Western Port YOUR GUIDE TO WHAT’S ON THIS WEEKEND FOR PENINSULA FAMILIES
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Tuesday 13 September 2016
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Council backs costs increase Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au AFTER three meetings and sometimes bitter debate, Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors have finally adopted a new expenses policy. Basically, the policy gives councillors the right to spend up to $30,000 each over four years on such things as conferences and seminars ($16,000), education and training ($10,000) and entertainment ($4000). The aggregate is $14,000 a councillor more than the previously accepted, and disputed, amounts. The policy also introduced a ban on alcohol being supplied “before, during or after council meetings or briefings on council premises”. The shire’s communications and media manager Mark Kestigian said on Friday that about $27,000 had been spent on council’s liquor supplies in the past four years. The expenditure policy foundered at a special meeting on 6 September, with Cr Andrew Dixon saying the claimable amount for use of a private car on council business was too low. Last week the policy was amended to bring the car allowance into line with that of shire staff rather than the 67 cents a kilometre rate set by the Australian Tax Office. The shire’s enterprise agreement allows staff to claim 88 cents a kilometre for a four-cylinder car and a $1.085 cents for larger vehicles. Under the new policy councillors will be given monthly reports on their expenses along with “an opportunity” to repay money spent on non-council business. Pressure for the expenditure policy follows a council resolution in April for Cr Antonella Celi to repay about $9000 of the $28,520 paid by the shire for her attendance on conferences and seminars. The decision was reversed in May. Continued Page 5
Blues power HASTINGS Football Club won this year’s Nepean Division premiership on Saturday and there was no doubting the joy, and relief, of coach Brendan Dunne and forward Colin McVeigh as they hugged within seconds of the final siren. The win against Frankston gave the Blues their first flag for 21 years. Report and more photos Page 43. Picture: Andrew Hurst
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