Cashed-up council brews new scandal

By Geelong Story Updates
SOME Geelong councillors are gluttons for punishment.
Not satisfied with the public flogging they received over the cashforcouncillors scandal, this week they turned up the heat on themselves when paving the way for a development led by fruit and vegetable king Frank Costa.
City Hall was dragged through the mud in the wake of the last election when a group of candidates secretly took cash from businessmen including Mr Costa and later voted on his controversial HomeTown proposal.
A municipal inspector’s report, a State Ombudsman’s investigation and a Geelong Magistrates’ Court conviction haven’t curbed the enthusiasm at City Hall.
After agreeing with a Planning Minister’s independent panel’s recommendation to reject HomeTown, councillors this week breathed life back into the project.
Ignoring bureaucrats’ advice not to allow sensitive uses like retail and office space to encroach on the port’s industrial land, councillors effectively opened a planning loophole to allow a version of HomeTown to move in on Geelong’s port precinct.
Councillors let the cat out of the bag on their motives, saying Mr Costa owned the land and it could be a shopping centre.
The timing is intriguing.
The change was made in a climate where port operator Toll GeelongPort has remained steadfastly opposed to HomeTown.
And what’s become of State Government’s port land use strategy (PLUS)?
The community is awaiting its public release, although copies are circulating in business circles.
Was the council’s change made now so it’s part of the existing landscape when PLUS is adopted, like homes at North Shore which, according to the Government’s earlier draft of the landuse plan, threatened future port expansion?
It’s an odd way to do business when such a major plan is around the corner.
Is it the start of another scandal?