Time to press the re-set button at the next council election

It has been an interesting four years, to say the least, since the last Warrnambool City Council election. The next election will be held on 24 October.

Carol Altmann – The Terrier

In less than six months, on 24 October, we get to vote on a new Warrnambool City Council: the people who will be our eyes and ears for the next four years.

It is a chance to press the re-set button and, my word, we desperately need a re-set.

I know it’s not easy to put your hand up to be a councillor, but it’s astonishing to watch how quickly some councillors lose sight of why they were elected in the first place.

Self interest, personal ambition, old ties, an unwillingness to challenge “old” Warrnambool …..all of these things combined have crippled our councillors and – collectively – they have lost our trust.

Trust, honesty and openness is all we ask for.

We don’t want councillors who are more concerned about building their profile so they can run for Parliament, which seems to be the case for at least half of the current batch.

Trust, honesty and openness should not be hard…and yet it is.

That’s what we looked for when we all voted in 2016.

But what did we get? We got a council that took its eye off the ball.

We had a city centre upgrade that blew its budget by $5 million. We have parking fees that – until the pandemic – were killing the CBD.

Until the pandemic, our rates were due to increase by almost double the state cap for two years in a row.

We had outright abuse of council credit cards on food and wine, with some councillors sitting right at the table.

We had a Mayor actively discouraging journalists from investigating things like this credit card abuse.

Another four years down and there is still no plan for the bleeding bull of Flagstaff Hill. (Our tourism manager resigned almost a year ago and has still not been replaced.)

 

Staff morale has been in the toilet, with top level resignations and claims of bullying that just wouldn’t go away. Whistleblowers were not protected, but effectively forced out.

(The councillors may not be able to direct “operational” matters, but they sure as heck have a duty to ask the CEO what is being done about these issues.)

And we have had so many conflicts of interest that would never pass the pub test, I have lost count.

Bringing up any of the above used to be sacrilegious: “you are so negative!” “What about the positives?” “Why don’t you run for council then?”

But the people have since found their voice.

In the past four years, the best performers have been the people of Warrnambool: you have been the bright lights.

I am just now waiting to see which of these lights finds the confidence and courage to run in October – start thinking about it now.



Not drowning, saving: shire councils show the way with C19

Smaller councils have been doing something of an “Eric the Eel” in response to Covid-19, showing a strong performance compared to their bigger neighbours. Image: Newstatesman.com

Carol Altmann – The Terrier

There’s something very “Eric the Eel” about how well the smaller councils are keeping afloat during the financial fallout of Covid 19.

Do you remember Eric (pictured)? He was an athlete from that great swimming nation of Equatorial Guinea…ahem….and therefore the one least likely to out-swim his fellow competitors in the 100m freestyle heats at the Sydney Olympics.

But – against all odds and with some good luck – he slogged through and won the day.

I feel like I am watching Eric in action when I read that both Corangamite Shire and Moyne Shire are planning a zero per cent rate rise next financial year.

This means nought, nada, nothing will be added to the rate in the dollar amount from this year.

Warrnambool City Council, which has double the population and double the budget, has been kind enough to defer its 4.5 per cent rates wallop for a year and offer us “only” a two per cent hike.

How kind. No wonder almost 200 people have reportedly already applied for help.

WCC expects a total budget of $76.6 million to spend next financial year.

Compared to the “Erics”, Warrnambool is the Ian Thorpe in the public pool: Corangamite will have a total of $49 million to spend and Moyne just a smidge less.

And yet….

And yet Corangamite will spend $14 million on building works, while WCC will spend $18.5m: not that much higher. Moyne will spend $18.1m.

Corangamite expects to record a deficit of just $120,000.

WCC is looking at a deficit of $1.5 million.

And Moyne, just to be totally “Eric”, expects a surplus – a surplus – of $800k.

But here is the real clincher: while the WCC is putting off staff to save money, Corangamite is hiring staff as part of a $5.2 million C19 recovery package.

A $5.2 million package and hiring? How on earth does it do it?

 

What Corangamite and a lot of other councils did was apply to the State Govt for a thing called the Working for Victoria Grants and it received a sweet $2.3 million smackeroos.

This has allowed Corangamite to create 45 temporary jobs over the next six months. Brilliant move.

