Councillor Discretionary Fund revoked

SOUTH Gippsland Shire Council has revoked the Councillor Discretionary Fund following implementation of the Local Government (Improved Governance) Act 2015.

The new legislation was informed by the Local Government Investigations and Compliance Inspectorate’s Review of Councillor Discretionary Funds.

South Gippsland Shire Council was acknowledged in the review as one of only four Victorian councils that demonstrated accountable practices for the fund.

Despite this, the review stated that there were inherent risks associated with the Council Discretionary Fund program across the state, causing the cancellation of the fund.

At its meeting last week, Council received and noted the remaining allocations for the Councillor Discretionary Funds from November 23 last year to the implementation of the new legislation on December 11. They are:

• Port Welshpool Coast Guard – $600 from Cr Mohya Davies, to assist with the purchase of a range of rescue and first aid equipment;
• Prom Coast Arts Inc. – $300 from Cr Jeanette Harding, and $100 each from Crs Davies, Lorraine Brunt, Bob Newton and Andrew McEwen, to contribute to the making of Ghost Horse Gallery stands for the HorseArtsAnzac Project;
• Cancer Council Victoria – South Gippsland Relay for Life – $200 from Cr Harding and $100 each from Crs Davies, Newton, McEwen, Jim Fawcett, Don Hill, Nigel Hutchinson-Brooks and Kieran Kennedy, to assist with hire equipment for the Relay for Life;
• Foster War Memorial Arts Centre – $114 from Cr Harding towards hall rental for Christmas Carols;
• Nyora Men’s Shed Association – $200 each from Crs Brunt, Newton and McEwen, to assist with the costs of providing an upgrade to their electrical power supply;
• Meeniyan Progress Association – $334 from Cr McEwen and $333 each from Crs Brunt and Newton, to assist with the development of a new community website;
• Meeniyan Golf Club – $500 from Cr McEwen and $250 each from Crs Brunt and Newton, to assist with provision of courtesy bus, face painting, jumping castle and advertising for their New Year’s Eve event;
• Korumburra & District Agricultural & Pastoral Society – $400 from Cr Brunt and $300 each from Crs Newton and McEwen, to purchase three truckloads of sand medium to assist in the fly ball competitions;
• Sports First Leongatha – $100 each from Crs Fawcett, Hill and Hutchinson-Brooks, to assist in the running of the Fun Run in Leongatha for the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal in March 2016;
• Leongatha Croquet Club Inc – $60 each from Crs Fawcett and Hutchinson-Brooks and $50 from Cr Don Hill, to purchase a perpetual trophy for the annual Leongatha vs Korumburra Croquet Challenge;
• Korumburra Community Development & Action Inc – $500 from Mayoral (Cr Newton) Fund to assist with the coordination of the Christmas Street Celebrations in Korumburra.

Council will consider the objectives of the Councillor Discretionary Fund Program during the review of the 2016/17 Community Grants Program.

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