By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Out of a “perverse sense of humour”, Casey ex-councillor Gary Rowe says he accepted help from developer John Woodman during the 2016 council elections.
But he never declared Mr Woodman’s help – in organising a function that raised $10,000 – as a conflict of interest, Mr Rowe told an IBAC hearing on 13 March.
He conceded that he should have “perhaps in hindsight”.
“You know, I’m sorry if I’ve done something wrong.”
Mr Rowe initially said he didn’t think it was a conflict, though Mr Woodman may have been trying to “ingratiate himself with me”.
“Woodman was not part of anything that I was doing or I was involved in.
“Woodman was separate. He was an employee (of developer Leighton on Amendment C219) and he wasn’t affecting my ability to make my decisions.”
Mr Woodman’s offer came “out of the blue”, Mr Rowe said. At the time, he was aware that Mr Woodman was separately funding a group of candidates organised by then-councillor Sam Aziz.
“My acceptance of it … demonstrates a perverse sense of humour.
“One of the major reasons I … did accept it, was that Woodman was funding nearly every candidate against me.
“So I thought it was ironical.”
Mr Woodman organised the venue, and his PA provided the “secretarial work” for the event, Mr Rowe said.
He couldn’t recall if Mr Woodman bought a ticket for the $450-a-head function, nor whether supporters such as Mr Woodman bought multiple tickets.
“People were being invited by myself but Woodman’s PA kept the list.”
On advice from the Local Government Inspectorate, Mr Rowe was not required to declare the function as a donation because individual tickets were less than the $499 threshold.
Though Mr Rowe was regarded by Mr Woodman as ‘friendly’ towards the Amendment C219 rezoning in Cranbourne West, he proved to be no friend in other Woodman-linked projects.
Mr Rowe opposed Mr Woodman’s push for rival developer Dacland to pay for the H3 intersection in Hall Road, Cranbourne West.
He also absented himself from voting in the Pavilion Estate issue.
A majority of councillors supported the motion by then-councillor Sam Aziz, which Mr Rowe suspected was “provided” by Mr Woodman’s team.
The decision was thought to cost Casey Council about $1 million, Mr Rowe said.
He told IBAC that electoral donations should be barred from council elections.
“The only way you can do that whilst we have got a competitive
situation that we do where people are encouraged to run for public office is the State’s got to bite the bullet and fund the elections.
“Until that occurs you are going to have the haves and the have-nots, the people who know how to do it, the people that don’t.”
