THE Fremantle Ratepayers Association has enlisted lawyer John Hammond to pore over the financial arrangements for the new $50 million council offices at King Square.

“The association will now consider what legal action can be taken to halt this waste of ratepayers’ money,” says Mr Hammond, a former mayor of Cottesloe.

He says one avenue they’re exploring is that the council showed “bias” when voting on the plan. There are precedents over east where council decisions have been overturned by the courts.

Association chair Claudia Green is calling for an external review and independent audit of the council’s business plan.

• John Hammond and Claudia Green. Photo by Steve Grant

“Council are selling off income-generating assets to pay for a civic building that doesn’t generate any money,” she says.

“That doesn’t make sense and will ultimately lead to higher rates.

“We’ve had countless financial experts look at the business plan and they all say it’s flawed, with no long-term strategy or financial logic.

“It is clear that these new council offices will be nothing more than a monument to themselves.”

Ms Green says they turned to Mr Hammond when their campaign to get the state government to look into the plan failed to gain traction.

By STEPHEN POLLOCK