Future of council monitors up in air

Coalition doubts value

GEELONG Mayor Bruce Harwood has not ruled out a councillor-led campaign to remove the Governmentappointed monitors now closely watching City Hall.

Asked if the council would seek to have the monitors removed if the Andrews Government lost power in November, Cr Harwood revealed talks would be held later on the issue.

“There will be further discussions (about) the current process as it goes along,” he said.

“There will be a time when it is appropriate to have that discussion; I don’t think it is appropriate at the minute.”

The State Government installed the monitors to ensure continuity of oversight as the council moved from being led by a trio of administrators back to a councillor team.

Labor wants the two monitors — Jude Munro and Peter Dorling — to remain at the City of Greater Geelong until 2020.

But the Coalition has its doubts over the value of the monitors, who are costing the council up to a total of $160,000 annually.

South Barwon Liberal MP Andrew Katos said the Coalition would weigh up the monitors’ future if it was returned to power.

He said if the council was deemed on the right track, a Guy-led government would seek to end the monitors’ term.

“In the absence of any adverse findings, if there are no alarming problems, why would we continue to foist monitors on the City of Greater Geelong?”

The 11-member council includes four men who were sacked in the Government-initiated clean-out of 2016 — Cr Harwood, deputy mayor Peter Murrihy, Eddy Kontelj and Ron Nelson.

The issue was raised at this week’s council meeting by former councillor Stretch Kontelj.

Mr Kontelj — a Liberal Party supporter and the brother of Eddy — believes the monitors are intrusive and seek to intimidate the newlook council.

“Does any councillor believe they are that incompetent they need a state-appointed monitor to oversee their work as a councillor?” he asked Cr Harwood. “It is insulting to the councillors and to the City of Greater Geelong to suggest our council needs monitors.”

Cr Harwood said the council had spent more $33,000 on the monitors since they began last November.

The State Government has capped the monitors’ wages at a maximum of $480,000 over the purported three years.

Their wages are drawn from the council’s budget.