By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A property-developer consultant has revealed the extraordinary pay cheques involved in the “windfall” rezoning of 203 hectares of industrial land in Cranbourne West.
Tom Kenessey told an IBAC hearing that developer Leighton paid John Woodman $762,000 to help navigate the proposed rezoning Amendment C219 through Casey Council between 2014-’18.
If successful, Mr Woodman would have won a $2 million success fee.
In the same period, Mr Woodman’s planning consultant Megan Schutz was paid $818,000 including about $60,000 to set up Save Community West Residents Action Group (SCWRAG), Mr Kenessey told IBAC.
At one stage, Mr Woodman “strong armed” Leighton into doubling his and Ms Schutz’s retainers, Mr Kenessey said.
Ms Schutz’s annual fee went up from $90,000 in 2014 to about $240,000.
Mr Kenessey himself was paid $240,000 annually as a consultant plus a $30,000 one-off retainer fee.
He stood to gain a $130,000 success fee.
In late 2018, The Age published allegations of Mr Woodman’s corrupt relationships with the State Government, Casey Council, Leighton and SCWRAG.
At the time, Mr Kenessey proposed a “p*** or get off the pot” strategy to increase Mr Woodman’s success fee.
“My belief was that he couldn’t deliver and this was a way of getting him off the project.”
Leighton didn’t support the move. In February 2019, Mr Woodman was “removed from the project” – triggered by Planning Minister Richard Wynne deferring a decision on C219, Mr Kenessey said.
Developers had stood to gain $120 million if the land was successfully rezoned as residential, according to Mr Woodman in an intercepted phone call played to IBAC.
The inquiry is investigating allegations that then-Casey councillors Sam Aziz and Geoff Ablett were corruptly paid a combined $1.2 million from Mr Woodman.
The C219 rezoning was backed by Casey Council. Mr Wynne has yet to announce his decision.
