Lord Mayor Nick Reece accepted a donation from Audi Centre Melbourne two days after voting to discontinue part of Roden Street in West Melbourne, which adjoins the business.
Audi Centre Melbourne is owned by Bobby Zagame, who had an application for a development on the site approved by the City of Melbourne in 2023 and made a $20,000 donation on September 5 to Reece’s campaign to be elected lord mayor.
Lord Mayor Nick Reece said he would not take donations from developers in the City of Melbourne in the election campaign. Credit: Simon Schluter
Two days earlier, on September 3, Reece seconded a motion to discontinue part of Roden Street between King and Spencer streets in West Melbourne to facilitate a $2.75 million Greening Roden Street plan.
Reece described the proposal in an interview with North West City News as creating a “green oasis”, with plans to add 1000 square metres of trees and grass to the designated area, plus new kerbs and channels, seasonal garden beds and paths, and a reconfiguration of parking spaces so there would be no loss of parking.
Zagame is a luxury car retailer and applied to the council in October 2023 to develop the land at 559 to 577 King Street in West Melbourne – the location of Audi Centre Melbourne – into three buildings ranging in height from six to 10 storeys.
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One of the issues in the application was road access and the location of crossovers, including on Roden Street. Reece voted to approve the development.
The planning minister approved the proposed development in January 2024.
Zagame said he was not aware of the motion to discontinue part of Roden Street and did not make a submission supporting or objecting to it.
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