Adelaide City Council to consider reintroducing free dinner and booze for councillors on meeting nights

The return of free meals and drinks on meeting nights – once labelled a “disgraceful waste of taxpayer money” – will be considered by the new City Council. What do you think?

Adelaide City Council is expected to consider bringing back free meals and drinks on meeting nights for elected members and staff, when it meets on Tuesday.

The new council will meet next week to discuss its “governance model” which includes how often members will meet each month and the reintroduction of meals.

Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith this week flagged her intention for the full council to meet twice monthly, instead of the previous term’s once-a-month meeting.

Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith in front of Town Hall. Picture: Morgan Sette

A council spokesman said it was expected the “frequency of council dinners” would also be discussed at the meeting, after they were abolished by the previous council in 2019.

The previous council had spent about $750 on dinner per meeting, not including alcohol, for its councillors and senior staff, or about $30,000 per year.

The spokesman said a “welcome dinner” was held for councillors this week and another dinner was planned after their second meeting “which is an end of year dinner”.

“The council’s governance model will be discussed in a workshop on December 6. The reintroduction of dinners would follow the adoption of the governance model,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Lomax-Smith has cancelled the council’s Christmas lunch and reception for community members and leaders.

In previous years, the Lord Mayor has hosted around 100 people for lunch and 500-700 people for the evening reception.

Dr Lomax-Smith told councillors this week there were “significant deadlines” approaching, including responding to the state government’s planning review and setting a strategic budget.

An Adelaide City Council meeting at Adelaide Town Hall last year. Picture: Brenton Edwards

“I have therefore decided this year’s Christmas lunch and reception will not go ahead. With only five weeks between being sworn in and Christmas Day I believe time would be better spent coming to grips with the issues the city faces,” she told members on Tuesday night.

“Council recently announced a rather exciting program of community events for us all to enjoy during the festive season, including a free Christmas concert and a whole range of activities around the city and North Adelaide.

“I would encourage everyone to get out and about to enjoy Christmas in the city.”