Ballarat's mayor and councillors have successfully awarded themselves a substantial pay rise, with some arguing the state government pressured them to do so.
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Councillor Des Hudson took aim at the media on Wednesday night, arguing they were not voting for a pay increase but acting upon an instruction from Local Government Minister Natalie Hutchins, who approved an alteration for the council to be put into a higher scale to reflect Ballarat’s burgeoning population.
"It's not a ‘you should’ (from the state government), it's a ‘you shall’," he said.
"To put it bluntly, this is actually a realignment of the City of Ballarat’s stature as a council.
“It comes to us a recommendation from the Minister for Local Government who has said based on Ballarat’s stature as a growing community … it’s moved from a category two council to a category three council."
But councillors Mark Harris and Daniel Moloney voted against the pay rise at the meeting, which was held at the Ballarat Town Hall.
Cr Harris launched a scathing attack on the Victorian government for promulgating a popular narrative of “greedy councils” pursuing increases to allowances and rate hikes.
“I think it’s time to stop playing that game,” he said.
"I think we should just leave this on the table. If they choose to set a rate, so be it, but it’s in our hands.”
Cr Moloney echoed the sentiment, arguing the state government put council in a difficult position.
“It sets us up to fail, it sets us up to essentially give the perception that we’re voting for our own pay increases, which is out of line of community expectations,” he said.
“But for the fact that it’s only a very small increase, it’s almost not worth us losing public faith and public confidence in what we do.”
Councillors will now receive an extra $5000 a year and the mayor an additional $18,000 per annum.
The mayoral allowance will increase to $94,641 and councillors will be paid $29,630 after the proposal was approved.
Ballarat will now be one of 21 Victorian councils recognised in the highest category for allowances, and one of only two in regional Victoria.
Retiree Gary Fitzgerald interjected from the public gallery during the debate, saying to councillors “you deserve every penny you get”, to which mayor Samantha McIntosh replied: “Thank you, Mr Fitzgerald.”
It sets us up to fail, it sets us up to essentially give the perception that we’re voting for our own pay increases, which is out of line of community expectations
- Councillor Daniel Moloney when voting against a pay rise on Wednesday night
