Perth Voice Interactive

BAYSWATER councillors have narrowly rejected a push to ban ratepayer-funded overseas travel.

Cr Brent Fleeton, elected last year, lost by one vote his bid to slash travel budgets and ban overseas travel.

Experienced councillors told colleagues that trips to conferences and seminars are a useful means to an end.

Mayor Barry McKenna — a 25-year council veteran — went red in the face with emotion speaking against Cr Fleeton’s proposal.

He said picking up new ideas forged interstate and overseas can save money down the track.

“This is a silly plan that’s going to make us a laughing stock,” the mayor said, banging his hand on the table.

“We’re going to look childish and second-rate. This is just a political stunt to say ‘hey, we’re good with money’.

“I would demand that you all go on conferences and bring back best practices back to your city.”

Residents in the audience applauded as he ended his speech with a nod to Cr Alan Radford, another longtime local government man.

Cr Radford spoke of conferences he’d attended: he claimed to have saved the city money by purchasing equipment discovered on a Melbourne trip with the parks and gardens manager.

Bayswater’s travel budget is $90,000, but historically not all is used (the Voice understands just $30,000 was spent last year).

The only overseas trips taken are to New Zealand (Cr Radford notes flights there can cost less than to Cairns).

Cr Fleeton reasoned it’s up to council staff and management, not councillors, to expand on their expertise. He’d wanted to slash councillors’ conference budgets from $7500 to $1500 a year, and force the mayor and staff to ask the council for permission to travel outside WA on council business.

by EMMIE DOWLING