Concern over council’s Covid spending spree

A Melbourne council is under fire over its Covid recovery grants, with claims of “pork-barrelling’’ and conflicts of interest not being declared.

Stonnington Council chief executive Jacqui Weatherill said the grants program was part of the 2020-21 budget.

A Stonnington councillor has called for a review of the council’s grant processes after tens of thousands of dollars in community handouts were given to organisations with links to two councillors who ran the scheme.

The Covid Recovery Committee approved $30,000 for Emerge — a women and children’s support organisation chaired by independent councillor Nicki Batagol.

Another $2000 was approved to pay for hand sanitiser stands for the Prahran Mechanics’ Institute, of which Greens councillor Mike Scott is vice-president.

Cr Scott was chair and Cr Batagol deputy chair of the council’s Covid Recovery Committee, which was set up to help community groups with financial support during the pandemic.

Cr Alexander Lew questioned whether conflicts of interest had been declared by the councillors.

Stonnington councillors Mike Scott and Nicki Batagol were involved in leading the Covid Recovery Committee.

“The Covid Community Recovery Grants were all awarded behind closed doors, no conflicts of interest were ever declared by any councillors at the Covid Recovery Committee meeting where the grants policy was approved; and the CEO never gave Councillors any advance notice that these grants would be paid,” Cr Lew claimed.

Also the recovery committee only managed to give away $225,000 from a $500,000 pool despite most charities crying out for financial help during the pandemic.

Cr Batagol said she was not involved in the grant application.

“I found out that Emerge had been successful after the decision has been made,’’ she said.

And Cr Mike Scott said: “At no point have I been involved in making decisions regarding who receives grants, nor have a written any grants, engaged with grant panel members in the context of the grant processes, applied undue influence or been involved in developing grants policy.’’

Stonnington chief executive Jacqui Weatherill said the grants program was approved as part of council’s 2020-21 budget.

Alexander Lew has questioned whether conflicts of interest were declared.

Stonnington Council has awarded Covid Community Recovery Grants.

“Seeing the benefits of community work is often why people decide to stand for council, so a connection between councillors and local not-for-profit community groups is not uncommon,’’ she said.

“I can state emphatically that no councillor was involved in the decision-making process for grant recipients in this program. It was delivered within what was approved by the previous Council in their 2020-21 budget.’’

Cr Lew said a $127,500 grant to Launch Housing also needed to be investigated because of Cr Scott’s past connections in his role as a manager for community group Uniting.

Launch Housing and Uniting teamed with Coles, Fare Share and Rotary last year to run a program to help feed homeless people during lockdown last year. Cr Scott spoke to the media at the promotion of the volunteer campaign.

But Cr Scott said he was involved with a number of community organisations and had no interactions with Launch Housing during the grant process.

Ratepayers Victoria president Dean Hurlston, also a Stonnington resident, described the payments as “pork-barrelling’’ and even the perception of a conflict of interest was a concern.

“There can be no greater responsibility that the administration of public money – especially when it comes to community grants,’’ Mr Hurlston said.

“Any councillor who was involved in this process and helped facilitate any grant money to any of their connected groups should make a public apology and resign,’’ he said.

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