Smiths Beach: How the CCC and Silverstone were manipulated. Part 1

Links between Smiths Beach Action Group and competing developers. The Players - Kevin Merrifield

Research by the Desert Rat shows how the Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) was manipulated by greedy developers that wanted to maintain their control of development in the Busselton Shire area.

Who are the players behind the Smiths Beach Action Group (SBAG)? What do we know about these prominent spokespersons for the SBAG, one of whom was Kevin Merrifield; another was Bill Mitchell, who has claimed credit for making the complaint to the CCC?

The Smiths Beach Action Group's inaugural chairperson was Kevin Merrifield and was one of three spokespersons for the SBAG. Kevin Merrifield was probably the biggest developer in the Busselton area and the surrounding 25 km.

Merryfield developed the Busselton shopping centre as well as many other tacky shopping centres in regional WA including the the eyesore Newman, Carnarvon and Esperance shopping centres - the latter a big disappointment that didn't live up to expectations for parking, landscaping and visual amenity.

His partner in many earlier developments was Kerry Stokes, until they fell out.

Kevin Merrifield lives at Millbrook a beautiful property about 5 km from Smiths Beach which is the site of an old mill. It he subdivided the picturesque property into 25 lots in about 2002.

Merrifield describes himself in the CCC hearings and transcripts as a retired property developer but makes regular presentations to the Busselton Shire Council. Merrifield is still one of the most significant landholders and property developers in the area.

The Smiths Beach Action Group seems to have a close relationship with the Busselton Shire Council and they seem to be able to obtain information from the Busselton Shire Council that is not normally available to other members of the public.

The ABC TV program Four Corners depicted these ageing SBAG spokespersons as surfies and environmentalists when interviewed near the beach in the surfies gear. There was no mention of any being significant property developers and landowners.

Are many of these protagonists wolves in sheep clothing?

In following posts the Desert Rat will examine the background and role of other competing developer from the Smiths Beach Action Group.