I must 'fess up to a very compromising conflict of interest, namely, because of his involvement in manipulating and betraying us parents and our children re the St Martins Lutheran School Child Abuse Cover-up, I have a deep and abiding loathing for Bill DeGaris; not a Rory McEwen sort of DAAL, but a DAAL none the less.
In my capacity as a self-declared 'politician', I was approached and asked to look at the Tender Process for the sale of the Penola Rd building. It is my understanding that the building was originally effectively 'gifted' to the people of Mt Gambier to be managed as such by SERDE.
South-east Employment Resource Development Enterprise have a website, but it is entirely un-encumbered by information; no mission statement, governance guidelines, Board membership, etc, just a couple of 'motherhood, blue-sky statements'.
When I rang (mid 2011) I spoke with Ms Grace McNally but she was reluctant to give me the names of SERDE Board members instead directing me to Tender Agents Malseed Real Estate, who were unwilling/unable to provide me that specific information.
Shortly there after the Tender Process was closed/ended without the building being sold, and it was effectively withdrawn from the market.
But then suddenly the building was declared as having been sold to Bill DeGaris.
Bill DeGaris himself, in a long 'advertorial' in the Lifestyle 1 magazine Issue 416 February 9-15 2012, outlines the origins of what is a clear corruption of appropriate process, potentially a breach of contract, and just a piece of general scumbagness;
"Last year, when Bill started his search for a new home for DeGaris Lawyers the possibility
of leasing the former SERDE Building was on the table but Bill was looking to buy. Discussions
and negotiations ensued and Bill and Lyn DeGaris became the proud owners of 19 Penola Rd."
This 'reportage' conveniently skips the entire Tender Process, but identifies that SERDE was originally looking to lease the property, via Herbert Real Estate.
The building was then put up for Sale By Tender through Malseed Real Estate, and as above, the Tender closed.
Somehow from there the building was suddenly sold to Bill DeGaris via Herbert Real Estate without being 're-Tendered' or even advertised.
It is my belief that the "discussions and negotiations" between the SERDE Board and Bill DeGaris led to a decision to sell the property to Mr DeGaris and that the subsequent 'Tender Process' was merely about being seen to be doing the right thing.
All involved knew that simply selling to Bill DeGaris would be seen for exactly what it was, a corrupt favour for a mate.
My justification:
The SERDE Board were 'allegedly' looking to Lease the property via Herbert Real Estate, moved to a Tender Process via Malseed Real Estate, let that run out, and without re-advertising or re-tendering sold to Bill DeGaris via Herbert Real Estate, again.
To my understanding, Malseed Real Estate were contracted for the Sale By Tender process and that therefore there are issues of 'Breach of Contract'; Malseed's have clearly done all the hard work, only to be dumped by SERDE and, I assume, not paid the commission specific to the sale.
As a matter of courtesy, I contacted Malseed's, and while they were obviously unable to discuss specific details, they did confirm the timeline of events as above...from Herberts to them and then suddenly sold via Herberts.
Perhaps they were complicit, but I don't think so...I believe that Malseed Real Estate was un-wittingly manipulated by the SERDE Board, used to give some sort of 'credibility and deniability' to the sale that was decided well before the process ever got to Malseeds.
To try and find out what had happened, I rang SERDE again 22/02/2012 and spoke with Grace McNally again. She again refused to give me the names of Board members and directed me to contact Chair Nic Kentish via a PO Box number. Instead I rang Mr Kentish about 30 mins later.
First try, someone answered but immediately hung-up, so I checked the number and called back. Mr Kentish answered and, without asking who I was or why I wanted to know, when I asked for the Board members names, he simply reeled them off, including Grace McNally.
Mr Kentish clearly knew who I was and was very much expecting that call..Ms McNally had rung him and warned him. In two conversations about the Board, Ms McNally did not identify herself as a member.
I have addressed this particular deceit and the entire episode with letters to the Board, including new Chair Mrs Coke, but they have refused to provide me with the requested information or a specific explanation, and the matter remains un-resolved.
The presence of Russell Peate on the SERDE Board makes me consider that their may be a number of Board members who were not specifically involved in this corrupted process. Every issue that I look at with Russell Peates name attached goes a strange shade of murky.
I will make more enquiries and re-visit this issue....I promise.
This Arvo: TFTIM Bill DeGaris
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