Hobsons Bay council has been accused of accepting “hush” money in exchange for supporting the West Gate Tunnel after it was revealed the council will be allocated $5 million in the state budget under toll road provisions.
The funding was revealed at the end of last week’s council meeting when deputy mayor Tony Briffa moved that a confidential report titled the West Gate Tunnel Capital Improvement Package be heard publicly. Cr Peter Hemphill seconded the motion, which was unanimously supported.
The report states that $5 million will be allocated to capital improvements to sport and recreation reserves – $2.25million will go to Donald McLean Reserve at Spotswood, $2.25 million to WLJ Crofts Reserve in Altona North and $500,000 to three Brooklyn reserves.
The meeting heard Treasurer Tim Pallas had made the financial commitment in writing.
The $5 million package was approved by a council majority; Cr Briffa opposed it “on principle”.
“The West Gate Tunnel legacy will be the increased trucks, the pollution, the amenity loss and all that sort of thing that we are going to suffer and endure – and particularly the people most affected – the areas of Brooklyn and Altona North,” Cr Briffa said.
The council opposed the tunnel project last November, but that decision was reversed in December.
Hobsons Bay Residents Association convener Jason Price this week described the $5million as “hush money”.
“They threw the Brooklyn and Altona North communities under the bus,” he said. “This was hush money and came with conditions … the CEO mentioned that the treasurer’s offer was made in writing to the council in a letter. When will this letter be made public?”
Don’t Destroy Millers Road spokesman Chris Dunlevy said residents were “confused”.
“Council decided that opposing would mean they lost their seat at the negotiating table and Brooklyn would end up with nothing,” he said.
“Well I ask the question – what exactly have we ended up with?”
Spotswood South Kingsville Residents Group spokeswoman Rosa McKenna said the group had no idea how the funded projects had been selected.
“It is far from transparent,” she said.
When Star Weekly requested a copy of Mr Pallas’s letter, Hobsons Bay mayor Angela Altair said it was “not a public document”.
When asked why the report was marked confidential, Cr Altair said that had been the recommendation of chief executive Chris Eddy.
“It related to funding negotiations with the state government that are dependent on the government’s confidential budget considerations,” she said.
“On this occasion, the council decided not to take the matter in-camera on the basis of openness and transparency.”
At the December meeting, residents left the council chamber chanting “shame” after the reversal decision.
