Mayor and CEO reject MP’s claims
Wyndham City Council has issued a forceful rebuttal to allegations raised by the Member for Point Cook Mathew Hilakari regarding the handling of Developer Contributions (DCs) collected in the suburb, rejecting accusations of poor governance and secrecy.
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In a letter dated 7 April 2025, signed by Mayor Cr Mia Shaw and CEO Stephen Wall, the Council responded to the Member’s adjournment speech in State Parliament, which called for an investigation into the management of DCs and implied impropriety in decision-making processes.
“We find the Member’s implications of poor governance particularly concerning,” the letter states. “Council takes seriously its role in making decisions in line with the Local Government Act 2020 and good governance particularly seriously.”
The response points to a Council report tabled on 25 March 2025 that explored options for a community event space to be funded with residual DCs. While the report did not specify a location, its release appears to have triggered the Member’s concerns. Council clarified that the document was part of a preliminary exercise and did not amount to a final decision.
The letter also dismisses the Member’s claim that funds should only be spent within Point Cook, stating that legal advice confirms the residual contributions do not need to be allocated to the suburb specifically.
The Council emphasised its overall performance in governance, citing strong results in its Annual Community Satisfaction Survey, including scores of 7.1 for “making decisions in the interests of the community” and 7.3 for “maintaining community trust and confidence” — both above the metropolitan average.
Council leaders further took aim at Mathew Hilakari’s use of Parliamentary Privilege, accusing him of deliberately spreading misinformation. “It is particularly concerning that the Member for Point Cook is using his position… to pedal misinformation and lies for a political attack that seeks to undermine community trust in Council,” the letter reads.
Petition Gathers Steam
The backlash comes as community pressure mounts on Council to keep DC spending local. On 15 May 2025, Council received a petition signed by 1,377 people (1,314 valid) demanding that developer contributions collected in Point Cook be spent in Point Cook. The petition stated:
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Cr McIntyre Breaks Silence
Cr Susan McIntyre, in a separate public post, acknowledged the petitioners’ frustrations:
McIntyre disclosed that the Council had considered using the funds for a joint infrastructure project in Point Cook in partnership with the Victorian Government, but that plan was abandoned. She cited non-disclosure agreements as the reason she couldn’t provide further details.
Despite scrapping the project, Council has resolved to retain up to $24.4 million from Point Cook developer contributions for a possible community event space. A report detailing options and timelines is expected by October 2025.
A Divided Council
As reported by Wyndham TV earlier this month, a motion to honour a previously floated $36 million commitment to Point Cook was voted down by a majority of councillors. The proposal aimed to guarantee that local contributions would be reinvested in the area that generated them — a principle that many residents assumed was already standard practice.
With growing public discontent, strong language from both Council and the local MP, and millions of dollars hanging in the balance, the issue of developer contributions in Point Cook is shaping up to be one of the most contentious local government debates in recent years.
