By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A planning consultant has told IBAC of meeting Premier Daniel Andrews and other State Cabinet members as part of a lobbying strategy.
Megan Schutz described how her client and property developer John Woodman and his associates gained access to Government MPs through a registered ALP lobbyist Phil Staindl.
Mr Woodman was also a “platinum member” of Progressive Business, a Labor Party arm for “connecting” business with government. The Liberal Coalition equivalent was Enterprise 500.
“I’m assuming he made those decisions to further his business interests,” Ms Schutz said.
“He always took a top-down approach in which he went to the decision makers first in relation to his projects rather than going to the bureaucrats.”
Ms Schutz told of meeting with Mr Andrews, Treasurer Tim Pallas, Planning Minister Richard Wynne and former Roads Minister Luke Donnellan.
The latter three were lobbied by developers as part of a campaign to rezone Cranbourne West industrial land (Amendment C219), IBAC heard.
Ms Schutz denied “having a go” at Mr Wynne over C219 during an encounter at a Progressive Business forum.
“There were a lot of developers in the room and I asked Mr Wynne in the abstract, theoretically, if he had a planning scheme amendment sitting on his desk that had been recommended for approval by his independent planning panel and which had been adopted for council, would his general position be to approve it.”
Planning Minister Mr Wynne has deferred a decision on C219 since late 2018.
The State Opposition has mounted pressure on him to reject the “tainted” proposal.
An “aligned” community group Save Cranbourne West Residents Action Group, which was set up by Ms Schutz, was said to be required to help get C219 “across the line”.
Ms Schutz, with SCWRAG president Ray Walker, spoke to Mr Donnellan on their campaign to upgrade Hall Road, she told IBAC on 2 March.
The meeting was facilitated by Mr Staindl – who was used by Mr Woodman to help set up talks with Labor MPs and “Minister’s offices”, Ms Schutz said. Geoff Leigh was similarly used to access Liberal MPs, she said.
Mr Staindl also advised where Mr Woodman should allocate election donations. This was a common political lobbying method in the “development industry” – “particularly on large rezonings”.
In the lead-up to the 2018 state election, Mr Woodman bought two tables for $1500 at a fundraiser for Cranbourne ALP candidate and now MP Pauline Richards at Seaford Hotel, Ms Schutz told IBAC.
Mr Woodman allegedly upped his donation to Ms Richards to $20,000 ahead of the state election in exchange for his support on Cranbourne West’s redevelopment, IBAC heard last year.
He donated $157,000 to the ALP, including $20,800 to Keysborough MP and Cabinet Minister Martin Pakula, he told IBAC.
Ms Richards has denied making representations on behalf of Mr Woodman and his business interests. As has Mr Pakula, who also asserts the alleged donation amount was inaccurate.
