By XAVIER SMERDON
WYNDHAM City Council will spend more than $18,000 of ratepayer’s money on a wooden seat out the front of its offices.
Exclusive documents obtained by Star show that of the $737,000 being spent to landscape the garden in front of the Wyndham Civic Centre, more than $160,000 is being spent on furniture and “timber seating elements”.
The $18,309 being spent on a wooden seat will be part of a courtyard honouring a former councillor.
The documents, obtained through Freedom of Information, also reveal that $102,000 will be spent on grass, trees and shrub planting.
Outraged Wyndham residents called for the councillors to be sacked after they unanimously voted the plans through earlier this year.
“It’s an absolute disgrace,” Werribee resident Lori McLean told Star.
“We need far more things in this town than a garden for them to sit in.”
Ms McLean, who has lived in Werribee for 30 years, said she had never seen such a blatant waste of ratepayer’s money.
“This has to be the worst thing I’ve seen them blow money on,” she said.
“Why couldn’t they give the money to a local charity that needs it or put it towards aged care?
“It’s time to kick the whole lot out and bring back administrators.”
Residents also said they felt the garden would become a target for vandals.
The breakdown of costs for the works, which is only the first stage of four, show that $46,919 is also going to be spent to place LED lighting on seats, $108,000 will has been spent on timber decking and $12,320 will go towards bench seats for a Japanese garden.
More than $20,000 has also been set aside for six months worth of maintenance.
Wyndham Vale resident Trevor Smithe told Star the council should be ashamed of itself.
“If they think they can justify burning our money with all the problems we have in Wyndham then they are out of their bloody minds,” Mr Smithe said.
“All they do is whinge and moan that they don’t get enough money from the State or Federal Government and then they’re spending this amount of money on a damn garden.
“I have never heard anything so insulting in all my life.”
After Star revealed the approval of the landscaping plans on 31 January this year, Wyndham Council CEO Kerry Thompson defended the high bill.
“The Civic Centre is a public building, with a highly visible frontage of public open space that is used by residents and visitors,” Ms Thompson said.
“In 2011/12 the City has allocated $11 million to be spent on open space projects across the municipality. In this context, the landscape works at the Civic Centre to improve Wyndham’s Civic Image in a high use area at a cost of $737,000 is deemed appropriate.”
A request for a breakdown of costs was originally declined by the council, forcing Star to submit a Freedom of Information request to access the public documents in early February.
It is believed some within the council wanted the documents released, while others preferred them to remain secret.
