Brosnan Centre Sparks Response
13 September 2002 at 1:09 pm
Despite the public posturing between the Jesuit Services Brosnan Centre and Citipower over the possible lease of a substation on the welfare agency’s property…the electrical supplier says it is still a good corporate citizen.
Citipower has asked for and deserves a right of reply to our recent story called a Chance for A Community Partnership Short Circuits. Our story was about navigating through the issues around good corporate community relations.
The Brosnan Centre (July 2002) wanted Citipower to pay what it described as “a fair and reasonable rent for the use of the sub-station on their land”. But that Citipower had only offered them 10 cents a year for 30 years with an option of another 30 years!
At the time the spokesperson for Jesuit Social Services, Bernie Geary, said in a media release that the Centre had sent an account to Citipower Chief Executive Officer, John Marshall, for $200 a week for the exclusive use of that part of the building.
In a response from John Marshall to Pro Bono Australia, the CEO stresses that Citipower is a good corporate citizen and contributes to various Not for Profit organisations in particular the National Heart Foundation.
He says that for the Brosnan Centre to imply that the company does not care about the community that makes up the their customers is simply not right.
Citipower says it alone operates 3300 substations in Victoria and has statutory rights under the Electricity Industry Act 2000 to access and occupy land for electrical purposes.
Marshall says Citipower has offered the Brosnan Centre a donation of $2000 because it does care about the centre, despite there being no case to pay a commercial lease for the substation.
He says thus far, the offer has not been accepted!
