By Catherine Watson
BASS Coast councillors are paid an allowance of $25,650 a year – just under $500 a week – plus super to fulfil their duties. Not a fortune for the average councillor who puts in 20-plus hours a week on council business but easy money for those who don't take the job seriously.
So are our councillors earning their pay?
On the whole, yes. Most of them are working very hard but a few seem to be coasting to the finish line. (The current council term ends in November 2024.)
The Post analysed councillor records this year and found a vast disparity in the workload of our nine councillors, as shown by their attendance at council briefings, their committee work and their appearance at community events.
BASS Coast councillors are paid an allowance of $25,650 a year – just under $500 a week – plus super to fulfil their duties. Not a fortune for the average councillor who puts in 20-plus hours a week on council business but easy money for those who don't take the job seriously.
So are our councillors earning their pay?
On the whole, yes. Most of them are working very hard but a few seem to be coasting to the finish line. (The current council term ends in November 2024.)
The Post analysed councillor records this year and found a vast disparity in the workload of our nine councillors, as shown by their attendance at council briefings, their committee work and their appearance at community events.
While attending briefings is not compulsory, they are essential backgrounders for the often complex decisions councillors must make. Seven councillors have attended 16 or 17 of the 19 briefings held so far this year, Cr Les Larke has attended nine and Cr Bruce Kent has attended just four. Both councillors have also missed two of the six council meetings.
The disparity is most stark when it comes to committee work. Councillors usually share the workload. Currently Bass Coast Mayor Michael Whelan serves on nine committees: four internal and five external. Cr David Rooks serves on five committees, Crs Rochelle Halstead and Leticia Laing have four each, Cr Clare Le Serve has two and Cr Ron Bauer has one.
Three councillors (Kent, Larke and Brett Tessari) have no committee duties.
The disparity is most stark when it comes to committee work. Councillors usually share the workload. Currently Bass Coast Mayor Michael Whelan serves on nine committees: four internal and five external. Cr David Rooks serves on five committees, Crs Rochelle Halstead and Leticia Laing have four each, Cr Clare Le Serve has two and Cr Ron Bauer has one.
Three councillors (Kent, Larke and Brett Tessari) have no committee duties.
Cr Larke has not served on any committees, external or internal, during the current council term, and is rarely – if ever – seen at community events.
Cr Kent, formerly a police officer, previously represented Bass Coast on the Municipal Emergency Management Planning Committee (external) and was the councillor representative on the Bass Coast Community Road Safety Committee. He resigned from both committees this year and rarely attends community events.
Neither Cr Kent nor Cr Larke has fallen foul of the Local Government Act, which stipulates only that a councillor ceases to be eligible to continue in the role if they do not attend four consecutive meetings without prior leave from Council. If leave is sought Council must give it. The other reasons for becoming ineligible are around legal and financial issues or ceasing to qualify by residing within the shire.
The Post asked both councillors if they thought they offered the community value for money.
Cr Larke responded: “Three major surgeries and extended periods of rehabilitation (ongoing) have been the main reason.”
Cr Kent did not respond by deadline.*
Bass Coast Mayor Michael Whelan declined to comment on individual councillors but acknowledged there was a disproportionate workload among councillors.
“I am of the view that anyone who takes on the role of a councillor takes on the responsibility to contribute to the best of their ability. It is up to all councillors to assess their performance and answer to the community in that respect.
“However it is fair to say Bass Coast has a disproportionate workload among councillors and that I would prefer to see a better spread of committees and the workload across all councillors.”
Cr Whelan said individual councillors who had taken on a large workload were sometimes unfairly criticised by the media as the “most expensive” because they had been paid expenses for travelling to represent the council at committee meetings or conferences.
“Rather than praise and appreciate the councillors that have taken on a large workload and therefore incur greater costs, they are criticised in favour of a councillor who is not contributing at the same level.”
He said there was much more to a councillor’s work than attending council meetings, with the weekly briefings by internal or external experts an opportunity for councillors to ensure they were fully informed before meetings.
The week before the monthly meeting, councillors are taken through the agenda items to allow for any clarifications or to seek an alternative resolution if they are opposed or have concerns about a matter.
“This is important because it allows other councillors to understand the alternative view ahead of the meeting and give it due consideration before it is raised in a meeting.”
Cr Kent, formerly a police officer, previously represented Bass Coast on the Municipal Emergency Management Planning Committee (external) and was the councillor representative on the Bass Coast Community Road Safety Committee. He resigned from both committees this year and rarely attends community events.
