Darebin councillors forced to rein in massive expenses claims

THE councillors behind the latest Australia Day revolt have been forced to rein in spending following a catalogue of massive expenses claims.

• Editorial: Greens ignore democracy in Australia Day switch

DAREBIN councillors have had to rein in spending after huge expenses claims.

Members of the last council were racking up expenses in the tens of thousands of dollars every year, prompting a crackdown on claims procedures. Four of those councillors were re-elected last October.

Greens mayor Kim Le Cerf receives a $96,000 allowance package plus internet, mobile phone and travel expenses. In the first three months of this year she claimed $1071, including $515 for unspecified conferences and training.

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Greens mayor Kim Le Cerf receives a $96,000 allowance package plus internet, mobile phone and travel expenses. Picture: Tony Gough

Her position as “low carbon future” manager at the City of Melbourne, from which she is now on extended leave, saw her go on a climate change junket to Mexico last November.

Organisers paid for most of the trip, taken with colleague Kate Vinot, the city’s strategy director, but ratepayers still stumped up $516.

In June fellow councillors approved another trip to a “low carbon” forum in Guangyuan, China. Airfares and accommodation were covered by the local government sustainability group ICLEI Oceania.

Councillors in the previous council were slammed in 2015 when Municipal Monitor Peter Lewinsky identified governance issues.

And in the same year then-mayor Steven Tsitas defended his $16,575 ratepayer-funded university degree.

He said he was compliant with council policy and that his Masters in Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management was relevant to council business.

At Yarra, councillors claimed almost $7500 in expenses between January and March this year.

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@IanRoyall

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Originally published as Darebin councillors forced to rein in massive expenses claims