Carol Altmann – The Terrier

The Warrnambool City Council may be wishing the whole credit card mess would just dissolve into the background, but that is not going to happen.

Ratepayers Victoria has today sent a powerful letter to the Local Government Minister, urging him to intervene.

The letter, a copy of which has been sent to local media, pulls no punches as it describes the need for an “urgent investigation” into the serious allegations around misconduct and inappropriate use of public money.

Ratepayers Victoria is the peak body representing ratepayers across the state.

The WCC may be clinging to the days of keeping its messy secrets tucked behind closed doors, but outsiders are determined to fling up the windows.

Local MP Roma Britnell has already flagged her intention to raise the issue in Parliament after it resumes on August 14 – a move which saw WCC chief Peter Schneider and Mayor Tony Herbert race to cut her off at the pass by trying to get to the Minister first. This letter reveals that they met with his chief of staff.

Importantly, the letter also raises concerns about the long-term financial viability of the council, saying it is unsustainable to have 86% of rate revenue spent on staffing costs.

I will let this letter speak for itself and run it in full below:

A letter from Ratepayers Victoria to Local Government Minister The Hon Adem Somyurek:

We write in reference to some serious allegations circulating in the media in relation to WCC and alleged misconduct.

Several local councillors have made media commentary that we would consider to be contrary of the Local Government Act and the Code of Conduct of Councillors.

There is already evidence of at least one staff member misusing their senior position and corporate credit card resulting in the repayment of thousands of dollars of public money.

It is now being reported that there are current staff holding other external senior positions whilst remaining the incumbent in senior WCC roles.

Media coverage indicates a potential dysfunctional relationship between councillors and conflicting statements by several parties to the events.

I am also aware that the Local Member, Roma Britnell, has been looking into this matter.

I have personally spoken to the Mayor and whilst I found him open to discussion, I was alarmed at the indifference he displayed to my questioning over the sheer number of credit cards held by staff for a regional council.

As you may be aware the Mayor went on local radio (3YB FM) on Friday 2/8/19 and conducted an interview making statements such as “I’m putting my neck out and it gets cut off all the time”, “What in the hell am I putting myself and my family through” and “The CEO has seen the local government minister”.

We do not believe these statements are consistent with the best interests of the community. We believe that the CEO has not met with you personally, rather with your chief of staff and it is misleading of the mayor to say such things on local radio.

This council has recently sought and been successful at gaining an increase in rates above the 2.5% cap.

Approximately 86% of rates are allocated to employee costs in WCC’s 2019/2020 budget. This is commercially unsustainable and must be benchmarked and reviewed immediately. (See attached for your reference)

We believe that WCC is in peril and that failing intervention, an administrator may need to be appointed which is a disastrous outcome for the city and ratepayers.

Ratepayers Victoria formally asks you as the governing Minister to urgently intervene and investigate these serious allegations including councillor and executive conduct and the inappropriate use of public funds.

We urge you to formally ask the Auditor General to review all council staff credit card expenditure to ensure confidence can be maintained in Council and its spending of public monies.

Lastly, we ask you to consider investigating whether the “alleged reporting by the CEO” of credit card misuse met the legal requirements of same.

We look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Dean Hurlston

President- Ratepayers Victoria

Carol Altmann – The Terrier

News today about the ructions within the local Liberal Party branch was interesting on all sorts of levels, including the fact it exposes – yet again – the thick ties between the Warrnambool City Council and the Warrnambool Racing Club.

Let’s check the count so far. If you have been reading The Terrier:

Cr  Kylie Gatson: We already know that Cr Kylie Gaston ran for the Labor Party at the last state election and Labor Racing Minister Martin Pakula was the main force behind ensuring the Warrnambool Racing Club got what it wanted from the council in accessing Levy’s beach for large-scale racehorse training

Cr Peter Hulin: We already know that Cr Hulin, who supports the Levy’s move, was a former Liberal Party member but handed out how-to-vote cards at the last state election for former MP and racehorse owner James Purcell, whose son, Aaron, is a local racehorse trainer.

Cr Sue Cassidy: We already know Cr Cassidy, who supports the Levy’s move, is married to David Cassidy who operates sign company, Cassign, that sponsors races at the Warrnambool Racing Club. Liberal Party member Peter Herbert, the mayor’s brother, is a mate of David’s and not very happy about the “plover lovers” – as he likes to call them – who are opposed to racehorse training at Levy’s because the endangered Hooded Plover nests there.

Mayor Tony Herbert: We already know Cr Herbert, who supports the Levy’s plan, chairs the council’s Visitor Economy Advisory Committee that includes Warrnambool Racing Club CEO Peter Downs.

And now, in today’s story, we have Mayor Herbert also turning up as a rusted-on member of the Liberal Party where the chairman of the Warrnambool Racing Club, Nick Rule, is a significant player.

Mr Rule owns a racehorse with Federal Liberal MP Dan Tehan.

In his maiden speech in Federal Parliament, Mr Tehan thanked Mr Rule for being part of the Liberal fundraising team that saw him elected to the seat of Wannon.

Now Mr Rule, as chairman of the Warrnambool Racing Club, has to deal directly with the council – and Mayor Herbert in particular – to get the approvals that are still required to allow racehorse training at Levy’s Beach.

The fact they already share a connection, through the local Liberal Party branch, might explain the letter sent by Mr Rule to the Mayor on January 16 this year.

This was an important letter.