Neither Cr Kent nor Cr Larke has fallen foul of the Local Government Act, which stipulates only that a councillor ceases to be eligible to continue in the role if they do not attend four consecutive meetings without prior leave from Council. If leave is sought Council must give it. The other reasons for becoming ineligible are around legal and financial issues or ceasing to qualify by residing within the shire.
The Post asked both councillors if they thought they offered the community value for money.
Cr Larke responded: “Three major surgeries and extended periods of rehabilitation (ongoing) have been the main reason.”
Cr Kent did not respond by deadline.*
Bass Coast Mayor Michael Whelan declined to comment on individual councillors but acknowledged there was a disproportionate workload among councillors.
“I am of the view that anyone who takes on the role of a councillor takes on the responsibility to contribute to the best of their ability. It is up to all councillors to assess their performance and answer to the community in that respect.
“However it is fair to say Bass Coast has a disproportionate workload among councillors and that I would prefer to see a better spread of committees and the workload across all councillors.”
Cr Whelan said individual councillors who had taken on a large workload were sometimes unfairly criticised by the media as the “most expensive” because they had been paid expenses for travelling to represent the council at committee meetings or conferences.
“Rather than praise and appreciate the councillors that have taken on a large workload and therefore incur greater costs, they are criticised in favour of a councillor who is not contributing at the same level.”
He said there was much more to a councillor’s work than attending council meetings, with the weekly briefings by internal or external experts an opportunity for councillors to ensure they were fully informed before meetings.
The week before the monthly meeting, councillors are taken through the agenda items to allow for any clarifications or to seek an alternative resolution if they are opposed or have concerns about a matter.
“This is important because it allows other councillors to understand the alternative view ahead of the meeting and give it due consideration before it is raised in a meeting.”
Cr Bruce Kent responds:
Thank you for your email in regards to my perceived work loads with Bass Coast Council as a Councillor. Unfortunately, due to my employment work load and the short notice given to me by you, I have only just now been able to sit down tonight on Friday and start a reply before attending a commitment. I have been an elected Councillor since 2016. Most community members would know that I was a full time police officer working shift work. What they wouldn’t know was that for nearly six years I was able to write my own roster giving myself every Wednesday off for council meetings and also rostering for afternoon shifts so that I could attend day time community weekly meetings. The flow on from this rostering was that I had very few weekends off and only one day off a week which both my family and I accepted. I have never mentioned these circumstances, until now.
Early last year, I retired from the Police Force after joining in 1980. It was my intention to enjoy a well deserved retirement and also continue my strong participation in council community work. I was approached late last year with an employment opportunity working in a student housing environment. This was an opportunity to come out of retirement which had become a bit boring. I started this job in late February, this year.
This situation of entering full-time employment, made me the only Councillor working Monday to Friday in the private sector. Including travel, my working day is normally 12 hours. Due to work commitments, I was finding it hard to attend my designated committees and briefing sessions but also due to legislation changes, I was no longer the Chairperson on one committee, but became an invitee. As I could not attend briefing meetings, I was also greatly involved in after hours reading of council briefing notes.
I personally do not like on-line meetings, which have become very fashionable. I approached Councillors a couple of months ago requesting that they consider my working situation and would they move the Council Meeting back to late afternoon, which was in place in my first four years as a Councillor. I explained that I had arranged that I could leave my work after lunch and travel to Bass Coast for a late afternoon public meeting where I could be in person and feel that I was truly participating. This arrangement would cause me to have to make up the hours to comply with my employment contract. I also stated that it appears in these days of inclusion, that Councillors were not considering the possible inclusion of any person working full-time who may also want to be a Councillor. This also included the community, who worked full-time but may want to attend a council meeting. I also asked the CEO as to whether meetings could be held at a later time. I was informed that this would not be an issue and would solely depend on the decision outcome of councillors. The reply I got from councillors, was that councillors had considered my situation, but that a majority decision had been made to stay with the 12.45pm meetings. I must say, that by attending a meeting on-line and viewing a room full of participants, that one does feel isolated from the group and discussion.
I am now of the opinion, that Council is limiting itself to future Councillor candidates who are not full-time employed, attending daytime education or to candidates who are prepared to sacrifice their full-time employment. The other alternative is attending all meetings on-line and a lot of study out of hours for the individual. Over the years, I have progressively seen the Councillor workload change from a very full Wednesday to being spread over the whole week. Community members considering to be a future Councillor need to have an insight into the current work practise time expectations.
