Latest news with #WyndhamCityCouncil
ABC News
2 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Wyndham City Council referred to IBAC as MP claims tens of millions 'flushed down the toilet' on failed IT project
A council in Melbourne's booming outer south-west has been referred to the state's anti-corruption watchdog over a failed IT project worth tens of millions of dollars. The issue emerged when representatives from Wyndham City Council faced a fiery parliamentary committee hearing into fraud and corruption controls in local government. Labor's MP for Point Cook, Mat Hilakari, questioned whether the council did enough to inform ratepayers about the cost blowout, which he put at $69 million. But the council defended its transparency, saying information about the project was publicly available. In 2018, the council appointed tech company Oracle Australia to provide software that could combine council functions on one platform. It was supposed to be a $20 million project, taking two years. But four years later, the project was running nearly $20 million over budget. So the council terminated the contract and engaged a new company, TechnologyOne, to do the work. Mr Hilakari told the inquiry he estimated the cost blowout for the entire project at nearly $70 million. "I would put it at probably around $69 million in overruns, and this hasn't been publicly disclosed until this point in time, is that right?" he asked. The council's chief executive, Stephen Wall, said he would take the issue of the cost on notice. "But that sounds excessive," he said. Mr Hilakari asked why the failure of the original project, and the cost overrun, had not been communicated to ratepayers. "Whose decision is it not to disclose these things to the public?" he asked. Wyndham Deputy Mayor Josh Gilligan said financial decisions were all available, but said no-one had asked about them. "I just take particular umbrage with the question that suggests that we were not or were somehow not wanting to disclose cost variation to a major project," he said. "I just completely dispute that." Mr Wall agreed. "All of council's financial transactions are transparent," he said. The ABC understands the council's handling of the issue has been referred to Victoria's Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission, IBAC. The ABC understands another Wyndham councillor, Robert Szatkowski, has made a referral to Victoria's Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission, IBAC, for matters that relate to the IT project. The ABC has contacted IBAC for comment. A referral to IBAC does not mean it will launch an investigation and the ABC is not suggesting that a referral implies any findings of wrongdoing. Councillor Gilligan pointed out to Mr Hilakari that the state government was also facing cost blowouts on various projects. "You would agree that cost overruns on a state level of hundreds of millions of dollars occur, on the regular?" he asked. "And we're very transparent about that," Mr Hilakari said. "As we are," Cr Gilligan insisted. "Well then you'd better tell me where the project fail of Oracle and the tens and tens of millions of dollars of ratepayer funds that were flushed down the toilet to be frank, where was that publicly disclosed?" Mr Wall said he would take that on notice, but said there was a clear business case and a tender process, and that the current IT project was a success. Wyndham council is facing backlash for diverting funds from developers in Point Cook to be used elsewhere in the municipality. Cr Gilligan told the hearing the council had a prerogative to spend money raised from Point Cook developments in another location. "That money can be spent in a location that is different to the one that you want it spent in," he said. "That is our prerogative, just as state and federal governments have their own prerogative within the realm of law to make decisions, this council has made a decision to look at spending it on an intergenerational project somewhere else." The committee is due to table its full report in November.
The Age
23-07-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Third Melbourne council to hire private security guards as ‘safety issues at their worst level'
An inner-west Melbourne council has become the third municipality to take crime prevention into its own hands by hiring private security to patrol antisocial hotspots, prompting calls for more police resources and funds for support services. After an hour-long debate, Maribyrnong council voted on Tuesday night to support hiring guards to patrol central Footscray after a spate of violent incidents, including an alleged murder in the Nicholson Street mall and the fatal police shooting of a homeless man. The six-month trial is expected to begin in August and would cost ratepayers up to $100,000 for two security officers for 24 hours a week. The decision follows a similar move at Melbourne City Council, which last month made its CBD security guard scheme permanent after a three-month pilot. The scheme costs $2 million for 11 guards per year. Wyndham City Council, in the outer west, also voted last month to pay $372,000 for private security to patrol the streets of Truganina in a 12-month trial. Security guards' powers are limited to citizen's arrests as they are unable to use force, but councils argue that they create a passive safety presence while accompanying the council's local law officers, who enforce on-street behavioural issues such as public nuisance and alcohol consumption. Security guard patrols are also increasingly being paid for by private operators, such as at housing estates in Melbourne's outer suburbs to combat theft and violence and Jewish schools and communities fearing antisemitic attacks. Opposition Leader Brad Battin blamed the government for fuelling a trend of local councils turning to private security to help their communities feel safe, which is costing ratepayers. 'When local councils are forced to step in and fund private security to fill the gaps, it's a clear sign that the Labor government has failed to deliver on one of its most basic responsibilities: keeping Victorians safe,' Battin said.
Sydney Morning Herald
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Third Melbourne council to hire private security guards as ‘safety issues at their worst level'
An inner-west Melbourne council has become the third municipality to take crime prevention into its own hands by hiring private security to patrol antisocial hotspots, prompting calls for more police resources and funds for support services. After an hour-long debate, Maribyrnong council voted on Tuesday night to support hiring guards to patrol central Footscray after a spate of violent incidents, including an alleged murder in the Nicholson Street mall and the fatal police shooting of a homeless man. The six-month trial is expected to begin in August and would cost ratepayers up to $100,000 for two security officers for 24 hours a week. The decision follows a similar move at Melbourne City Council, which last month made its CBD security guard scheme permanent after a three-month pilot. The scheme costs $2 million for 11 guards per year. Wyndham City Council, in the outer west, also voted last month to pay $372,000 for private security to patrol the streets of Truganina in a 12-month trial. Security guards' powers are limited to citizen's arrests as they are unable to use force, but councils argue that they create a passive safety presence while accompanying the council's local law officers, who enforce on-street behavioural issues such as public nuisance and alcohol consumption. Security guard patrols are also increasingly being paid for by private operators, such as at housing estates in Melbourne's outer suburbs to combat theft and violence and Jewish schools and communities fearing antisemitic attacks. Opposition Leader Brad Battin blamed the government for fuelling a trend of local councils turning to private security to help their communities feel safe, which is costing ratepayers. 'When local councils are forced to step in and fund private security to fill the gaps, it's a clear sign that the Labor government has failed to deliver on one of its most basic responsibilities: keeping Victorians safe,' Battin said.
