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Thursday, 17 August, 2023
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Way forward Cranbourne’s African communities have received the opportunity to access alcohol and other drugs and mental health treatment and support, as part of a newly-launched project. Nas Recovery Centre has brought the Path2Home project to Cranbourne, specifically targeting the African communities. The eight week program is targeted to support the vulnerable African population - youth from 15 years of age and up along with their families. Managing director Nyachan Nyak said Cranbourne was chosen as the new home for the program as the team saw a gap missing in crucial care for Casey’s migrant African population. “City of Casey is home to many migrants, especially the African population, and the lifestyle shift may come with struggles and issues that develop into a need for help,“ she said. STORY PAGE 10 Nyachan Nyak and Charles Frimpong from Nas Recovery Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS Centre. 351468
‘Lost opportunity’ By Emily Laing Casey ex-councillors squandered an opportunity for a much-needed jobs precinct in Cranbourne West, former councillor Steve Beardon says. “Elected representatives should never forget it is the community we serve,“ Mr Beardon said. “Elected representatives were once revered … now communities everywhere search for integrity in politics. “We need a stronger IBAC to police integrity”. The Independent Broad-based Anticorruption Commission’s Operation Sandon investigated the 123-hectare space after it was rezoned as residential land to increase its val-
ue. The site was one of four planning proposals involving John Woodman and his clients investigated by the IBAC over issues of corrupt conduct between property developers and councillors in the City of Casey. Rezoning of the land was “rushed“ onto the agenda of a 2014 City of Casey Council Meeting by former Councillor Sam Aziz. IBAC found advice provided by both council and state planning officers was “repeatedly ignored“, with both departments noting the proposal to change the land from commercial to residential “lacked strategic justification“. Nevertheless, the proposal progressed through council, representing a $35 million
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gain for developer Leighton Properties, who had taken Mr Woodman on as their consultant. It wasn’t until the final state of the application process where the proposal was denied by the Planning Minister. Mr Beardon said Victoria must follow New South Wales in the effort to distance councillors from planning matters. “Going forward the Victorian State Government has little option but to follow New South Wales, by taking the politics out of planning law and remove the involvement of Councillors in planning decisions,“ Mr Beardon said. “Cranny West should have been zoned as Industry/Employment years earlier.
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“The cost of not having opportunity, the cost of not having a job, or a job close to home, can never be recovered.“ The New South Wales Government has planning protocols designed to prevent corruption in the application process. In Greater Sydney, local planning panels (LPPs) determine development applications on behalf of councils where “there is concern that a development assessment may be compromised“, “proposed projects receive a high number of complaints“, “proposed projects are sensitive“ or “projects have strategic importance to the state“. Continued page 18
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