After continuing my reply to you this morning, I was disappointed after reading your latest post. The article, Missing in action, just states that I did not reply to your request for a comment. It does not mention that you sent your request to me for comment at 9.56 am Thursday morning whilst I was at work, requesting that I supply a comment by Friday due to your next print. You would also not know that I already had commitments for Thursday and Friday evening. I feel that the time-line that you have given me to be totally unreasonable and unprofessional as your comment about my lack of reply could be seen as a total lack or interest in the situation and my position within council. This is an investigative article that did not require such tight and unreasonable reply times.
The article, does not consider my strong involvement within the community which is more than just committees. I do not have to justify my strong involvement with the community, especially when you were only interested in committee involvement. Councillors and I spend so much more time attending community meetings, community functions, replying to phone calls and emails, being the go between community and council officers.
It appears to me, that my reputation has been unfairly and unjustly tarnished by your article.
Yours sincerely
Bruce Kent
Thank you for your email in regards to my perceived work loads with Bass Coast Council as a Councillor. Unfortunately, due to my employment work load and the short notice given to me by you, I have only just now been able to sit down tonight on Friday and start a reply before attending a commitment. I have been an elected Councillor since 2016. Most community members would know that I was a full time police officer working shift work. What they wouldn’t know was that for nearly six years I was able to write my own roster giving myself every Wednesday off for council meetings and also rostering for afternoon shifts so that I could attend day time community weekly meetings. The flow on from this rostering was that I had very few weekends off and only one day off a week which both my family and I accepted. I have never mentioned these circumstances, until now.
Early last year, I retired from the Police Force after joining in 1980. It was my intention to enjoy a well deserved retirement and also continue my strong participation in council community work. I was approached late last year with an employment opportunity working in a student housing environment. This was an opportunity to come out of retirement which had become a bit boring. I started this job in late February, this year.
This situation of entering full-time employment, made me the only Councillor working Monday to Friday in the private sector. Including travel, my working day is normally 12 hours. Due to work commitments, I was finding it hard to attend my designated committees and briefing sessions but also due to legislation changes, I was no longer the Chairperson on one committee, but became an invitee. As I could not attend briefing meetings, I was also greatly involved in after hours reading of council briefing notes.
I personally do not like on-line meetings, which have become very fashionable. I approached Councillors a couple of months ago requesting that they consider my working situation and would they move the Council Meeting back to late afternoon, which was in place in my first four years as a Councillor. I explained that I had arranged that I could leave my work after lunch and travel to Bass Coast for a late afternoon public meeting where I could be in person and feel that I was truly participating. This arrangement would cause me to have to make up the hours to comply with my employment contract. I also stated that it appears in these days of inclusion, that Councillors were not considering the possible inclusion of any person working full-time who may also want to be a Councillor. This also included the community, who worked full-time but may want to attend a council meeting. I also asked the CEO as to whether meetings could be held at a later time. I was informed that this would not be an issue and would solely depend on the decision outcome of councillors. The reply I got from councillors, was that councillors had considered my situation, but that a majority decision had been made to stay with the 12.45pm meetings. I must say, that by attending a meeting on-line and viewing a room full of participants, that one does feel isolated from the group and discussion.
I am now of the opinion, that Council is limiting itself to future Councillor candidates who are not full-time employed, attending daytime education or to candidates who are prepared to sacrifice their full-time employment. The other alternative is attending all meetings on-line and a lot of study out of hours for the individual. Over the years, I have progressively seen the Councillor workload change from a very full Wednesday to being spread over the whole week. Community members considering to be a future Councillor need to have an insight into the current work practise time expectations.
After continuing my reply to you this morning, I was disappointed after reading your latest post. The article, Missing in action, just states that I did not reply to your request for a comment. It does not mention that you sent your request to me for comment at 9.56 am Thursday morning whilst I was at work, requesting that I supply a comment by Friday due to your next print. You would also not know that I already had commitments for Thursday and Friday evening. I feel that the time-line that you have given me to be totally unreasonable and unprofessional as your comment about my lack of reply could be seen as a total lack or interest in the situation and my position within council. This is an investigative article that did not require such tight and unreasonable reply times.
The article, does not consider my strong involvement within the community which is more than just committees. I do not have to justify my strong involvement with the community, especially when you were only interested in committee involvement. Councillors and I spend so much more time attending community meetings, community functions, replying to phone calls and emails, being the go between community and council officers.
It appears to me, that my reputation has been unfairly and unjustly tarnished by your article.
Yours sincerely
Bruce Kent