WHAT do you think of Melville city council’s plan to swap land with Garden City Shopping Centre to make way for its $38 million civil centre?

Well, it doesn’t matter what you think — the council’s going ahead without any more consultation.

Former councillor Effie Nicholson says the land swap is a hugely significant transaction and requires more scrutiny.

She says far too much of the process has been shrouded in secrecy: Herald readers only know it’s worth $38 million due to a mistake that left the figure in the public agenda. That figure’s since disappeared from online documents in a manner that would make Stalin shed a tear of pride.

The council held a confidential session to vote on the land swap this week, but not before Ms Nicholson fronted her former colleagues to cite chapter and verse of the law, stating that as it was a major land transaction they were required to seek widespread community consultation and provide details.

Council lawyer Louis Hitchcock cited another section of the WA local government act to argue that since it was a land “swap” and the council wasn’t actually buying anything at this stage, it only required a small notice in a newspaper, and there was no requirement to release the business case supporting it.

Ms Nicholson says when such a huge amount of public money is involved, more transparency is clearly better.

Council executives reckon the land swap will bring a slew of benefits.

The council met in secret to vote but we hear councillors June Barton, Nick Pazolli and Susan Taylor-Rees voted against.

The council might still consult on the centre plan itself down the track but the land swap’s now locked in unless AMP decides to pull the pin.

by DAVID BELL