An ABC investigation can now reveal separate concerns about the City of Nedlands have been referred to the Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) by the Public Sector Commission.<\/p>\n
Do you know more about this story? Contact Rebecca Trigger.<\/a><\/p>\n It is understood the referral took place in July. (ABC News: Julian Robins\u00a0)<\/p>\n The ABC understands the referral took place earlier this month.<\/p>\n The Public Sector Commission deals with reports of minor misconduct in the public service, including local government.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t have jurisdiction over elected officials.<\/p>\n The Corruption and Crime Commission has much broader powers and deals with serious misconduct allegations in the public sector and by elected officials.<\/p>\n A referral to the CCC does not mean it will launch an investigation and the ABC is not suggesting that a referral implies any findings of wrongdoing.<\/p>\n This step is in addition to recent concerns about governance, audits and workplace complaints that have formed the basis of investigations by the Department of Local Government and Worksafe.<\/p>\n Commissioners start work Friday<\/p>\n On Wednesday, three commissioners were appointed to run the council<\/a> until a special election is held on March 28, circumventing scheduled elections in October.<\/p>\n Nedlands election delayed after council sacked<\/a><\/p>\n Nedlands council elections are being delayed until March, after the council was sacked and administrators appointed to step in amid a departmental investigation.<\/p>\n Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley said this was to give the trio time to ensure the next budget was passed.<\/p>\n Financial irregularities at the council were highlighted by the auditor-general last year.<\/p>\n In a damning report, he found the council failed to keep accurate enough records needed to complete an annual audit.<\/p>\n Commissioner chair David Caddy said he and his colleagues were committed to bringing trust and integrity back into the governance systems at the council.<\/p>\n Three commissioners including Mr Caddy (left) are at the helm of the council. (ABC News: Courtney Withers)<\/p>\n Investigation won’t be made public<\/p>\n A separate investigation has been running by the Department of Local Government into the council since May.<\/p>\n Ms Beazley said that investigation was examining “the functioning of the council, how they were operating, the behaviours that were on display and how that was affecting good governance at the council”.<\/p>\n It is now finished but not finalised, but the minister said the results of such investigations were not usually made public, although they would be provided to the newly-appointed commissioners.<\/p>\n She said it was possible the outcome could provide grounds for an inquiry by her office, which would invoke broader powers under the Local Government Act.<\/p>\n John Carey was asked about the Nedlands issue at a press conference on Thursday. (ABC News: Courtney Withers)<\/p>\n Senior WA Government minister John Carey \u2014 himself a former mayor of the City of Vincent \u2014 said on Thursday morning while he hadn’t been briefed on the CCC referral, the government had taken strong action by appointing commissioners.<\/p>\n “The dysfunction at Nedlands ultimately hasn\u2019t benefited the ratepayers at the City of Nedlands,” he said.<\/p>\n When asked whether ratepayers had a right to see the results of the Department’s investigation prior to the next election, he said the decision would be left to the commissioners.<\/p>\n “I\u2019m not going to second-guess what the commissioners will do, what they release, what their findings are, but I do have confidence in their ability,” Mr Carey said.<\/p>\n “They are high calibre.”<\/p>\n Mayor defends record on hospice<\/p>\n Controversy also haunted the council in recent months after it refused to give up land to the Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation for a parkland for sick and dying children.<\/p>\n Mayor Fiona Argyle issued a statement on Wednesday saying she had been “rolled” by the state government for doing her job “protecting A-class nature reserves from property developers”.<\/p>\n Ms Argyle is adamant on her position regarding the hospice. (ABC News: Courtney Withers)<\/p>\n “If I do run again, I can assure the community there will be no property developer getting their hands on the most protected lands in our nation,” Ms Argyle said.<\/p>\n The Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation, a registered charity<\/a>, wanted to transform Allen Park into a parkland for terminally ill children.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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