Wyndham Council Votes Down $36M Promise to Point Cook

The motion was raised by Cr Susan McIntyre, who represents the Cheetham Ward. Cheetham Ward covers an area of 21.4 square kilometres in Point Cook—one of the fastest-growing suburbs in the municipality and the original source of the contributions in question.

Cr McIntyre’s motion aimed to reaffirm Council’s previously stated position—outlined in the 2024/25 Budget—that legacy developer contributions collected from Point Cook developments would be spent on infrastructure projects within the same suburb.

The motion also referenced a Council media release and Facebook post from 19 March 2024, in which Council stated: “Recent legal advice confirmed that Council is not limited in the type of infrastructure this money funds but that it must be reinvested in the area in which it was collected.”

Despite these prior commitments and public assurances, the motion was lost after failing to secure the support of a majority of councillors.

The $36 million in legacy funds was uncovered during a review of historic accounting records, revealing that developer contributions collected over two decades had remained unspent. The issue, first reported by Wyndham TV in 2024 (read more), has sparked significant community interest, particularly in Point Cook where residents have long raised concerns about infrastructure lagging behind population growth.

Cr McIntyre’s motion argued that spending the funds outside Point Cook would be contrary to community expectations and the original intent of the developers who paid the contributions. It cited the Planning and Environment Act 1987, which outlines that developer contributions are intended to support infrastructure in the same area where they are collected.

A Council memorandum dated 16 October 2023 had previously identified a list of potential projects in Point Cook that could be funded from these contributions, based on principles of need, nexus, equity, and accountability.

Following the meeting, Cr McIntyre expressed her disappointment, stating:

“Unfortunately, I was not allowed to speak to the motion, as Councillors Gilligan, Barrera, King, McGuire, Shaw and Singh voted for the motion to be put without debate and then voted it down. Our community deserves transparency and fairness. Developer contributions should be spent where they were collected—not redirected elsewhere. I will continue fighting to ensure Point Cook gets the investment it was promised.”

Despite this, the motion was not carried, meaning the legacy funds may now be distributed more broadly across the municipality rather than being exclusively used in Point Cook.

The outcome has been met with disappointment by some residents and community leaders, who argue that Point Cook still faces major infrastructure needs and should benefit directly from funds raised through local development.

Council has not yet provided further details on how or where the legacy funds will be allocated.