‘No conflict’ over zoo plan
With senior Village Roadshow executive Robert Kirby deputy chairman of Zoos Victoria while the entertainment giant was developing plans to launch a $220 million theme park at Melbourne’s open-range zoo, Village executive John Harnden told The Australian that the proposed theme park at Werribee Open Range Zoo was born out of a desire by Mr Kirby and his brother, John – sons of Village founder Roc Kirby – as well as Village managing director Graham Burke, “to do something here in our home town of Melbourne”.
Mr Harnden, chief executive of Village’s International Theme Parks, said the company came up with the theme park plan “in the middle of last year”. Mr Kirby remained a board member and deputy chairman of Zoos Victoria – the government agency that controls the Werribee zoo – until October.
But Mr Harnden, when questioned about Mr Kirby’s dual role, insisted that Village had avoided any potential for a conflict of interest by ensuring that Mr Kirby was not involved in the theme park project. “Robert Kirby was on the (zoo) board. He resigned from the board and he’s played no part in this in any way or shape whatsoever,” he said.
“We have been very focused on that internally since this idea came up that we ensured Robert was kept out of it. Any information we have used, and how we have gone about it, has been from going out and looking ourselves, and (what is) out there in the public domain.”
Zoos Victoria chairman Andrew Fairley said he first became aware of the theme park plan when Mr Kirby told him about it last year. “He came to see me in mid-August and said he had a potential conflict of interest because Village was formulating a plan which would involve taking over Werribee zoo,” Mr Fairley said.
“He jointly determined, with me, that he should stand down from the board for a period of time … He took no part”. “He didn’t attend board meetings and he didn’t get any papers.”
“The only delay in him resigning, or me asking him to resign, was whether Village was actually going to go ahead with it. At that point, he told me they hadn’t resolved to go ahead with the application to government but immediately (when) they had that resolved, I asked him to resign.”
Mr Fairley has condemned the theme park plan as privatisation amid revelations that the company wants taxpayers to fork out $100 million for the project.
Despite Village portraying the proposed Africa Safari World as a “partnership” with Zoos Victoria, The Weekend Australian reported on Saturday that the company was seeking complete commercial control of the government-owned zoo on Melbourne’s southwestern outskirts through a 99-year lease.
The Weekend Australian reported that, in secret negotiations, Village Roadshow had asked the Brumby Government to contribute $100 million to the upgrade, with $120 million to come from the entertainment giant.
The Government has refused to state its position on the bid for a $100 million public subsidy.
John Alwyn-Jones
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