Photo credit: Cyron.
Corruption in local government could result in poor town planning leading to unaffordable, unsafe and unhealthy communities, according to ANU Professor of Public Policy Adam Graycar. Graycar, Director of the Research School of Social Sciences in the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences, made the comments at a Design + Crime conference in Sydney today. Graycar said that corruption could distort local council decision-making processes and entice some elected and appointed officials to break their bond of trust with the public. "Professionalism among those making town planning decisions is generally high. However when either the system or someone within it fails, the result is rotten," Professor Graycar said. "In New South Wales, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) received 303 complaints regarding development applications and rezoning in the 12 months to June 2011. "In the last 12 months, the ICAC found that an Auburn City Councillor acted corruptly in accepting $4,500 to expedite a development application and that several members of a Land Council accepted several hundred thousand dollars to facilitate the rezoning of Council land.
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