Push to cut back council booze-ups

By Alison Noonan
RATEPAYER-funded council ‘booze-ups’ hold little appeal to Casey councillor Steve Beardon.
The low-key councillor instead prefers to butter his residents up with a snag on the barbecue at his house.
Cr Beardon spoke of his entertaining methods during a debate to adopt council’s new Functions Policy at Tuesday night’s council meeting.
Councillors last year agreed to reduce the number of civic dinners from four to two in a bid to cut costs to ratepayers.
However, Cr Beardon said even two dinners was too much and vowed not to attend any of the council functions held throughout the year.
“I declined to attend the mayoral function when elected and have already declined to attend the upcoming ward dinner. They are a waste of money,” he said.
“Our focus should be on rates, not booze-ups. The money spent on just one ward dinner could be better spent on Hazelwood Avenue in Cranbourne North or any one of a dozen streets in my ward that need street-calming devices.”
Cr Beardon said he did not want to turn the argument into a political football but could not vote in favour of the policy.
“Some of the other 11 dinners that recognise volunteers are well-deserving, but I do not feel comfortable hosting a table at a ward dinner to speak to my residents or local MP.
“Everyone knows that if you drop around to my house at 6pm, I will put on a barbecue and that’s how I entertain my residents,” he said.
However, mayor Kevin Bradford said council functions that recognised outstanding community members were worth the associated costs.
“I am fully aware as a councillor the benefits of functions where residents are recognised. That is the whole concept of these dinners.
“The rough cost of one dinner is $15,000. But in light of our budget and the benefit it gives to our city, this is a small price to pay,” he said.