It was asking the council to provide consent for the racehorse training and assurances to the Environment Minister that this was in line with all coastal and marine management plans and policies.

It also asked for the council executive staff to be given the power to issue training licences.

These were both “critical” requirements, Mr Rule said.

Despite the importance of this letter, Mr Rule didn’t even bother to sign it or put it on Warrnambool Racing Club letterhead.

It arrived, unsigned, from Hammonds Paints, where he is managing director.

“Hi Tony…..As per our discussion earlier today…..

Kind regards, Nick.”

There is such a lack of formality, such an expectation of being heard without having to be all official about it, that all that is missing is “maaaaaatttteeeee”. (You can see the full letter here).

Lo and behold, the letter was tabled and dealt with by the council just 17 days after it arrived. (By contrast, the residents in south Banyan St lobbying to have street trees planted have been waiting about four years.)

The same fast-tracking happened last December.

Mr Rule wrote a letter to Mr Herbert on December 10 – this time it was signed and on WRC letterhead – saying the club had asked the Planning Minister to change the planning rules so racehorses could train at Levy’s. If the change went ahead, the club wanted the council’s support as well, the letter said.

“This is a matter of great urgency,” Mr Rule wrote.

No problem! Kazaam!

The council called a special meeting and gave almost unanimous support (vote: 6/1) on December 21 – just 11 days later.

I remember, in 2014, I needed council permission to place a scissor lift and five witches hats near the Robert Ullman whale mural, in East Warrnambool, which was being restored over a weekend.

The little permit took more than a fortnight to be processed.

Like the people waiting for their street trees in Banyan St, I obviously don’t have the right connections.

If you would like to see The Terrier keep digging up, sniffing out and chewing on local issues, please make a small contribution below.

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By Carol Altmann

[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #A02F2F;”] A[/dropcap] little hidden gem has emerged from amid the thousands of items donated to the Melbourne University Archives by the family of the late Sir Fletcher Jones.

MUV archivist Melinda Barrie went searching among the substantial collection for evidence of the contents of a time capsule that is believed to have been installed in the Fletcher Jones factory at Pleasant Hill, Warrnambool, some time after it was officially opened in 1948.

What Melinda found was a letter from the late Rena Jones, wife of Sir Fletcher, that she no doubt drafted and re-drafted and then tapped out on a typewriter, to be placed behind the foundation stone of the Pleasant Hill factory.

The letter, which was possibly accompanied by a series of photographs, was intended to capture a little of the ethics, spirit and philosophy of Sir Fletcher and his family as they slowly built their business from the humblest of beginnings.

What Rena didn’t know at that time, of course, was just how successful the Fletcher Jones company would become, how many people it would go on to employ in Warrnambool, Mt Gambier and Melbourne – and how strong the connection remains to Warrnambool through the revival of the Fletcher Jones site and the ongoing collection of personal stories about the site.

Here is the letter in full:

To those who follow:

‘This has been written by Rena Ellen Jones, the wife of David Fletcher Jones, to be placed behind the foundation stone of this building, June 21st, 1948.

This is written, feeling that some members of future generations succeeding us may be interested in these brief details and photographs of the life and work of my husband.

David Fletcher Jones, the son of Samuel Henry Jones and Mahala Jones (nee Johns), was born at Golden Square, Bendigo, on August 14, 1895, was a member of a family of seven children, and deprived of education beyond the age of 13 1/2 years.

His first calling was that of a tomato grower, until he enlisted in the 1914-18 war, where he served as an Infantryman. Being invalided home in 1917, he changed his profession to that of a soft goods merchant, with a two-horse waggon (sic). This enterprise led to that of a travelling draper. Photographs of the hawker’s wagon and other vehicles used until 18 months after we were married and settled in Warrnambool in 1923 are included in this history.

Mr Jones’ then specialised in boys’ wear, ladies’ wear and mens’ wear. Three years later, he concentrated on mens’ wear and, at the time of writing, he has a staff of around 200 employees, and is Chairman of Directors of the Warrnambool Woollen Mill Co, and a director of Leviathan Ltd.

Anxious to make a contribution to “peace in industry”, he has made the Warrnambool shop, Melbourne shop and Trousers factory into staff co-operatives, limiting the shares of the family to 48%; 52% having been made available, on easy terms, to the staff.

At the time of writing, there is considerable unrest in the industry. Mr Jones is happily spending himself, endeavouring to evolve a system of sharing all profits with his employees and the consumers of the goods he manufactures and sells. Our three children, Ralph Fletcher, Lois Ellen and David Fletcher Jr, and myself have all happily agreed on this thing and are all anxious to see this world a better and happier place because this family has been privileged to do this work.

We are persuaded that God’s plan is perfect, and that if we only ask Him to guide, teach, manage and strengthen us, and help us to witness humbly, that all will be well.”

[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #A02F2F;”] T[/dropcap]he MUV Fletcher Jones collection includes more than 3000 photographs and artefacts – including many from the Warrnambool factory in the 70s, 80s and 90s – all of which will be cleaned and then 300 selected for digitalisation.

“We are on track to get that project well and truly underway this year, to select and digitise the 300 items that best capture the story of Fletcher Jones,” Melinda said.

You can read more Fletcher Jones related stories here…

Priceless Fletcher Jones that fits us all

Rare images of FJ silver ball

Fletcher Jones cross will light up again

The Silver Ball under the silver ball

Motor Museum to revive Fletcher Jones site