Questions asked of council OIA inquiries

SOME residents and community groups are voicing concern the Gold Coast City Council is investigating councillors after an inquiry which cleared Deputy Mayor Donna Gates.

On Tuesday, councillors unanimously backed the recommendation from a council report that no further action be taken against Cr Gates after she was cleared of inappropriate conduct.

The Officer of the Independent Assessor (OIA) asked council to investigate Cr Gates, who at a media conference in January, referred to complaints about the filling in of Black Swan Lake as “frivolous”.

One of two complainants who were offended by Cr Gates’ remarks recalled the initial complaint was made on January 16 and it was not until April 18 that the only letter from the Mayor’s office had arrived.

The Coast resident maintains no information was provided about full council discussing the matter and an email on April 22 only prompted an automated response.

“I feel that I, and possibly other complainants I have come into contact with on social media, have been left out of the loop and there are too many inconsistencies in the whole process,” the resident said.

“We find ourselves in the situation where we have council investigating itself. How is that good governance?”

Independent Assessor Kathleen Florian said the OIA would “thoroughly and carefully assess all complaints” before referring any to a council to deal with as inappropriate conduct.

Since it began operation in December last year the OIA has received 731 complaints and only three per cent had been referred back to councils for investigation.

Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland Gold Coast president Sally Spain backed the complainant.

“It should be independent. How has there been an impartial decision?” she said.