Greater Dandenong Council quiz for staff at ratepayers’ expense
A council in Melbourne’s southeast is holding a Friday quiz session for staff during working hours at ratepayers’ expense — and one councillor says he’s “outraged” at the waste of cash.
South East
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A council in Melbourne’s southeast is splashing cash on a quiz for staff every week at the expense of ratepayers.
Greater Dandenong Council is holding a 30 minute quiz called It’s a Wrap for its staff, with “a different person running and designing the questions and the theme based on something they love”.
The Leader was sent in a photo of the quiz invitation, which is held via Microsoft Team Meeting every Friday at 2pm.
The Leader asked the council how much ratepayers’ cash was being spent to hold the quiz, but it refused to comment.
Councillor Tim Dark said he was “outraged” the council was holding the quiz.
“This is an absolute total waste of ratepayers’ money. The residents of Greater Dandenong are struggling to pay their rates as it is and we have council staff using that money for quiz time,” Cr Dark said.
“In what private sector enterprise would allow their staff to stop work and have quiz time at 2pm on a Friday, it’s an absolute joke and a waste of council resources,” he said.
He said the staff involved in the quiz should be taking part in essential activities during the coronavirus pandemic.
“They should be doing things like calling the elderly who are the most vulnerable and isolated during the pandemic.”
Ratepayers Victoria president Dean Hurlston said the needs of the community should always be a priority for councils.
“Unless every road, footpath, drain and pothole is fixed in the City of Greater Dandenong and staff have nothing to do, this quiz is a complete waste of time,” Mr Hurlston said.
“This is another example of councils wasting money on distracting and non-value items instead of focusing on important issues including the fact that we’re in the middle of a pandemic,” he said.
Earlier this week, the Leader revealed every Greater Dandenong councillor was provided with a credit card, which has a limit of $2000 to use on “incidental expenses incurred in performing their role as councillors”.
The council’s corporate services acting director, Kylie Sprague, said the credit cards were often used for food when travelling and travel to and from locations.
She said a rigorous approval process was required under the councillor reimbursement, support and accountability policy.
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