Cr de-briefed

By Lia Bichel
A GREATER Dandenong councillor says a group of fellow councillors have inappropriately used a briefing meeting to discuss taking legal action against him.
Prior to the meeting, on 26 July, Paperbark Ward’s Councillor Peter Brown and eight Keysborough residents sought to withdrew their application to VCAT opposing a permit for a 36-room apartment complex on Peppertree Street.
Cr Brown said he was told to declare a conflict of interest (COI) for the briefing meeting as CEO John Bennie was going to discuss the proposed withdrawal with other councillors.
Cr Brown said councillors at the meeting voted six to four to take legal action against the applicants to recover the council’s costs of $10,180.
But mayor Jim Memeti said council officers could only offer advice about declaring a COI, and Cr Brown had elected to do so.
He also said the council heard after 4pm on 26 July that the applicants sought to withdrawal the VCAT application and the council was required to consider its position on two issues – whether the council would agree to the proposed withdrawal, and would the council seek to be reimbursed if the proceedings continued.
“(The council) did so at a confidential briefing and no further comment will be made about the nature of these discussions,” he said.
Cr Brown said because the council had not pursued costs previously in VCAT hearings, its discussion to take legal proceedings against him was a personal attack.
“It couldn’t be anything but,” he said.
Cr Memeti said the council “strongly believes that the VCAT decision in this matter vindicates that council officers have behaved both legally and correctly throughout this process.”
CEO John Bennie was on leave and not available for comment.