by Luke Voogt
Ratepayers will soon have forked out $100,000 for monitors at Geelong’s council – money a community watchdog says could be better spent elsewhere.
“It’s a lot for no deliverable outcome,” Ratepayers Geelong president Peter Mitchell said.
“There’s no feedback to the ratepayers about what has happened with that money we’ve paid for.
“I can think of several better uses and I think the council could probably think of many more.
“You could talk about what could be done in the mall or parking for that money. I’m sure there are sports facilities that could do with some funding too.”
State government appointed the monitors in September 2017 after sacking council in 2016 amid bullying allegations.
Prior to the sacking five Geelong councillors were investigated but the bullying claims against them were never proven.
Of eight bullying allegations relating to City Hall’s 2700 employees, six were proven.
Last week the cost for the two municipal monitors reached $93,037, City Hall revealed, following Jude Munro’s departure from the position on January 31.
Fellow monitor Peter Dorling would remain until council elections in October, a City Hall spokesperson said.
With council paying monitors $1244 per day and Mr Dorling continuing at the council one day per fortnight, the amount will easily exceed $100,000.
Last January deputy mayor Peter Murrihy met with then Local Government Minister Adem Somyurek following repeated calls from council for the monitors to go.
The monitors write quarterly reports into the Transformation Program 2.0, based on recommendations of State Government’s 2015 Commission of Inquiry into Geelong’s council.
The most recent report stated “more than 900 employees (attended) 68 focus group sessions” last September and work in “People and Culture” was “10 per cent” complete.
“They’re not very useful in terms of things that are actually happening,” Mr Mitchell said.
The monitors seemed to impede council transparency, rather than enhance it, he added.
“The Local Government Act (says) the monitors are there to report to the minister and nobody else. The minister doesn’t release the findings and nobody finds out about it.”
Geelong Mayor Stephanie Asher thanked Ms Munro for her contribution.
“We are delighted that the minister has heeded our request to take steps to remove the monitors as we certainly feel that’s appropriate,” she said.
The monitors cost ratepayers $44,995 in 2017/18, $35,325 in 2018/19 and $12,717 to date in 2019/20.
