AWAY FROM THE OFFICE
SURF Coast councillors claimed almost $100,000 in expenses while skipping dozens of meetings and briefings in the first three months of 2019.
The spending and absenteeism insights were revealed in summaries for councillor expenses and meeting attendance for the year to March 31, to be received at tonight’s meeting.
Mayor Rose Hodge topped the list of the shire’s most expensive councillors, with $23,713 claimed for the threemonth period. Cr Hodge’s council-leading expenses were largely due to her $21,458 mayoral allowance, which was almost triple regular councillor allowances of $6932. Councillor Heather Wellington was the second most expensive councillor for the period, claiming a total of $14,115, with about $7000 claimed for travel.
The Winchelsea Ward councillor said the travel expenses were for the use of her car over a period of about 18 months, with a council spokesman confirming the travel claims related to previously unclaimed expenses.
Cr Wellington was also the council’s most absent councillor for the period, missing 18 of 41 meetings and briefings — excluding those missed with a leave of absence.
The councillor’s absenteeism was largely due to her appearance at just one of 24 councillor briefings or assembly of councillors in the three-month period.
Cr Wellington explained that she no longer believed attending briefings and assemblies of councillors was the best use of her time, claiming they were “scheduled to exclude councillors who have jobs”.
“Briefings are always scheduled during usual working hours on Tuesdays,” Cr Wellington said. “I have asked numerous times over many years for at least some briefings to be scheduled in the evening, to reasonably enable councillors who hold down full-time or substantial full-time employment to attend.”
“Those requests have been rejected.
“The system discriminates against councillors who hold full-time or substantial employment.”
Cr Wellington also said the need for “such extensive” briefings was unclear, and said the environment needed to be non-threatening and welcoming.
“The best outcomes will be achieved if councillors can exchange information and express their views in an open and welcoming environment,” she said. “In my experience, that has not been the case at Surf Coast Shire for some time.
“For my personal wellbeing, for the past year or so I have not attended meetings at which the public is not present.”