Maroondah Council sends six representatives to local government conference in Canberra
A SUBURBAN council have sent six representatives to a local government conference in Canberra, after initially saying they were only sending two, in a move expected to cost ratepayers thousands.
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A SUBURBAN council have sent six representatives to a local government conference in Canberra, after initially saying they were only sending two, in a move which is expected to cost ratepayers thousands.
Five Maroondah councillors and the council’s chief executive are attending the Australian Local Government Association’s National General Assembly, which began on Sunday and finishes today.
It’s billed as “Australia’s largest and most influential gathering of local government councillors, mayors, chairs and officials”.
The Maroondah Leader believes Maroondah ratepayers will shell out about $10,000 in conference attendance fees, accommodation and other expenses.
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Last Friday, the council told the Leader only chief executive Steve Kozlowski and Deputy Mayor Mike Symon would attend.
A statement from Mayor Nora Lamont said the pair would meet government ministers and Opposition MPs during the conference, seeking support for key projects in Maroondah.
But later that day, the Leader discovered four other councillors were also jetting up to the Canberra conference — Paul Macdonald, Kylie Spears, Rob Steane and Marijke Graham.
Cr Graham posted pictures from the conference on her Facebook page on Monday morning, and also said she would be “live tweeting” from the event.
The council’s communications manager Sherryn Dunshea later confirmed the four councillors were also in Canberra following Maroondah Leader’s request for clarification.
Ms Dunshea said councillors Graham, Spears, Steane and Macdonald would each “share participating” in the advocacy meetings, as well as the “extensive and targeted conference program”.
Ratepayers Victoria vice president Frank Sullivan questioned the council’s transparency and the value of attending the Canberra conference.
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“They are trying to withhold the fact from the ratepayers that their money has been used to send so many councillors to Canberra,” he said.
“What is the purpose of misleading the ratepayer?”
The council told Maroondah Leader on May 31 its ALGA representatives were “yet to be finalised”.
Entry to the main three days of the conference was $1429 for a late registration after June 1, with an additional early event on Sunday costing up to $445.
Expenses for attending the conference will be absorbed from the council’s Councillor Expenses and Reimbursements budget.
Ms Dunshea did not say why the extra four councillors’ participation was not originally mentioned. Mayor Lamont is not attending due to other commitments.
A report on the council’s attendance and total spend at the conference will be presented at a future monthly meeting.
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