Developer John Woodman had relationships with a number of councillors.Credit:Gary Sissons
There were gasps in the hearing room when counsel assisting the hearing,Michael Tovey,QC,revealed the extent of the financial links between Mr Woodman and councillors,and the hundreds of thousand of dollars in political donations he had made to political candidates on both sides of state politics.
In his opening statement,Mr Tovey detailed how Mr Woodman and related companies used financial payments into councillors’ bank accounts,political donations and other gifts to “curry favour” with councillors in an attempt to win favourable planning decisions.
Mr Tovey said some payments were in cash and appeared to be"patently corrupt". In a bizarre twist to the Casey story,Mr Woodman told the hearing that one councillor,former mayor and Liberal activist Sam Aziz,had given him a suitcase filled with $600,000 in cash as a loan for investment in development. In return Mr Woodman made monthly cash payments of $15,000 to Cr Aziz.
Mr Woodman's donations were given particularly in electorates where he was active as a planner and developer,Mr Tovey said,as he outlined the focus of Operation Sandon,which was launched last year. He said Mr Woodman seemed to have an"unusual"level of influence at Casey.
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Called to give evidence,Mr Woodman denied he used money to gain favour with councils and said his generous political donations were intended to encourage"good governance".
Key issues of interest were central to stories inThe Sunday Age in October and November last year,including the proposed rezoning of land in Cranbourne West owned by construction giant Leighton,and council decisions favourable to Woodman-linked company Wolfdene,including at the Pavilion housing development and the construction of an intersection at Hall's Road in Cranbourne.