FORMER Ballarat City councillor Wayne Rigg says an investigation into $30,000 worth of his travel expenses was “political payback”.
An Ernst and Young report, finally made available to a member of the public this week, shows claims by former councillor Gary Anderson that Mr Rigg’s travel expenses between February 2005 and November 2006 were improper could not be proved because Mr Rigg would not be interviewed.
But Mr Rigg said he refused to be interviewed because Ernst and Young wouldn’t answer his own questions about proper process, particularly how much the report was costing Ballarat ratepayers.
Mr Rigg has also been cleared by Ballarat police of any criminal offences after the allegations became the subject of an investigation in March 2010.
“I’m happy this is behind us,” Mr Rigg said yesterday.
“You have to look at the political landscape of the time and it really was payback for the stance I took at council.”
Mr Rigg sparked a damning state government investigation into the former Ballarat City Council in 2008 when he asked then local government minister Richard Wynne to investigate conflicts of interest and a lack of governance and accountability by councillors and senior council officers.
It resulted in both Mr Anderson and former mayor David Vendy facing charges of failing to declare an interest, and several officers and councillors criticised for inappropriate actions.
In 2009, Mr Anderson pleaded guilty to 13 counts of failing to disclose business interests.
He was sentenced without conviction to a 12-month bond and was ordered to pay $1000 to the court fund. He was also ordered to pay $2500 in costs.
Mr Vendy was found guilty of three counts of failing to disclose business interests. He received a 12-month good behaviour bond, without conviction, and was ordered to pay $3000 to the court fund. He was also ordered to pay $5000 in costs.
Mr Rigg resigned from council over the appointment of current chief executive officer Anthony Schinck in 2007, which he alleged had been carried out improperly.
Mr Schinck requested the independent investigation in 2008 after Mr Anderson questioned Mr Rigg’s expenses.
The Ernst and Young report was finished in April 2009 but was not released for privacy reasons.
It focused on 12 separate expense claim forms lodged by Mr Rigg totalling more than $33,500.
While contrary records were identified, most of the claims could not be verified through documentation provided to the investigators.
Ratepayer Gary Fitzgerald put in a Freedom of Information request for the report in 2009 but it was also refused on privacy grounds.
Mr Fitzgerald went to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal in December 2009, asking for the report to be released but it was instead handed over to Ballarat police for criminal investigation.
After the investigation was completed, the report was released to Mr Fitzgerald on Wednesday.
Mr Rigg said people could draw their own conclusions about the report.
“It’s not based on facts, it was all political. It was an attempt to smear me by people who’ve been caught out wasting people’s time and money,” he said.
“How much money was spent on this report and how much police time was wasted, all for political payback?”
Mr Fitzgerald, who will stand for council at the October elections, said the report didn’t really answer any questions because Mr Rigg wasn’t interviewed.
“To my mind, any report that is asked for in open council, approved by council and under the direction of the local government minister should be made public,” Mr Fitzgerald said.
“It covers everything except the fact that none of it can be proved or disproved because Mr Rigg wouldn’t be interviewed.
“He’s refusing to speak on a document covering a time when he was a councillor and he should be accountable. Former councillor Rigg should be looked at under the councillor code of conduct.”
Mr Anderson said he also thought “an honest man would be forthcoming”.
“An honest man should have agreed to an interview,” Mr Anderson said.
Mr Schinck did not wish to comment on the report and would not release how much the report cost.
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