Report criticizes Daylesford's former CEO for redevelopment failures

A leaked report has criticized the former CEO of Hepburn Shire, Aaron van Egmond, for mishandling a redevelopment project in Daylesford. The project involved The Rex, a heritage theatre that was meant to be turned into a community facility. The report states that van Egmond underestimated the project's cost by $5 million and ignored expert advice. The Local Government Inspectorate's report revealed that van Egmond committed the council to buy The Rex for about $6 million without getting a proper valuation. This was $1.6 million more than it had sold for just six months earlier. Initially, it was thought the renovation would cost less than $1 million, but the actual expenses soared to $5.14 million. The report pointed out that van Egmond did not use a quantity surveyor to assess the costs, which contributed to the budget issues. It also noted that the council members did not hold him accountable during the project's management. The cinema in The Rex ceased operations in 2017 as redevelopment work began. Local community leaders expressed disappointment that the Inspectorate has not made the report public. They believe the community deserves to know the details. The Hepburn Shire Council stated that the financial losses from the project amounted to $5.65 million, including the sale of The Rex. Calls for transparency have grown, as the Inspectorate has not officially released the report despite its leak. The Municipal Association of Victoria supports the council's request for the publication of the report. Meanwhile, van Egmond has faced further scrutiny after being suspended from Hobsons Bay Council earlier this year due to concerns about his workplace behavior.