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Gold Coast developers donated $120K to councillors before local election

Thursday, 14 Jul 2016 15:54:55

Property developers helped 11 Gold Coast candidates pay for election campaigns. (ABC News - file image)

Electoral disclosure forms have revealed the property industry donated more than $120,000 to Gold Coast City Council candidates ahead of this year's local government elections.

Deputy Mayor Donna Gates was one of 11 candidates who received a donation and in total, received $80,000 from developers.

ASIC records showed two of the companies that donated to her, Hanwell and Pace Universal, are part of The Stephens Group.

The developer is behind the $1 billion Empire Industrial Estate at Yatala, which Cr Gates opened last year.

She took part in the estate's opening after receiving a donation from Hanwell, but before Pace Universal contributed $10,000 to her campaign.

Overall, Cr Gates raised $173,000 for her campaign, but she said most of that money came from selling tickets to two fundraising race days.

She said she had been transparent about the donations she received.

'I might do the same next time'

Mayor Tom Tate backed his deputy's fundraising efforts.

"I would rather focus on the person and what she has the ability to bring to enhance our community," he said.

Cr Tate said Cr Gates raised her campaign funds before she knew she would be running uncontested.

"Maybe the message was leaked out that she's got a few resources under her belt and everyone ran scared," he said.

"Not a bad move — I might do the same next time."

The Stephens Group, through Hanwell Pty Ltd, also donated nearly $5,000 as an in-kind donation to unsuccessful candidate Nic Rone.

Mr Rone told the ABC the company contributed a trailer for him to use, but he did not know it was connected to a property developer.

The Stephens Group has been contacted for comment.

Brian Flannery's Ganra gave $20K to two candidates

The Ganra property business owned by mining magnate Brian Flannery contributed the largest amount of development money to Gold Coast council candidates.

In 2014, Mr Flannery won approval from council to redevelop the old Kirra Beach Hotel site, with plans for two high-rise buildings.

Through Ganra, Mr Flannery donated $10,000 each to successful candidates Cameron Caldwell and Gayle O'Neil.

Cr O'Neil would not say whether she would remove herself from voting on any future Ganra planning applications to the council.

"I would make that decision at the time, weighing up the pros and cons but certainly I would be declaring a conflict of interest straight away," she said.

It is legal for developers to make political donations in Queensland.

Before the election, some Gold Coast candidates declared they would not accept money from the property industry to avoid any appearance of conflict.

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