TANGIBLE OUTCOMES
Ratepayers Geelong: Where are the ...
RATEPAYERS Geelong president Andrew Senia has slammed Geelong Mayor Bruce Harwood’s inability to demonstrate any benefits from his most recent overseas tour.
Mr Senia said members were “gobsmacked” the mayor could only report he had made international connections and equally his indecision over whether future trips were worth his while.
“We’re absolutely amazed that this has been allowed to happen,” he said.
“Our brief is to stand up for Geelong ratepayers and save money for them if we can and to scrutinise what happens in council, and we’d be quite happy if something was demonstrated to us that this is having some sort of benefit, but nothing has been.”
Earlier this week, Cr Harwood said he did not know whether he would attend the 2019 UNESCO Creative Cities AGM, having just attended the first on behalf of the city since it was recognised as a “City of Design”.
The mayor and a council officer’s 18-day visit to Europe and Malaysia, including attending the 2018 conference in Poland, cost ratepayers about $18,000.
Cr Harwood, responding to comments from Mr Senia, told the Addy the city was in discussions to host a future UNESCO meeting as a result of his visit.
“Discussion is already under way regarding interest to potentially holding the UNESCO AGM conference in Geelong in the future,” he said.
Cr Harwood said trips from anyone within council were “focused on opportunities to promote the economic development of the city and to attract appropriate investment”.
“Decisions on national and international representation and travel will be made in this context,” he said.
Mr Senia remained adamant the public deserved tangible outcomes from public money spent on overseas trips, above that of the promise of a potential international summit.
“We’re just gobsmacked a mayor would say he doesn’t know whether he should go on a trip, yet say he is considering going,” he said.
Mr Senia’s comments follow a letter sent on behalf of Ratepayers Geelong a fortnight ago asking the mayor to demonstrate the outcomes of his overseas tour and address questions over his business interests.
He insists the questions are not a personal attack on the mayor and would expect the same sense of duty from anyone in his position.
Cr Harwood has offered the group a sit-down meeting to discuss their issues privately, but members want their matters dealt with publicly.