By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A $10,000-plus weekend ‘strategic workshop’ at a Mornington Peninsula golf resort for Greater Dandenong executives and councillors may be trimmed after stinging public criticism.
The event involves an overnight stay on 24 February, followed by an all-day workshop on 25 February at the Peppers Moonah Links 4-star resort.
The council held a similar event at the venue two years ago, costing $6425.
For the first time, the council will also hire an external facilitator – which was revealed in a leaked letter on the ‘Dandenong Council Watch’ Facebook site.
As part of the site’s “junket alert”, it labelled the move as a “terrible waste of ratepayers money and evidence of an executive that can’t read the room”.
Mayor Eden Foster, who was personally against travelling away for the event, said she’d propose cutting the event to a single day.
“For two years in a row, I’ve been against going outside our municipality (for these workshops),” she said.
But “loud voices” on the council had prevailed, she said.
On principle, Cr Foster has asked to be personally invoiced for the expense of staying at the resort.
Cr Foster said the facilitator Marc Stigter would be used for one day, at a “reasonable” cost of $4500.
“Given it’s (chief executive) Jacqui Weatherill’s first strategic workshop and my first as mayor, to have someone come in as a neutral person to be that facilitator is quite positive.
“I think it will encourage positive conversation and robust conversation.”
Future workshops would be facilitated “in-house”, Cr Foster said.
Cr Jim Memeti said he could understand the “community’s angst”, with residents questioning whether it meets the ‘pub test’.
“Our inflation is going through the roof as well as interest rates. Can we spend the money better elsewhere?
“Most councils have been doing this under normal protocol for many, many years.
“This is something the whole sector, not just Greater Dandenong, needs to have a look at.
“In future years, we should maybe bring it ‘in-house’.”
Cr Sean O’Reilly said past workshops in Greater Dandenong were marred by participants “dropping in and out of the meeting” and being “distracted by local issues”.
He said the “few thousand dollars in expenditure” was necessary for more strategic and more informed decisions over a $200 million annual budget.
“The reason is so everyone is solely concentrating on strategic priorities. The issues are big-picture ones that require concentration.”
Cr Rhonda Garad said she was opposed to going to a “retreat in a luxurious environment”.
She agreed with the introduction of an external facilitator, especially while the council faced “rising expectations” with “lower resources”.
“We’ve got a new CEO, it’s mid-term for us as councillors. It’s a good time to be thinking strategically.
“The last two (workshops) had no higher thinking. I think it’s in the community interest for councillors and council staff to be led through strategic, higher thinking tasks.”
Cr Tim Dark said the facilitator was an “extraordinary use of money” – potentially up to $9900 with GST across two days.
“I was quite intrigued to see one was appointed, with the significant cost pressures we’re facing.
“That’s a complete waste of ratepayers’ money.”
He said “state of the art” facilities in Greater Dandenong should have been used, but councillors were “outvoted”.
In the leaked letter to councillors, new chief executive Jacqui Weatherill said she’d not used the facilitator Marc Stigter before but he came “highly recommended from other CEOs”.
His fee was “well below his normal day rate”.
“I am conscious of the costs in using external facilitators, and we will use him sparingly.
“I am confident that he will produce excellent results for us.”
Ratepayers Victoria president Dean Hurlston, who runs the Dandenong Council Watch site, said the “CEO spending must be reined in by councillors”.
“We have a cost of living crisis.
“Most families can’t afford one night’s accommodation in a hotel, yet councillors think it’s appropriate to shell out thousands of ratepayers’ dollars for non-essential events like this.
“It is totally appropriate to hold these meetings in council-owned local assets.”
