By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
CASEY Councillor Geoff Ablett has defended his poor council meeting attendance record, saying he puts more than 50 hours into the role a week.
It follows a recent media report indicating that Cr Ablett had missed a third of Casey council meetings held in 2014-’15 – which was 11 of the 32 ordinary and special council meetings.
Cr Ablett missed four consecutive meetings between 6 November and 9 December 2014, according to the article.
Statistics from the State Government’s recently launched Know Your Council website also show the City of Casey recorded an 80 per cent councillor attendance rate at meetings, the worst in the state.
Last February, a meeting was cancelled for want of a quorum.
But Cr Ablett defended his absenteeism, citing illness and leave he was granted while running as a Liberal candidate in the 2014 State Election, along with fellow Casey Councillor Amanda Stapledon.
He said he had even missed meetings to visit residents in person to help resolve incidents in his ward.
“Every night of the week, I’m out talking to a farmer, saving a business,” he said.
“I put in 50 or 60 hours a week, and to be judged on meetings is very unfair, it doesn’t give you the big picture.”
Cr Ablett has approached the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) to suggest adjustments be made to the Know Your Council website.
“I don’t think the way the website is set up that it can in any way, shape or form, give the true performance of a councillor,” Cr Ablett said.
“It doesn’t count weekend work; it doesn’t count the phone calls.”
Cr Ablett, who has served twice as Casey Mayor, said he received roughly 30 council-related phone calls a day.
In a statement Municipal Association Victoria (MAV) CEO Rob Spence said a councillor’s “overall contribution” needed to be taken into account at the ballot box.
“Central to being a good councillor is being available, approachable and engaged in local issues,” Mr Spence said.
“Councillors generally have regular contact with community members over the phone, on email and face-to-face at all hours of the day, night and on weekends.
“They participate in a wide range of meetings with business and special interest groups, individuals, committees and other governments.
“They regularly attend local community events, and read large volumes of reports and materials to prepare for council meetings.”
Last November councillors Ablett and Stapledon were cleared of misconduct more than a year after it was reported they were being investigated over allegedly corrupt Liberal Party donations.
The pair always denied wrong-doing after being interviewed as part of the State Ombudsman’s probe into donations and council planning decisions.
