By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Casey ratepayers will be charged $1335 a day plus expenses for each of the two council monitors over the next 12 months, according to figures revealed at a Parliament hearing.
The pair were appointed by the State Government to oversee the newly-elected Casey Council – which will pay for the monitors’ salaries and expenses.
The daily rates would equate to full-time equivalent annual salaries totalling $974,550.
Local Government opposition spokesperson Peter Walsh seized on the figures from the Department of Government Services during Parliament’s Public Estimates and Accounts Committee hearings on 19 November.
This month, the Government named five new monitors to oversee the recently-dismissed Srathbogie, Whittlesea and Casey councils – in what Mr Walsh called a “growth industry built on poor governance and mistrust”.
“There have been more than 25 local council monitor appointments since 2020.
“Monitors on top of the usual administrative costs has become an expensive exercise for ratepayers.”
According to the State Government, the remuneration reflects the expertise and experience required for the role.
It appointed the monitors from 6 November 2024 until 6 November 2025, to “support good governance” and to “help prevent the recurrence of issues that led to each council’s dismissal”.
“Victorians rightly expect elected councillors to maintain a high standard of governance – where risks to good governance have been identified, experienced monitors are appointed to guide councillors to help them best serve their community,” a Government spokesperson said.
“Monitors support elected councillors to deliver good governance and help prevent governance failures that can result in a council’s dismissal or suspension.”
Casey Residents and Ratepayers Association president Brian Oates said the monitors were “overkill“, noting that the 2020-’24 panel of administrators were meant to “change the culture“ at Casey Council.
He said that only one councillor out of the 12 elected this month was part of the council that was sacked in 2020.
The Casey monitors are the recently-deployed Casey Panel of Administrators member Cameron Boardman and Strathbogie Shire ex-Monitor Peter Stephenson.
They will report directly to the Local Government Minister.
A City of Casey spokesperson told Star News: “The Municipal Monitor terms of reference and remuneration amount, payable by Council, is set by the State Government.”
At the time of the monitors’ appointment, Casey chief executive Glenn Patterson said their “expertise and experience would be invaluable in supporting the new council”.
“We look forward to having them guide and assist the council in strengthening governance and ensuring that decisions are made with integrity and transparency over the next 12 months,” Mr Patterson said.
