The Local Government Inspectorate is looking into a possible conflict of interest by two Wyndham councillors.
Councillors Aaron An and Walter Villagonzalo are this week flying to Jinan, China, to be part of the judging panel for the Overseas High-level Talents Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition.
Both councillors were offered the all-expenses paid trips. Despite being told by Wyndham council they could not attend as council representatives, they opted to take a leave of absence from the council from July 19 to 24 to attend the event.
Cr Villagonzalo said he was giving up his “free time” to attend and was allowing the organisers to pay for his flights, accommodation and other travel expenses. Cr An said he was covering the cost of the trip himself.
Among the competition organisers is the Eureka International Group, whose subsidiary company, EIG Developments, owns the Elpis estate in Truganina.
Cr Villagonzalo said he believed not attending would be a “wasted opportunity” for Wyndham.
“We asked for permission to go there as councillors, and they [the council] said, ‘No, you can only go there in your own personal capacity, you cannot bring business cards’,” he said.
“We need to network and build relationships with local and overseas investors and those hosting these competitions.
“If there is any conflict of interest that arises in the future, I will declare it.”
Cr An added: “I’m taking leave from council … therefore, I won’t be representing council during that period. I don’t believe there is any conflict of interest. But if there is any in the future, I’ll declare.
“I’m paying for my own trip for some personal matters and will be visiting family relatives.
“It would be good for me to see how other people organise big international innovation and entrepreneurship competitions.”
Councillors Mia Shaw and Kim McAliney have condemned the trip.
“It is still unclear to me how this is of benefit to our local community,” Cr Shaw said.
“At the end of the day, it is the decision of the two councillors involved, but in my opinion it isn’t good governance and it is not something I support.”
Cr McAliney said she did not support the councillors going on the trip and had made her thoughts very clear.
“They have been provided with advice … I stood on a platform of good governance and I don’t think this is,” she said.
Wyndham council chief executive Kelly Grigsby said: “The councillors have been advised that should they elect to accept the
invitation to China, they would need to declare the cost of the trip as a gift on council’s gift register and manage any subsequent conflicts of interest accordingly”.
A Local Government Inspectorate spokesman said it was “assessing information related to a potential conflict of interest by two
Wyndham City councillors”. The inspectorate declined to provide any further comment.
Eureka International did not respond to Star Weekly’s request for comment by deadline.
