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A SPOKESPERSON for Canal Rocks Pty Ltd said it was not his company's place to comment on funding given to two Busselton shire councillors during the last election.

At a meeting on December 14, Crs John Triplett and Anne Ryan for the first time declared an impartial interest in the Smiths Beach development. In statements read to council both disclosed that support was given to them by the Independent Action Group during the election. But just who is behind the group remains a mystery.

Canal Rocks Pty Ltd spokesperson Peter Owens said the IAG, a lobby group formed to fight deregulated trading hours, had an established policy of supporting candidates at elections.

"Regarding council election funding, it is not for anyone but the Independent Action Group to make comments about how, where and from whom they raised money and to whom they made donations," he said.

"After the election, it became known that the strategy to be implemented by the retail grocery majors was to attack the regions in an effort to use the power that regional local authorities have to change trading hours without reference to the State Government.

"This became quite controversial in Albany soon after the election.

"In Busselton, it is known that some present and past councillors are opposed to the extended trading hours that were agreed by the Busselton Shire Council some time back."

Mr Owens said he believed plans for Canal Rocks Pty Ltd's development at Smiths Beach would next be before council in February.

© Copyright 2006 by Rural Press Ltd. This report is for information only in order to inform readers about the this Rural Press Ltd report. No charge for such use is made and the material is not being used for commercial purposes. The text has not been modified from the original report.

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