As reported in Saturday’s Herald Sun, the council felt they’d been used as a scapegoat by the Dogs to cover up their own “bungled” processes.
The Bulldogs asked the State Government to intervene in a planning dispute over the proposed Elite Learning Centre at the Whitten Oval.
Dogs chairman David Smorgon had suggested on an interview with the Nine Network on Thursday night that if it wasn’t for State Government intervention, the club faced major financial troubles.
The dispute centred around the plan for Victoria University to run courses in the redeveloped John Gent Stand.
But allegations that the council refused to provide planning permits were strongly rejected by the City of Maribyrnong Mayor Michelle MacDonald.
“The Bulldogs were well aware that in line with council’s need to follow due process, including community consultation, we would not be able to make a decision on the application until this September,” she said.
“For the sake of our community we want this project to occur. However, the Bulldogs organisation has bungled the management of the redevelopment.”
Smorgon rebuked the allegations saying the administration could not understand why the council persisted with the delay as there had been no objections from the local community after they applied for the permit.
“We are therefore puzzled as to why the council would insist on such an extensive and protracted period of public consultation across the whole of the municipality, rather than in the immediate and surrounding area,” Smorgon said.
