Ratepayers outraged after Melbourne’s Stonnington Council spends $90,0000 on foreign aid

‘Stick to your own backyard’! Fury as local council spends $90,0000 of taxpayers’ money on foreign aid

  • Melbourne’s Stonnington Council slammed for spending $90,000 on foreign aid
  • Councillors at loggerheads over the council’s disaster relief donation policy
  • Councillors voted to stop using ratepayers money which was later overturned
  • Matter has sparked debate between ratepayers on social media 

A Melbourne council has copped backlash from residents and divided councillors over a spending stoush between foreign aid and local parks and roads.  

Stonnington councillors in the city’s inner south-east are at loggerheads over the council’s disaster relief donation policy after a report recently revealed that $90,000 has been spent on natural disasters overseas since 2004.

The contribution has split the chamber after councillors voted for international disaster and international aid donations to be made ‘explicitly ineligible’ from the amended policy last month.

The controversial decision was overturned a fortnight later.

Ratepayers  and councillors of Stonnington Council (pictured) are divided over its disaster relief donation policy, which has donated $90,000 towards natural disasters overseas

‘Council has made donations to assist the victims of local and international natural disasters since 2004. Councillors should retain the option of providing much needed financial aid to alleviate the human suffering experienced by those people affected by major natural disasters particularly in countries within our region,’ the rescission motion states. 

Councillor John Chandler called on colleagues to ‘not be mean-spirited’ while Councillor Marcia Griffin said foreign aid was the responsibility of the federal government, The Herald Sun reported.

‘If we have funds to spare, why not reduce rates? We are not here to virtue-signal at our ratepayers’ expense,’ Ms Griffin told the chamber last month. 

Ratepayers took social media to express their anger on Monday after the councillors’ spat over the matter caught the media’s attention.

Stonnington mayor Steven Stefanopoulos  (pictured) was among the councillors who voted for an amended policy to end international disaster and international aid donations before it was later overturned 

Stonnington mayor Steven Stefanopoulos  (pictured) was among the councillors who voted for an amended policy to end international disaster and international aid donations before it was later overturned 

‘I am outraged, we pay rates too! Not paying my rates next time, cop that Stonnington Council, oh and fix the hole in the road outside my house and remove dead and dying trees thanks,’ a furious ratepayer tweeted.

Another added: ‘I’ve read Stonnington’s annual report for 2017/18, yet find no mention of payments of foreign aid, so another question: how were those aid payments made and out of what funds precisely.

The matter also sparked outrage on Channel Seven’s Sunrise program on Monday where Brisbane-based presenter Ben Davis called on the council to ‘stay in its lane.’

‘The federal and state governments must look after that. If I’m a ratepayer in this council, I want any spare cash going into reducing my rates,’ he said. 

The Melbourne council has copped backlash from ratepayers over the policy

The Melbourne council has copped backlash from ratepayers over the policy

Fellow panellist Kathy Lipari called on the council to stick to its own backyard. 

‘I wonder what their rubbish collection is like … It’s not something that councils should be dabbling in. Leave the bigger picture stuff to the federal government … even if it is a small amount of money,’ she added.

But some residents were happy for their rates to be spent offshore.

‘I’m happy for them to help people out. It’s been money given to specific disaster relief funds. Most here don’t understand that Stonnington is a VERY well funded council,’ a Melbourne resident tweeted.

Many residents argued that money should be spent on upgrading parks (pictured) and roads instead of natural disasters overseas

Many residents argued that money should be spent on upgrading parks (pictured) and roads instead of natural disasters overseas

Another added: ‘As a Stonnington resident I find the rates charged and services provided by our council  to be very good. If $90,000 over 14 years is the biggest issue they can find then I would say things are ok. Council could even increase it a little.’ 

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Stonnington Council and Cr Stefanopoulos for comment. 

The council’s most recent contribution to foreign aid was a $5000 donation to the Red Cross in response to the Sulawesi tsunami and earthquake in Indonesia in October.

Some ratepayers supported the council's contribution to foreign aid

Some ratepayers supported the council’s contribution to foreign aid

 

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