Central Coast after hours call service: Councillors divided over in-house or external models
Central Coast Councillors could not reach a decision over whether to keep its after hours call service in-house or continue with an outsourced model. The cost difference divided the chamber.
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It’s the one million dollar question that divided Central Coast councillors last night.
The council were at loggerheads over whether or not to set up an in-house after hours call centre or source a company externally to run the service.
The cost difference between the two were by no means close. In fact it will cost council $1.3 million to run the service in-house and $350,000 to do it externally.
This equates to $214 per call to run the service in-house and $55 per call for an external model.
The in-house model would require six staff to answer emergency calls such as reports of burst water mains.
Half of councillors were keen to keep the service in-house despite the cost difference, saying it will generate local jobs along with staff having vital local knowledge of the region.
The other half could not go past the price difference, saying it was a waste of ratepayers’ money and could go towards more local parks or services.
Cr Kyle MacGregor was in favour of an in-house service instead of “handing profits to other people”.
“We have an $870 million organisation and we can’t find the spare change to get six staff to answer a phone,” he said. “You are stealing local jobs.”
Cr Chris Burke said he had heard a report of someone calling their current external service and the operator asking, “Where’s Mangrove Mountain?”
“Our frontline staff have an excellent record and when they are on call some of them have 20-30 years experience,” he said.
Cr Chris Holstein said while the call centre identified the problem, it was local people that carry out the work
“We are going to get it cheaper (externally) and money can be better spent doing the work,” he said.
Cr Rebecca Gale said she could not vote for the million-dollar difference.
“For me that means two to three parks, I cannot vote on an option that takes that benefit away from the community. I think we can get that money better resourced.”
Council staff recommended the call centre be sourced externally not only due to the price difference but also the fact that the current call service only takes around 6300 calls a year.
Director of Connected Communities Julie Vaughan confirmed the cost difference was $1 million however said the other main reason for an external provider was the risks around local emergencies such as a power outage or phone systems down which would affect the in-house service.
“It certainly does present a risk,” she said.
Mayor Lisa Matthews said she with no decision, the issue will return to the next council meeting in December.
Cr Matthews said she was in favour of the in-house model which was what the former Wyong Shire Council had.
“It’s about job creation. Why should be outsource to a Sydney company. Perhaps I would have a different opinion if we outsourced to a Central Coast company, but no such company exists for the service.”