Stonnington mayor Melina Sehr quietly earning $510k with VCAT contract

An inner city mayor quietly earning big bucks in a taxpayer funded gig is claiming her main source of income comes from a role as Prahran’s ‘gingerbread queen’.

Stonnington mayor Melina Sehr with a gingerbread house made by her business Wonder Ever After. Picture: Facebook

An inner city mayor who claimed her main source of income came from gingerbread houses is quietly earning big bucks working full time for the state’s planning umpire.

The Herald Sun can reveal Stonnington mayor Melina Sehr began a $510k fixed term contract with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) on October 9, 2023.

Ms Sehr did not detail the contract in her personal interest returns as a councillor in 2024.

Instead, she declared baking business Wonder Ever After – of which she is sole director – both as a source of paid employment, where more than $10,000 was earned and as a consultancy, contract or agency where payments exceeded $10,000.

Stonnington mayor Melina Sehr with one of her gingerbead houses. Picture: Facebook

The VCAT contract was awarded to Wonder Ever After, which is described as a baked goods business on council documents.

Wonder Ever After’s website features gingerbread houses and cookies and invites customers to email orders to Melina “the Gingerbread Queen”.

Ms Sehr’s role with VCAT was slammed by ratepayer lobby group Council Watch as “double dipping”.

“What this means is that Ms Sehr is taking taxpayer dollars to fund a full time role at VCAT while at the same time taking ratepayer dollars in Stonnington to represent locals full time,” Council Watch president Dean Hurlston said.

“It doesn’t pass any pub test.

“Ms Sehr is not doing anything illegal but Stonnington residents and Victorian taxpayers should not cop what looks like double dipping”.

Ms Sehr receives a $138,000 council allowance and also has a mayoral car.

Council Watch president Dean Hurlston. Picture: Kiel Egging.

Her executive assistant at the council said the mayor was not available to answer questions about her VCAT role.

However, she provided a written statement from Ms Sehr: “As a freelance consultant, I was recently engaged by VCAT to assist with a major IT project.

“VCAT conducted extensive due diligence and found no conflict of interest in my role.”

Ms Sehr did not answer questions about her personal interest declarations.

A VCAT spokesperson confirmed the potential conflict of interest was investigated after Ms Sehr was elected mayor unopposed in November, 2024.

She was asked to take five days leave while the matter was probed.

“Ms Sehr returned to her position after this process was completed, with no actual conflict identified,” a VCAT spokesperson said.

“All appropriate processes were followed to declare and manage any actual or perceived conflict of interest.

“Ms Sehr has no access to case information and no involvement in the outcome of matters, which are determined independently by VCAT Members.”

While the local government sector has no set rules on a mayor’s working hours the role has been described as a “full time commitment” by the Local Government (Councillor Remuneration Review) Panel.

A Local Government Inspectorate survey found a third of mayors spent more than 40 weeks a year on the role.

The Herald Sun spoke to a number of residents who agreed to share their views on the condition of anonymity.

Many were concerned about Ms Sehr’s ability to serve ratepayers while also working full time for VCAT.

“If she has such a demanding and high paid full time job she can’t possibly have enough time to properly serve the community as mayor,” one said.