[ad_1]
The author of an independent economic review of the Macquarie Point stadium proposed by Hobart was encouraged to meet with activists against the stadium by an employee of the Jacqui Lambie network, weeks before being formally appointed to perform the revision, and before that appointment out of public knowledge.
The ABC can reveal a meeting between Dr. Nicholas Gruen and the members of the Anti-Stadium Group, our place group took place on April 16 of last year, and that the parties were presented with each other by the Jacqui Lambie Network.
The meetings were among several not initially revealed in the final report, that Dr. Gruen said it was administrative supervision.
And the Government has told ABC that if it had been aware that meetings with any interested party had been held before its appointment illuminated green, it would have “considered to seriously request an alternative candidate to carry out the independent review.”
Roland Browne (left), Jacqui Lambie (third from the left) and Richard Flanagan (second from the right) with other speakers in the No New Stadium Rally at the Hobart City Council in February. (Facebook: There is no new stadium)
Dr. Gruen, who is an economist and expert in world -renowned public policies, told ABC that he was presented to vocal activists against the Roland Browne and Richard Flanagan stadium by JLN’s main advisor, Anna Bateman.
“Anna Bateman of Jacqui Lambie’s office suggested that he talk to Mr. Browne and Mr. Flanagan to familiarize me with the problems, and I didn’t see anything unpleasant in doing so,” said Dr. Gruen.
“Consequently, he presented us“
The introduction occurred in the days after a supply and confidence agreement between the Government and JLN on April 10 of last year.
As part of the agreement, the JLN wanted an independent review of the stadium project to be carried out.
On April 16, he informed the Government that Dr. Gruen would undertake the review, that the government later agreed.
The meeting with Roland Browne and Richard Flanagan, as well as a separate meeting with another member of our place, Shamus Mulcahy, took place on the same day.
An anti-stadium rally was held at the City of Hobart in February. (ABC News: Luke Bowden)
They were the only meetings that will be held before the appointment was formally made, or publicly announced, three weeks later, on May 4.
The next meeting of Dr. Gruen, with the Executive President of the AFL, Andrew Dillon, Took Place on June 12.
Mrs. Bateman told ABC that she suggested that Dr. Gruen “talk to a variety of people.”
“Including community groups, Roland Browne, Richard Flanagan, Mona, retailers such as Ruth Langford, Aboriginal Leaders of Tasmania, including Rodney Dillon, John Hardy by RSL Tasmania.”
It was also suggested that Dr. Gruen meet with the proponents of an alternative proposal of the stadium.
Charging…
The report of Dr. Gruen, which was presented to the Government on January 1 of this year, determined that the stadium’s proponents had overaged the benefits of the project and underestimated their costs, which estimated that it amounts to $ 1.4 billion for a period of 30 years.
Dr. Gruen also hit the management of the government project, and the agreement that hit the AFL, which included a commitment to build the stadium in exchange for AFL and AFLW licenses of Tasmania.
The stadium has been proposed for Hobart Macquarie Point. (ABC News: Luke Bowden)
His report included a list of what was called interested parties consultation meetings.
The list detailed when and with whom it met during the process of compiling the report, which included approximately 50 meetings with a variety of interested parties.
They included meetings with the president of Tasmania Devils, Grant O’Brien, the executive director of Macquarie Point Development Corporation, Anne Beach and several members of Parliament.
“Not only is it not remarkable for reviewers to consult with stakeholders with various points of view, it is expected,” said Dr. Gruen al ABC.
The stadium has divided opinion in Tasmania. (ABC News: Loretta Lohberger)
The April 16 meeting with the members of our place was not included in the initial list.
The meetings with the former president of the Hawthorn Football Club, Jeff Kennett, developer David Marrner, and former AFL Commissioner, Colin Carter, were among the few meetings that were held after Dr. Gruen was formally appointed, but not initially revealed.
A stadium in Macquarie Point is a condition of Tasmania’s entry into AFL. (Supplied: Macquarie Point Development Corporation)
He blamed the omissions to an administrative supervision of his executive assistant.
“At some point after sending my review on January 1, we noticed some typographic errors and decided to be reviewed again.
“In this context, I noticed some omissions from the Interested Party Consultation List,” Dr. Gruen to ABC said.
“My EA [executive assistant] I had built the original table from the list of meetings I had organized, and asked him to check my calendar and add anything that would not have been covered.
“Consequently, I updated the public link on January 23,” he said.
Richard Flanagan is a member of our place and was presented to Dr. Gruen by an employee of the Jacqui Lambie network. (ABC News: Greg Szabo)
However, the amendments to the Interested Parties Consultation List did not communicate to the Government.
The government only realized that the list had been amended when it was approached by the ABC.
“The non -dissemination of such meetings, both at the time of the nomination and in the final report, is of great concern for the government,” a spokesman told ABC.
“The Government would have expected any update of the list of consultation meetings of the interested parties of Dr. Gruen made after the public publication of the report, the government has been communicated.“
Dr. Gruen did not provide a reason why the changes did not communicate when the ABC asked.
The independent deputy David O’Byrne, who supports the stadium, wrote an opinion article of the newspaper that questioned the elements of Dr. Gruen’s report in January.
“This could have been an honest mistake, but it is great,” O’Byrne said about the non -dissemination of meetings.
“If anti-stadium activists had the opportunity to present their point of view to Dr. Gruen before being formally appointed, interested parties with different points of view should also have been allowed,”
said.
Dr. Gruen was appointed to evaluate the economy of the proposed stadium. (Supplied: MPDC)
The member of our place, Roland Browne, said the meeting was “completely appropriate.”
“Ours was a meeting in which he asked us about the opposition of the community to the stadium and the surrounding processes, from our point of view.
“I can’t remember that none of us asked him a question. We answered his questions.”
Browne said.
Browne, who also manages a new stadium website and a social media page, recently organized a town hall forum called “Decacking Gruen” that attracted 300 people.
Roland Browne says his meeting with Dr. Gruen was “completely appropriate.” (ABC News: Luke Bowden)
Senator Jacqui Lambie was one of several high -profile antiestadio activists who spoke a speech in the event.
Gruen’s report had been largely ignored by the Tasmania government, but roared in relevance last week when it was revealed that the Tasmania Planning Commission had based significant portions of its economic evaluation of the Macquarie Point stadium on the findings of Dr. Gruen.
The Tasmania Planning Commission is evaluating the stadium, which is a license requirement of the new AFL Club of Tasmania Devils, as part of the State Importance Process project.
Its final evaluation will be presented in September and will play an important role in determining the destination of the project.
Charging…
[ad_2]
Source link
