By Ruza Zivkusic
FORMER Brimbank councillors want to know why officers allowed a welfare organisation to use a council-owned building in St Albans rent-free for more than four years.
Members of the Australia Turkish Cypriot and Welfare Association have used since 2002 the building at 76 to 78 Biggs St.
But the group of ex-councillors is confused over why the council didn’t charge the association while other community groups had pay to use council buildings.
Councillors only recently signed a deal to allow the association to lease the property for the next four years at an annual rent of $1200.
Former mayor Marion Martin has attacked council, saying it was not treating all community groups fairly.
She believed Brimbank mayor Natalie Suleyman had a conflict of interest because her father, Hakki Suleyman, was the association’s public officer.
“Council takes directions from their mayor and councillors. If you’ve got a mayor that is strong and says you leave this community centre alone and just overlook it, then they will overlook it,” Ms Martin said.
“I know it. I’ve been a mayor and a councillor – I know how these things work.”
During last week’s council meeting, Brimbank CEO Marilyn Duncan responded to a resident during public question time, saying that any group which wanted to share the building in Biggs St should contact the Australia Turkish Cypriot and Welfare Association.
“Normally, it’s not the council’s policy to spread leases around between the council and individual groups which want leases,” she said.
Journalist Chris Evans was a Brimbank councillor when the association began using the Biggs St building, but said he was never told about it.
“As far as the council knew, the premises were vacated by the St Albans North Childcare Centre,” Mr Evans said.
“It raises questions about what other premises around the district do the ratepayers own that have been occupied by persons without proper lease arrangements,” he said.
Former councillor Claire Brennan, public officer of the Albanvale Residents Association, which has operated out of the Albanvale Community Centre for 31 years, said every community group should pay for the use of council-owned buildings.
“We’ve been told to share and we all pay rent. We’re upset that we’re treated like second-rate ratepayers after working for the community for years and volunteering and looking after buildings,” Ms Brennan said.
Mr Suleyman didn’t wish to comment recently, and Cr Suleyman didn’t return Star’s calls.
