Overview
- Lord Mayor Nick Reece identified the Marcocci family as the pledged funder of an Argyle Square fountain and said he will step out of any council vote on the project.
- The family, which is building the La Storia apartments beside the square, also donated $10,000 to Reece’s 2024 campaign through their vehicle Lou Nominees.
- Reece had vowed in August 2024 to refuse developer money and later said he accepted the Marcocci donation because the family had no live development applications in the city.
- The council is weighing a public acquisition overlay on Marcocci-owned land in the Macaulay precinct, a planning tool that can allow compulsory purchase for open space, and Reece’s team has recused from two of three related votes.
- Integrity groups and the Victorian Greens pressed for a ban on developer donations and real-time disclosure, while Premier Jacinta Allan withheld support and the opposition rejected industry bans but backed faster reporting.