Wodonga Council adopts sale, exchange or transfer of council land policy on mayor casting vote

Wodonga Council on Monday night adopted an updated policy for the sale, exchange or transfer of council-owned land on the casting vote of mayor Kevin Poulton.

It outlines the principles and approach taken to ensure disposal of council land is done fairly and in a transparent manner.

But, the approach relating to Logic remain confidential under the policy as it details incentives to strike land sales.

Cr Olga Quilty and Cr Ron Mildren spoke against the policy and were joined in opposition by Cr Libby Hall.

Cr John Watson and Cr Graeme Simpfendorfer voted in favour with Cr Poulton, who exercised his casting vote once again in the absence of Cr Kat Bennett.

"For fear of breaching the confidentiality I don't like it," Cr Quilty said.

"I would also like to point out that I wish the document could be made public, but unfortunately in its current form it has to remain confidential.

"However I believe principles for the sale of council owned land should be available to the public."

Another land sale at Logic is pending after a recent confidential meeting.

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Cr Mildren went a step further and said the "broadness of this policy" could be better articulated.

"We could be quite a deal more commercially in touch than what the policy reflects," he said.

"Certainly in respect of the contents of the confidential component (Logic), but also more broadly as well.

"We don't have an approach that I consider the appropriate way of going about dealing with council land sales, particularly those land sales that relate to industry or business attraction.

"I think there is a somewhat more merit based approach we could use more than the so called bill of criteria approach."

Meanwhile, a councillor code of conduct review was defeated when the required two thirds majority support wasn't achieved with council again split 3-3.

"Local government has some of the strictest policies and (rules relating) to behaviour and conduct out of all levels of government," Cr Hall said.

"We have very little say. People come to me with certain questions and I have little input which they are quite surprised about."

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