Wingecarribee Councillor Rachel Russell has a proposal for Wednesday’s Council meeting to improve transparency around Management’s hiring of Consultants.
In 2024, Council adopted a policy to bring significant and costly consultant briefs to Council for approval. Technical or engineering reports were exempt.
Councillor Russell believes this current exemption undermines the intention of the policy to improve accountability. Councillors had no input into the scope of Wingecarribee’s Financial Sustainability Review and had to request the terms of reference when it was underway. The General Manager later described the report as “technical”.
“This motion seeks to remove technicality loopholes and lower the reporting cost threshold, to demonstrate to ratepayers and residents that we have checks and balances in place for how public money is spent. I believe this will build community confidence and trust in Council:, states Cr Russell.
