By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Casey’s chief executive Glenn Patterson has revealed in an IBAC hearing that he’d hired John Woodman’s company Watsons for a “purely private” planning matter.
He and his wife engaged Watsons before his time at Casey to prepare a planning report for their application for a two-lot subdivision at his primary residence in Mt Eliza.
They had engaged the Mornington-based firm as “our local land development consultancy” for about $15,000 to $16,000.
He said he wasn’t required to declare a conflict-of-interest at Casey because it was “too remote”.
“This was a matter that concluded before I even commenced at the City of Casey, and my contact and use of Watsons did not come through Mr Woodman.
“I didn’t even know him at that stage.”
There were no contractual matters on foot with Watsons while Mr Patterson was Casey chief executive.
“We commenced the planning process in early 2018, and it was concluded well before I commenced at Casey.”
He’d hired Watsons at the recommendation of a former Watsons employee.
“There was some implementation of conditions, but, yes, there was no further involvement and, as I say, it was completely separate from Mr Woodman.”
On receipt of legal documents on the sub-division, IBAC Commissioner Robert Redlich said: “It seems to me that it’s an old matter that we don’t need to explore.”
Mr Patterson said he’d met Mr Woodman once as part of his orientation period as Casey CEO.
On 7 January 2019, they spoke alone for 45 minutes.
“The majority of that time Mr Woodman spoke about his business achievements and was trying to impress me – that’s how it appeared to me – with his achievements over time.”
Mr Woodman raised his desire for the rezoning of industrial land in Cranbourne West (Amendment C219) without seeking Mr Patterson to intervene, the CEO told IBAC.
“He had an opinion that there was surplus employment and industrial land in the south-east of Melbourne and that therefore there should be a strong case for that site to be rezoned to residential.
“He didn’t discuss any other sort of planning issue or matter.”
