By Jon Andrews 14 Dec 2010
BAYSIDE Council has spent just a fraction of a budgeted $100,000 to get the best legal help in a fight against a controversial Sandringham planning proposal.
In September, the council pledged to protect the community against plans for a then 11-storey tower at 220-228 Bay Rd with $100,000 of ratepayers’ money.
But at a state planning tribunal hearing held in late November, Bayside’s requested senior counsel was unable to appear.
With invoices so far received, the council has spent less than $6000 of the $100,000 allocated.
The proposal, which has more than 450 apartments, hundreds of car spaces, shops and a medical centre, has since been scaled back to eight storeys, with a tribunal ruling set to be announced next week.
It was referred to VCAT because the council did not decide on the application in time.
Bayside city strategy director Shiran Wickramasinghe defended the use of resources, saying timing concerns meant a Queen’s Counsel was unavailable.
He said although a QC did not appear at the tribunal they were actively involved in preparing the case, which was presented by a senior planning lawyer instead.
Money came from a general appeal fund and was not a project-driven program, he said.
Source Link: Cash saved on Sandringham's Bay Rd appeal
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