COMPLAINTS
Up to 15 gripes sent to State watchdog over council practises
UP to 15 separate complaints have been made about the Gold Coast City Council to the State corruption body alone in the past six months, according to council insiders.
Political sources estimate the Crime and Corruption Commission and the Department of Local Government has dealt with around 20 complaints.
The decision by the State’s corruption watchdog late last week to announce it was investigating allegations of corrupt conduct has opened the door to fresh complaints against the council.
The CCC last Friday issued a media statement where it announced it was in the “public interest” to conduct its own inquiry after it referred some matters in September last year to the Department of Local Government.
The complaints related to councillors and their Registers of Interests regarding Gold Coast Turf Club memberships after council voted to fill in Black Swan Lake at the Bundall equine precinct for a horse training area and overflow car park.
By the weekend the CCC had received another complaint accusing Mayor Tom Tate and Deputy Mayor Donna Gates of failing to declare ownership of racehorses.
A political source last night told the Bulletin: “I’m aware of 15 complaints (to the CCC). Not all of them will get a guernsey. Some might get flicked back.
“When you look at the recent issue of mayoral directives and complaints to the Local Government Department, there are up to 20.”
On Wednesday, when asked to comment by the Bulletin about his racehorse ownership, Cr Tate replied: “I respect the con-