By Callan Date
THE future of Casey Council meetings being held in Cranbourne is up in the air after heated debate surrounded the issue last week.
Councillors representing the City of Casey’s south were outraged at Cr Mick Morland’s notice of motion at last week’s meeting, which called for a report detailing the cost of holding meetings at the Old Shire Offices in Cranbourne.
More than 40 council and planning committee meetings have been scheduled for Narre Warren this year, with only two occurring at Cranbourne.
A Casey officer said it cost the council about $1500 to host a meeting at Cranbourne.
This amount was mostly to do with the time it took staff to prepare the building for the meeting, the officer said.
Cr Morland said he was only calling for a report and that it might be more cost effective to run a bus from Cranbourne each month instead of holding the meetings there.
Only one member of the public was present in the gallery listening to the debate that occurred at council chambers in Narre Warren.
Deputy mayor Kevin Bradford, along with councillors Steve Beardon, Michael Farley and mayor Colin Butler, were all against the motion.
“I disagree with this,” Cr Bradford said.
“Residents of the south are just as much part of this city and have every right to attend council meetings.”
Cr Butler said he supported two council meetings per year at Cranbourne, but wanted to see improvements to the Old Shire Offices.
“I think we need to upgrade it and make it a bit better,” Cr Butler said.
“The sound system is not very good and councillors are very cramped in.”
Cr Beardon also voiced his disapproval.
“We only get two council meetings down there,” he said.
“I would pay the $1500 out of my own pocket to make sure we get a meeting at Cranbourne.”
Cr Farley said it was a great idea to have the meetings in Cranbourne and suggested that more parts of Casey should host meetings.
The motion was eventually passed.
A further motion, calling on a second report to come back to council comparing costs of holding meetings at Narre Warren and Cranbourne, costs of moving council furniture and attendances at meetings, was also passed.
>>> Do you care where Casey Council holds its meetings? Should Cranbourne host two meetings per year? Send us your opinion at editor@starnewsgroup.com.au
