The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) has found that two former Casey mayors Sam Aziz and Geoff Ablett promoted property developer John Woodman’s and his clients’ interests on planning decisions in exchange for payment and in-kind support.
IBAC tabled its special report in Parliament on Thursday 27 July following action spanning back to November 2017 as part of Operation Sandon.
IBAC’s investigation was primarily concerned with four planning matters involving property developer John Woodman and his associates.
IBAC made a total of 34 recommendations to promote transparency in planning decisions and enhance donation and lobbying regulation in its long-awaited final report into allegations of corrupt conduct between property developers and councillors at Casey Council.
Each matter involved Casey Council as the decision maker and two required the planning minister’s approval.
Another former mayor Amanda Stapledon was questioned during the public proceedings, but no findings were made about her in the final report.
She died by suicide in January 2022 after receiving a draft report.
IBAC did not find that other councillors received a direct benefit in exchange for promoting Mr Woodman’s or his clients’ interests on council.
IBAC acting commissioner Stephen Farrow said it was vital that planning decisions be protected from improper influence and corruption.
“We found that safeguards around deciding whether to amend a planning scheme were bypassed,” he said.
“The planning amendments we looked at as part of this operation reached the desks of decision makers in local and state government, without strategic reasons for their implementation.
“The investigation demonstrated how ministers, members of parliament, councillors, ministerial advisers and electorate officers may be targeted by lobbyists, and how limitations in the current regulation of lobbyists present corruption vulnerabilities.”
The report made no adverse findings against Premier Daniel Andrews, Casey Council chief executive Glenn Patterson and former Casey Council chief executive Mike Tyler nor registered lobbyists Philip Staindl and Geoffrey Leigh.
As a result of Operation Sandon, IBAC has made 34 recommendations, including the establishment of an Implementation Inter-departmental Taskforce, to be chaired by the Department of Premier and Cabinet, which would coordinate the implementation of IBAC’s recommendations.
Other recommendations included:
* The Minister for Planning developing and introducing amendments to the Planning and Environment Act 1987 (Vic) and/or amends ministerial guidance to require every applicant and person making submissions to a council, the Minister for Planning or Planning Panels Victoria to disclose reportable donations and other financial arrangements that parties have made or have with relevant decision-makers in relation to that planning matter and to remove statutory planning responsibilities from councillors and introduce determinative planning panels for statutory planning matters, where a local council is currently the responsible authority;
* The Minister for Local Government ensuring that Local Government Victoria develops and maintains a Model Councillor Code of Conduct which includes better practice provisions that will apply to all councils.
Mr Farrow said IBAC has requested the Minister for Local Government, the Minister for Planning and the relevant departments report to IBAC on the implementation of their relevant recommendations within 12 months.
“IBAC has recommended that the Premier report publicly on the action taken in response to the relevant recommendations by 27 January 2025,” he said.
“We will follow up with all key stakeholders to monitor adoption of these recommendations to address the risks identified in IBAC’s investigation.”
To view the full Operation Sandon report, visit www.ibac.vic.gov.au/operation-sandon-special-report.
