Cost savings justify our city office - officers Stephen Taylor steve@mpnews.com.au FINANCIAL savings on lost productivity for travel times alone justify the retention of the shire’s $80,000-a-year central Melbourne office, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council was told last week. Business support team leader Sally Milne, in a report to council’s 21 April meeting, said the office would “continue to benefit our ratepayers with improved customer service”. “It has already provided council with a significant competitive edge in attracting and retaining high quality staff that find it easier and more accessible to work out of a CBD office for part of the week,” Ms Milne said. Her report, authorised by planning and building director David Bergin, said other benefits of the CBD office included easy access for the shire’s senior leadership team and executive group as well as its proximity to VCAT. “This aligns with a council decision in March 2018: ‘That such an office be no further than a 10 minute walk from Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal’,” Ms Milne said.
The annual $80,000 cost of the CBD office includes a leasing fee of $64,055, as well as additional costs, including the kitchen, IT, and transport to and from. While acknowledging a “negative perception by some ratepayers that the cost of leasing a CBD office should not take precedence over other initiatives”, Ms Milne said: “As a result of the office, we have retained six staff members this year at a saving of $60,000-$90,000 in recruitment costs. “In addition … estimated savings in travel and lost productivity time … is $25,380 and [is] conservatively a total savings of $37,800 by the end of June 2020.” Most shire planning staff reportedly work out of the Mornington office five days a week. Staff working out of the city office can receive and make calls via the MiTel phone system, which can be accessed through all staff laptops. The council voted to receive and noted the report, which included endorsements by staff: Melbourne Central Business District Satellite Office – Update.
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Community grief over police deaths FLOWERS and condolence messages delivered to police stations across the Mornington Peninsula illustrate the widespread sense of sadness over the deaths of four officers in Kew, Wednesday 22 April. Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Senior Constable Kevin King, Constable Glen Humphris and Constable Josh Prestney died when they were struck by a truck in the emergency lane of the Eastern Freeway, 4.30pm. Truck driver Mohinder Singh Bajwa, 47, of Cranbourne, was due
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to face court yesterday (Monday 27 April) charged with four counts of culpable driving over the crash. The driver of the car the police were booking, Richard Pusey, 41, of Fitzroy, has been charged with nine offences, including driving at a dangerous speed, reckless conduct endangering life, failing to render assistance and drug possession. Rosebud, Mornington, Hastings, Dromana, Rye and Sorrento police stations have been inundated with heartfelt letters, flowers and phone
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calls expressing shock and sadness at this sudden and terrible loss, Senior Sergeant Natalie Dollard, of Rosebud police, said. “We are humbled by, and grateful to, the countless members of the public who share our grief and stand by our side during this difficult time. “It is often said that the most difficult part of any police member’s duty is supporting people on the worst day of their lives. To the community we serve – thank you for supporting us on ours.” Stephen Taylor
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Southern Peninsula News
29 April 2020
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