Acting Mayor welcomes CCC findings into LVRC
Acting Mayor of the Lockyer Valley Regional Council Tanya Milligan has welcomed the findings
released today of a Crime and Corruption Commission investigation into the Grantham Land
Swap Project.
The CCC today released a statement clearing late Mayor Steve Jones and any employee of
Lockyer Valley Regional Council of any wrongdoing with regards to the land-swap process.
On the information provided, the CCC is satisfied with the probity measures in place for the
Strengthening Grantham Project land swap program and has determined that the available
information does not raise a reasonable suspicion of corrupt conduct by the then Mayor
or any LVRC employee, the CCC statement reads.
Acting Lockyer Valley Mayor Tanya Milligan said she was not surprised at all by the findings
and that the allegations were brought forward in a lead-up to an election in an effort to
smear the reputation of the late Mayor and Council.
The disgusting timing of the allegations and the public airing of them just a day before
Steve's funeral took a real emotional toll on Steve's family and the Council organisation
as a whole at an already sad time for all involved.
I am pleased that the CCC has moved swiftly to throw out these allegations and show them
to be baseless and untruthful which is something we as a Council organisation already knew.
The unfounded allegations of impropriety around the Grantham land-swap process were
simply offensive, especially given the project was one of the most innovative and forward
thinking initiatives ever adopted in Australia following a natural disaster.
What's more, it was pleasing to see the CCC slam the public airing of these allegations before
they had a proper chance to assess them and throw them out, Acting Mayor Milligan said.
Regrettably this is another example of an allegation of corrupt conduct being made public
before the CCC has had the opportunity to assess the matter and determine whether there
was any merit in investigating the allegation. As the CCC stated at the commencement of
the local government election period, it is best if people bring their complaints to the
CCC confidentially, the CCC statement read.
I now look forward to Council moving on from these allegations and I am especially pleased
for Steve's family and in particular his wife Ann that these rubbish claims have been thrown
out and that Steve can finally rest in peace, Acting Mayor Milligan said.
For a full transcript of the CCC's statement, follow this link
