Council Corruption Options?

My sister just had a nightmare subdivision process that has finally gotten its final after a year of jumping through council hoops.

Council approved the subdivision initially. But then the next door neighbour didnt want the block subdivided. The neighbour told my sister that they were never going to get the final because he had a mate in council holding it back.

For over a year council would knock back the final for made up reasons. Eventually they gave the final. The council worker said to my sister that they were dragging it out in the hope that they would give up on subdividing.

Is there anything that can be done about this? Or is it just a case of government corruption that is just how things are?

Holding back approvals for friends is just as bad as giving approvals for friends in my book.

 

Report it to ICAC (NSW) or the equivalent in Qld - oh, they're a law unto themselves.

 

Certainly make some form of official complaint.

 

QLD? CCC

Homepage — Crime and Corruption Commission Queensland

There can be civil actions to compensate for loss also. Burden of proof is the challenging part. One of my guys is running an action against a state gov department and there is clear destruction and/or alteration of documents to try and cover it up.

 

Thats crazy. Corruption is definitely alive and well in Aust. Ive forwarded the link to my sister to report them. Thanks

 

I either want less corruption, or more chance to participate in it.

Ashleigh Brilliant
(1933 – ) English author & cartoonist

 

Auburn council in Sydney was a great example (now sacked). Councillors were all developers and mates. Wheel and deal to own benefit. Council land sold for discount and rezoned etc.

They went to efforts so mates voted while they were seen to abstain. Stacked voting and so much more.

State govt has given more powers to land & environment courts but now developers seem to get almost every knockback approved even those that are non-complying. Demolition of Opera House and construction of 80 level luxury tower with a casino cant be far off.

 

Yas. Auburn issues and Obeids. Good thing that they all get caught eventually. I’m a tad annoyed though that current NSW government hamstrung ICAC. ICAC was great.

 

Not all get caught and even the ones that do are really not punished sufficiently to deter others. The money they make disappears among family and friends and never recovered as proceeds of crime.

 

Don’t think it has anything to do with curruption.
That is relevant to a big chunk of fraudsters, thieves, drug dealers, tax evaders etc. people split income to pay less taxes, theoretically speaking the tactic is the same. Broadly we can argue the result is the same.