Council in sights

Sued over industrial estate

THE State Opposition is demanding an investigation into the Geelong council’s handling of its $38 million industrial estate in the city’s north.

The Geelong Advertiser revealed in March that L. Bisinella Developments had launched legal action against the City of Greater Geelong over its management of the Geelong Ring Road Employment Precinct.

The council is the largest landowner in the 500ha estate, which it claims has the potential to create and host 10,000 jobs.

Bisinella Developments, which is the city’s biggest developer, holds its own significant interest in the area between Corio and Lara.

Liberal Member for Western Victoria, Simon Ramsay, has aired serious concerns over the council’s ability to act as landowner and planning authority.

“I believe there is an integrity issue with council . . . when it is in direct competition with private interests who seem to be not receiving the same favours or timeliness as the City of Greater Geelong is in awarding themselves their own planning permits,” he told Parliament.

Mr Ramsay has called on Local Government Minister Natalie Hutchins to investigate the issue.

Bisinella Developments has filed a lawsuit against the council and five of its employees, alleging that it acted illegally in managing the rollout of the industrial precinct.

Legal documents claim the council gave itself an unfair advantage by delaying the issuing of permits to Bisinella while fast-tracking its own land.

The council has previously said it was defending the claims and did not believe there were any substance to the allegations.

“Our staff — current and former — have our full support and we believe the staff members involved have acted appropriately,” a spokesman said.