A CONTROVERSIAL fee that charged charities, non-profit and community groups for the right to set up sausage sizzles and food stalls to raise money has been scrapped.
But businesses will still be required to pay $50 to cover council costs associated with ensuring safe food handling practices are met.
Brimbank councillors voted to scrap the fee when a motion was raised by Greens councillor Miles Dymott last month, but the issue then cooked into a political storm when some councillors wanted more information.
It was finally scrapped at last week’s ordinary council meeting.
After the council initially decided to scrap the fee, councillor Sam David called for the decision to be rescinded at the following council meeting, as he felt councillors voted hastily despite only having little information about the issue.
While many councillors support the scrapping of the fee, a majority voted for an investigation to be launched before again bringing it before council for another vote.
The decision was met with boos from the public gallery.
“They (councillors) rescinded the motion on the basis that we needed more information … but in effect, we commissioned a report, sent it away for four weeks and when it came back we had exactly the same information as what was initially presented (to council),” Cr Dymott told Star after last week’s council meeting.
“I’d say that it was more of a political exercise than ensuring that something was good for the community – but I’m glad that it has got through, it’s a good result.”
The fee was introduced in 1999 as part of changes to the Food Act and a requirement has seen workers for organisations that prepare and sell food also complete food safety programs.
In the past year, the council approved more than 150 food stalls, and more than 80 per cent of those were conducted by community groups.
But Cr Dymott said he remained baffled at how something so trivial could develop into a such contentious political issue.
“This was blatantly a political issue for councillors from the start, and some councillors went through the whole charade of getting the recision motion through,” he said.
The decision will cost the council $6000 per year.
Brimbank mayor Natalie Suleyman, who was among the councillors who voted in favour of the recision motion despite initially voting in favour dropping the fee, last week said she supported the scrapping of the fee for non-profit groups.
“Waiving the $50 fee for these community groups is appropriate and the council is happy to support the recommendation,” she said.
“However, stall-holders still have the statutory obligation under the Food Act to ensure that their temporary food stalls are registered and to ensure that the appropriate safeguards and processes are in place to minimise the likelihood of contaminated food being sold to members of the public.”
