Mornington Peninsula Shire has been forced into a backflip following a storm of criticism over plans to let the CEO quietly sign off councillor spending over $2,000 and interstate travel.
A late addendum, slipped into Tuesday night’s meeting, scrapped the controversial clause and reinstated the safeguard that interstate and overseas trips must go to a full Council vote.
Deputy Mayor Paul Pingiaro, moving the motion, admitted the safeguard was essential.
“I’m very glad for governance and transparency purposes that all interstate travel remains subject to a Council resolution,” Cr Pingiaro said.
“This is a very important safeguard… for me, that’s the job of Council to form part of the pub test — not for councillors to fly to the pub to sit the test.”
Cr Andrea Allen, who seconded, acknowledged the “attention” the draft had attracted and said Council was right to correct course.
The retreat follows sharp warnings from former councillors and governance experts, who labelled the original plan a “dangerous path ” that could have put councillor spending at the mercy of “the strike of a CEO’s pen.”
While the Shire has doubled down on spin — calling the new framework “streamlined, transparent and compliant with state law” — the fact remains: it took public scrutiny to stop a policy that would have gutted accountability.
What Changed
- Back on the books: Interstate and overseas travel requires a Council resolution.
- CEO still holds power: Training and conference expenses over $2,000 (but not interstate) now rest with the CEO.
- New window-dressing: Mandatory training, a councillor professional development plan, and a public register of events.
The saga is the latest in a string of self-inflicted headaches for the Shire, whose Mayor Anthony Marsh has been trying — and failing — to deflect attention.
