THE City of Swan has been cleared over claims it mishandled the Midland Oval redevelopment project.
Deputy Mayor Kevin Bailey said it was time to move forward on the New Junction project after a letter regarding the review was sent to chief executive Mike Foley from the Department of Local Government.
“The Department felt the City could have improved its communication and engagement with the community with regards to the development of Lot 4, The Avenue – including construction of the road,” he said.
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READ NOW“I thank the Department for this feedback and assure you that the City has taken this advice on board.
“I trust that this correspondence provides absolute clarity to all – that the City has fully complied with the Local Government Act and any accusations that suggest otherwise are false.
“It is time to move forward with the New Junction project with this assurance at the forefront of our minds.
“I understand that there will be some who refuse to accept these findings, but I for one will be putting this matter to rest once and for all.”
Mr Bailey said the Department said there was no evidence to suggest that the City’s purchase of properties within the oval precinct was non-compliant with section 3.59 of the Local Government Act.
It also found that the City issued and advertised a business plan for the sale and development of Lot 4, The Avenue, and there was nothing found to have affected the validity of the sale.
They found there was no evidence to suggest a breach of the Act with regards to the subsequent development of Lot 4, The Avenue – which included the construction of a road.
It also found there is no evidence to suggest that any of the City’s committees without delegated authority took part in any direct decision-making.