Council Told to Cut the Fat

Following on from the $300,00 hidden Effeciency report The Age reports that the Melbourne City Council will axe a number of staff including controversol Spin Doctor Hayden Cock, Hayden Cock was goiven teh hard job of spending all of Council's consolidated media revenue in what some have claimed to be John So's political propoganda unit. Problem was Cok faield to deliver the goods and services as expecetd, Insxtead Melbourne sawe a blow out in the Council's media expenditure with little gain in media exposure and benefit to the City.

In addition to the John So's media unit Counil governnace is expecetd to also come under review.

The full costs of early termnination payout's and redundancy has not been dislosed. It is expected that the City Council would be up for over 2 million dollars in early redundancy payouts.





Senior executives to go in council cull
Clay Lucas May 30, 2007 - 4:41PM

The Age

Melbourne City Council could cut up to 100 staff in a second round of redundancies, a report reveals.

The council is expected to save $1.5 million by sacking 26 people, including several senior executives, in the first round of redundancies, announced earlier today.

It would save a further $5.7 million in redundancies in the second round, the report says.

In the first round of redundancies, the Council will sack several senior executives, including its controversial spin doctor.

The council is set to reveal 26 redundancies as part of its biggest shake-up in 14 years, theage.com.au understands, with up to 100 more to go in the coming months.

Two directors, 10 executives and 14 staff are among those expected to be made redundant today.

Corporate affairs director Hayden Cock, whose package is worth $220,000, is believed to be among those to be made redundant.

Chief executive David Pitchford notified each of the 26 staff this morning.

The move follows the completion last month of a $300,000 report by consultants Ernst & Young on how the council could cut costs.

The report found a massive blowout in labour costs at the council, huge problems with its parking officers, a blowout in executives at the council on more than $100,000, and an explosion of spending on marketing.

Lord Mayor John So, who did not return calls, will come under immense pressure now the confidential report is public.

The report's highly critical findings have found many problems at the council have emerged since 2002 - the year after Councillor So became Lord Mayor.