Melbourne council boss flees interstate during Victoria coronavirus crisis
A Melbourne council chief executive has come under fire for fleeing Victoria in the grips of the coronavirus pandemic, swapping Stage 4 lockdown for South Australia. And the mayor has defended his remote working arrangements.
Inner South
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A top council chief executive — who earns $400,000 a year from ratepayers — has fled the restrictions in Victoria to work from his “second home” in Adelaide.
Port Phillip Council’s Peter Smith has received criticism from the outraged community who question how he can fully lead and support his staff from 700km away.
One resident, who did not want to be named, said it showed “blatant disregard for what we’re going through here”.
“We’re supposed to be ‘all in this together’ but that’s clearly not the case,” he said.
“Some of us still have to go into work and do our jobs and can’t work remotely and the rest are working from home with curfews and exercise limits — how can he truly lead if he doesn’t know it’s like to live like this?”
Mr Smith, who took up his position in 2017, is paid just $41,000 less than the Premier Dan Andrews.
The Leader understands Mr Smith has worked from his interstate residence for at least three weeks and is not expected to return to Melbourne until at least August 18.
Mayor Bernadene Voss confirmed Mr Smith had moved to Adelaide since the second round of Stage 3 restrictions was announced.
Cr Voss approved Mr Smith’s travel plans on behalf of the council.
Mr Smith, a former Adelaide City Council chief executive, was granted approval by South Australia authorities to travel to Adelaide and complied with the 14-day quarantine period requirements.
But his absence, especially from crucial budget meetings, has raised several eyebrows.
Port Phillip Council’s budget is expected to suffer a $40 million shortfall as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
“We’re in a State of Disaster, and important decisions with real consequences for Port Phillip’s economic future are being decided right now,” another source told the Herald Sun.
“This is just really poor — leaders are supposed to lead from the front and he’s not even here.
“You can’t possibly understand what it’s like to work — or even live — through this without experiencing it.”
Another added: “It’s a pretty poor look for the leader to be away when important decisions are being made about the city’s financial future during a pandemic”.
Mayor Bernadene Voss said Mr Smith had “continued to work for council in the same manner, and with the same productivity, as he did when working from his Melbourne home”.
“Mr Smith has been working at an extraordinary pace and long hours, on his own, and isolated from his family,” she said.
“His leadership of the organisation has remained exemplary and is not impacted in any way by whether or not he is dialling in from Melbourne or Adelaide for this short period of time.
“He remains in close contact with his executive leadership team, managers and staff — who are also working remotely — and is fully aware of the impact of the most recent restrictions on both our community and our organisation.”
Cr Voss said Mr Smith had paid for his travel to South Australia and there had been no extra cost to ratepayers as a result of his interstate working arrangements.
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