WCC has announced a $1.9 million C19 recovery package – less than half of Corangamite – and there has not been a single word about any hirings.

I was going to ask the WCC whether it had applied for a Working for Victoria Grant, but I learned the W’bool Ratepayers’ Association got in before me and has already asked this question.

They have allowed me to share the response from our CEO:

“WCC put in an initial expression of interest and are still working with the fund managers.

No decisions have been made by them and no timeline has been provided on the outcome.”

Uh oh. This gives me a sinking feeling.

I have this terrible sense that when the starter’s gun went off – “go, go, go!” – we were left standing on the blocks.

In the meantime, Eric – little Eric – has just tumble turned and is well and truly into the second lap.



Terrier tidbits: rates, credit cards, shite and spending

Carol Altmann – The Terrier

Welcome to The Terrier Sunday Night Tidbits in easy-to-digest, meaty morsels:

1. Shelly beach is less stinky: the indefatigable Colleen Hughson and the whole Good Will Nurdle Hunting and Pick Up Sticks crew are reporting that the rockpools at Shelly Beach, near Thunder Point, are cleaner than they have been in years since another fine mesh screen was installed at the Wannon Water treatment plant in February.

I had almost forgotten what a crystal clear rockpool at Shelly Beach looked like, but things are set to get even better.

A fourth, fully automated, $1.1 million screen made in the US is being installed at the plant by Wannon Water as we speak.

By automated, I mean it is the first screen that will clean itself without having to be physically taken out and cleaned by WW staff, which must be a shitty job, to say the least.

If the rockpools are looking good now, hopefully they will soon be sparkling permanently.

A big, non-algae blooming bouquet to everyone involved in making this happen. I will write more about this whole water pollution saga soon.

2. Big fat rate rise on hold: The W’bool City Council has decided, because we are in very tough times, against raising rates by 4.5% again this year, which it was allowed to do after getting approval last year to break the rate cap for two years in a row.

This means rates will go up by 2%.

But before we stand and cheer, the rate pain is not over yet.

The council is still very keen to slap that 4.5% rise into place next year because, it says, it still needs the money to fix its assets.

From what I am reading, it’s going to take a couple of years at least for most businesses to get back on their feet after the crush of C19.

We have said this many times before, but surely more savings have to come from within rather than jacking up rates by 4.5% at a time when ratepayers will still be doing it very, very tough.

3. Borrowing more big bucks: Speaking of which, I see in the agenda for tomorrow night’s council meeting that the WCC plans to borrow $3 million for its share of Reid Oval, $2.5 million for its share of the new library at TAFE and another $3 million to restore and upgrade the old library space when it moves out.

What are the plans for this old library space that warrants a $3 million loan?

Please, please don’t tell me the council intends to spread out and use the old library for more office space?

If they do, then I want our old Post Office building back.

I would love to see it open to the public as an art space, communal space, cafe…anything but offices.

The fact this beautiful old building – one of the best in Warrnambool – is shut off to the public is a travesty and all you can see through the glazed windows are phone books and shadows.

4. Another resignation: Speaking of Reid Oval, the project officer for this $11 million project, Mel Starr, has resigned and taken up a job in Melbourne where – according to an email she sent to various sporting clubs – she can be closer to family.

As far as we know, nobody has been announced as a replacement, so perhaps one of the existing WCC managers will pick up the role at this crucial stage.

By the way, can anybody tell me if this Reid Oval upgrade, as it stands, will be enough to host AFL practice matches as we had hoped?

Or will more upgrades need to follow? I have been told it is the latter but haven’t been able to follow this up this weekend.

5. Cutting up the credit cards: And last but not least for tonight’s tidbits, the council agenda confirms credit card use is way down.

The number of transactions fell from 6757 in 2018-19 to 4139 so far in 2019-20.

Ombudsman Deborah Glass was on ABC statewide radio last Wednesday and said the investigation into the council’s credit card use was still ongoing. No release date for the final report has been given.

And that, terriers, is tonight’s tidbits.  (The council will live stream its meeting tomorrow night at 5.45pm.)

[This is the C19 version of The Terrier : short, sharp and shiny posts straight to Facebook rather than longer, in-depth pieces to unearth where the truth bones are buried. Rest assured those pieces are simmering along behind the scenes.]

