Council defends stone extraction approval, denies conflict claims

Mansfield Shire Council has rejected suggestions of any conflict of interest in its approval of a planning permit for a stone extraction operation at 422 O’Halloran Road, Bridge Creek. The permit, determined at Council’s October meeting, allows for the use and development of land for mudstone extraction. The proposal has drawn criticism from several nearby landholders, who have questioned the planning process and signalled they may appeal the decision to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). In a statement released last week, Mayor Cr Steve Rabie said Council had acted with integrity throughout the process. “Conflicts of interest, whether real or perceived, are declared and investigated before they become a problem,” Cr Rabie said. “Council operates with transparency and diligence in every matter that comes before it. “It disappointed me greatly to see these suggestions of conflicts of interest when there simply are none. “This Council, and the last, have been tasked with meeting the highest standard of conduct and transparency.” Deputy Mayor James Tehan was similarly disappointed by what he described as a factless statement. “The suggestion that I had an undisclosed conflict of interest is an unfounded lie,” he said. “It’s very unfortunate when a member of our community decides to play the man rather than the ball when a decision goes against them.” Council’s General Manager Investment and Planning Melissa Crane said the planning application for O’Halloran Road was assessed on its own merits. “Council operates within the state government’s planning framework and is responsible for administering the rules rather than creating them,” she said. “Council officers make significant efforts to ensure they are up to date on any changes to the Planning and Environment Act. “There has been a lot happening in this space recently with fundamental changes proposed to the Planning and Environment Act that will affect our community’s ability to appeal to VCAT.” Council also reiterated that its planning and procurement processes are entirely separate and that many local projects using Mansfield mudstone were delivered by contractors or community groups rather than by Council itself. Cr Rabie said councillors gave the matter careful consideration during a lengthy meeting and that a meeting between Council and one of the objectors has been scheduled to discuss outstanding concerns.