The establishment and funding of a community group in order to get land rezoned and make developers millions of dollars was “part of the planning strategy”, the lawyer for planner and developer John Woodman says.

And the head of that “community group” was in fact paid a retainer of $2500 a month in order to pursue the interests of developers, corruption commission hearings have heard.

The Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission's hearings into land deals at Casey Council resumed on Monday.

Three weeks of hearings last year uncovered secret payments by Mr Woodman and his associates to councillors and community groups in return for favours, and the strategic manipulation of the planning system over many years in order to maximise profits.