 



A few more Foxy facts before taking a breather

DOWN TIME: The Terrier is taking a bit of a breather, to recharge and refuel.

Foxy, however, has been unable to squeeze two or three timely facts into her doggy bag, so she is leaving them behind.

Here is the first: Moonee Valley Council has 906 full-time equivalent staff. W’bool City Council has 390. MVC has 32 corporate credit cards. WCC has 81.

MVC has a collective limit on these cards of $269,000. WCC won’t reveal its collective limit, but one card alone chewed up $40,000 in 18 months.

Here is the second: Warracknabeal Council has 104 full time equivalent staff and one credit card. The annual spend is $9000.

(Thanks to Ratepayers Victoria for passing on these two facts – RV is asking all councils how many cards they have, and their annual spend.)

And here is a final fact: the $1476 dinner at Pippie’s was a Sister-City function for Miura, Japan, says Cr Mike Neoh, who was part of that event. Cr Neoh says he paid $83 toward the final bill that more than covered his share. (Cr Neoh doesn’t drink alcohol).

Even though it was an official council function, Cr Neoh said he decided to pay something. (“Why? Good question. Might be a cultural thing,” he said via email.)

An even better question is why, when asked, didn’t the council just say it was a Sister City function?

Why all the secrecy and side-stepping?

No wonder Barry needs a break. The Terrier will be back on deck shortly after 5 October, all revved up and ready to roll.

See you then!



A silent old shed speaks volumes about WCC waste

Carol Altmann – The Terrier

It isn’t pretty, but this old shed speaks volumes about the waste that has gone on within the Warrnambool City Council (#notallWCCstaff) over the past decade.

Long-time followers of this site may remember that this shed cost the council more than $100,000 in 2015: $40,000 to buy it and $63,000 to pull it down and relocate it from Wangoom Rd to west Warrnambool.

It is my understanding that it has since been sold off by the WCC for $2000.

$2000.

It has basically been reduced to scrap metal, at a loss of $101,000 to ratepayers.

That is $101,000 that could have been used far more productively elsewhere.

The back story to this shed is that it was supposed to become part of the WCC depot, but the cost of reassembling it, and its poor, rusty condition, saw that idea tossed out the rollerdoor before it had even rolled.

The condition of some of the panels removed from the former Wangoom Rd shed bought by the WCC in 2015.

The WCC tried to cut its losses early by auctioning off the shed before it was moved from Wangoom Rd, but it was passed in at $20,000 after failing to attract a single bid: nobody wanted to pay good money for a rusty old shed that would cost a mozza to move and re-assemble.

We – the poor old ratepayers – were stuck with it and have since taken a $101,000 hit.

How does this sort of waste happen? (#notallWCCstaff)

This is the question underpinning the push for a forensic look at all council spending from the last 10 years and the decision making and policies around this spending, because it is this decade of waste that is now coming home to roost.

It goes beyond the council’s 81 corporate credit cards, even though credit card spending is a full-colour, big-calorie category that leaps off the page.

It extends to rusty sheds, and roundabouts, and toilet blocks, and Flagstaff Hill upgrades, and $3 million blowouts on Liebig St, and trips to China, council marquees at the racecourse, endless conferences, blowouts on the Simpson St tunnel, the exorbitant contract to run the pound….you get the picture.

Ratepayers expect to pay rates.

But what ratepayers also expect is a clear return on their investment.

We want to see the council spend our money wisely and cautiously: every cent of it.

It doesn’t matter if the dollars are coming from ratepayers or taxpayers – it is all public money and this is why Ratepayers Victoria is taking such a close interest in what is happening in Warrnambool right now.

Ratepayers Victoria has written again to the council this week, in light of Mayor Tony Herbert saying he didn’t believe there was a need for an independent audit into the council, even though all the other councillors now agree that there should be one.

RV is joining the call for a full review of council spending, going back 10 years:

“We would respectfully suggest that unless council conduct a 10-year retrospective audit of all council staff and councillor expenditure and publish it fully and frankly then you will not sufficiently address the groundswell of community anger,” the letter says. (Read the letter in full here).

RV is spot on there.

 

At the end of the day, all ratepayers are asking for is transparency and accountability: two little words that roll off so many councillors’ tongues and turn up in so many council reports.

Transparency, accountability…and showing us value for money.

It’s not much to ask for, and the community is asking for it now.

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