged criminality to the Office of Public Prosecutions to make that call.
Both councillors and Woodman have denied wrong-doing.
