Acting Mayor says Redlands “can’t afford to wait 12 months” for efficiencies
REDLAND City Council erupted into a heated debate over cost savings with Cr Paul Bishop ultimately the lone vote against a plan to fast-track efficiencies aimed at reducing pressure on future rate rises.
Acting Mayor Julie Talty’s Mayoral Minute passed on division after a tense exchange in which Cr Bishop repeatedly questioned what savings would be brought forward and whether the move would place further pressure on Council staff.
Cr Talty’s motion authorises chief executive Louise Rusan to immediately identify, prioritise and progress practical opportunities to reduce operating costs, increase productivity and strengthen organisational efficiency within her existing delegations and Council’s approved budget.
It is designed to bring forward suitable savings identified through Council’s longer-term service and efficiency review and Redland Blueprint work.
“Councillor, we can’t afford to wait 12 months,” Cr Talty told Cr Bishop when he questioned why the existing review process could not run its course.
Cr Bishop said he supported sustainable savings but wanted answers about the impact on the organisation.
“My question still stands, because I think the objective should not simply be to find savings sooner,” he said.
“It should be to achieve sustainable savings that can genuinely benefit our residents.”
He asked Cr Talty what opportunities she believed could be pulled forward, saying councillors had not had an opportunity to discuss the proposal before it was brought to the chamber.
Cr Talty cut off the line of questioning, saying: “Okay, I’m not debating, councillor. You have an opportunity to ask a question.”
When Cr Bishop sought to question the CEO directly about the effect on staff and priorities, Cr Talty initially said she would move on because it was a Mayoral Minute, not an officer report.
She later asked Ms Rusan to respond.
Ms Rusan said Council had already built about $23 million in efficiencies, savings and mitigations into the current budget and had achieved a small operating surplus.
But she said the motion would give staff a clear “head of power” to bring immediate measures forward while longer-term work continued.
“There are pressures on the budget now impacting on the community,” Ms Rusan said.
“There are measures that we can take that will help in that space.
“What it does is give the organisation the certainty of a head of power that those measures for cost saving are important to bring forward as soon as we possibly can.”
Cr Jason Colley also asked whether the Mayoral Minute was needed for work that could not already be done.
Ms Rusan said it would give the organisation clarity about Council’s expectations for immediate action.
Cr Wendy Boglary said she was struggling to understand the need for the minute, arguing savings work was already underway through the Deloitte-led efficiency review.
“I’m just not understanding what we’re not doing,” she said.
The exchange became more pointed after Cr Shane Rendalls asked whether the motion simply clarified the CEO’s authority to act on “low-hanging fruit” while more complex savings would still return to Council.
Cr Talty replied there was “nothing in this to be frightened of”.
“I’m not frightened of anything. I believe it’s already aligned,” Cr Boglary interjected.
Cr Talty said she had not asked for a debate and warned the councillor who was becoming argumentative and interrupting the chair.
In summing up, Cr Talty said officers may see an efficiency measure scheduled for action in one, three or five years but not know Council wanted it advanced.
“We don’t want to leave it for three years,” she said.
“If you can do it now, do it now — or bring it back to us.”
The Mayoral Minute was carried, with Cr Bishop voting against it.
