Monash Council under fire for spending $400,000 each year for staff to work at Ibis building

You’ve heard of working from home, but it has been revealed some council staff in Melbourne’s east have been working from offices inside an Ibis hotel for more than a decade, costing ratepayers millions.

You’ve heard of working from home, but it has been revealed some council staff in Melbourne’s east have been working from offices inside an Ibis hotel building for more than a decade, costing ratepayers $6m.

The eye-watering amount was revealed in a letter Monash Council sent residents this week, outlining its proposal to spend $110m to build a new Glen Waverley library and community hub, including office space for council staff who have been working from the Ibis hotel for more than a decade.

The additional office space in the proposed new building will be used by the council’s Glen Waverley based employees who do not fit into the existing civic centre.

For more than 15 years the council has had to rent space in the adjacent Ibis building for these employees, council chief executive Dr Andi Diamond said.

“This costs the community more than $400,000 in rent each year and it makes sense to relocate these staff to a council owned facility,” she said.

The council is asking for community feedback on its plan to build a new Glen Waverley civic precinct on the site of the existing Glen Waverley library in Kingsway, in what would be the biggest Monash Council project ever.

But the council has come under fire for the plan to “build a shrine to itself” during the cost of living crisis, with fears the project could be a white elephant.

But the council says it won’t impact how much residents pay in rates, with the project to be entirely funded by money it will receive from the state government for its compulsory acquisition of council land for the Suburban Rail Loop and from the sale of part of the Central Car Park in Glen Waverley.

The Ibis hotel where some Monash Council staff have been working for 15 years.

It is proposed that the existing car parks in the carpark will be replaced, a central public square will be established on part of the site adjacent to Kingsway, and the remainder of the land will be sold.

The new civic precinct design proposes two levels of library and a third level of office, with new multipurpose community events and meeting spaces at ground level, and a direct connection to the council’s civic centre.

But Council Watch vice president Dean Hurlston said he could not see the justification for the project.

“Amid a cost of living crisis and incredible pressure on rates’ bills this council has decided that it wants to push on in some of the toughest personal market conditions and spend $110m plus to build a shrine to itself?” he said.

“What residents need is a council that focuses on their financial hardship and does everything it can to run an efficient, lean, responsive organisation, not build great big shiny projects.”

He questioned why the council couldn’t spend a smaller amount building a new library and look to relocate staff from the Ibis building into existing underused council spaces.

Mr Hurlston said it was “a state level project” with the council trying to recreate the State Library of Victoria and Monash residents deserved more than “an overblown white elephant”.

He said the sale of public assets such as carparks to developers who can make millions realising their value was disgraceful.

The proposed $110m Glen Waverley library and community hub.

The council said the existing Glen Waverley library was more than 50 years old and needed replacement and it wanted to create “one of Victoria’s best municipal libraries”.

The proposed new library would be four times the size of the current library space and offer modern facilities.

The council is also proposing to create a large multipurpose community space that could fit up to 500 people.

“This project is a key part of council’s transformation and reinvigoration plans for the Glen Waverley Activity Centre,” it said.

“We want to create a library that meets the needs of everyone in our growing and contemporary community and create new flexible indoor spaces for large community events and community group meetings.”

The council plans to sell part of the Central carpark to pay for the project.

Monash chief executive officer Dr Andi Diamond said this was a major project for Monash.

“With a project cost estimated of more than $110m, this would be the biggest Monash Council project ever and it’s vital that council gets this right,” Dr Diamond said.

“So, we’re inviting community feedback on the proposed design and funding model.”

Following the community engagement process a report will be provided back to the council.

If the council decides to go ahead with the project, more detailed design work would be completed.

The council would then decide whether to proceed to tender for construction.

It is expected this will take place over several years, and if it proceeds, construction would be co-ordinated with the Suburban Rail Loop works in Glen Waverley.

The community can provide feedback on the proposed project on the Shape Monash page before August 23.

Details: https://shape.monash.vic.gov.au/gwcp