Stonnington Council spends $102,800 to expand Mayor Steve Stefanopoulos’ office for meeting space
An inner-city Melbourne council has splashed a six-figure sum of ratepayer money so its mayor could have a larger office — in a building which had a $14 million refurbishment five years ago.
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A Melbourne mayor has splashed more than $100,000 of ratepayer money to super-size his office – claiming he needed more space to meet guests.
Stonnington Council spent $102,831 on the revamp, which included knocking down a wall to expand Mayor Steve Stefanopoulos’ Malvern office.
The costly makeover also involved converting a councillors’ study to a printing room, creating a new councillors’ lounge and relocating governance staff.
The work was carried out less than five years after the council’s headquarters on Glenferrie Rd had a $14 million refurbishment.
The Herald Sun can reveal that while the project was approved in December 2019, details were sparse, until it was listed as an unbudgeted $106,000 project in the council’s March capital works report.
Cr Stefanopoulos said the project was approved by chief executive Jacqui Weatherill and councillors either verbally or by email.
“No one questioned it, and the councillors wanted more meeting space,” he said.
“They have been asking for a quiet and secure space where they can meet community members.
“Instead of going out and down the hall and looking for a free room, they can now use my office.
But Cr Marcia Griffin said she never agreed to the project and it “just happened”.
She said there were spaces across the road at Malvern Town Hall which councillors could use for meetings.
“As far as I’m concerned he just wanted to double the size of his office,” Cr Griffin said.
“It’s his office, which he has expanded, why would I use that to meet people?
“Generally when people want to meet with you, it’s a private matter for them.”
An itemised list of the project’s costs shows $24,343 was spent refurbishing his office but Cr Stefanopoulos said none was splashed on furnishings.
He said he removed his TV and his desk was “still in the same place”.
Ratepayers Stonnington president Dean Hurlston said expansion was unnecessary when the council “had an abundance of empty meeting rooms and space”.
“It was done to give him more room, host larger groups of people and expand what was already a very large office and led to the requirement to move other staff,” Mr Hurlston said.
“As a mayor, you get what you’re given, you’re there for the people, not yourself.”
The council’s spokesman, Jim Carden, said the project was undertaken following a corporate restructure and such reviews were common.
“The outcome is a safer, more efficient and more effective space that befits a contemporary workplace,” he said.