THREE council facilities could be sold off under a push to achieve savings and consolidate operations.
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In a report to a recent meeting general manager Warwick Bennett said the number of facilities that Council currently operated was excessive and not conducive to efficient operations.
“At this time we have different staff working in different departments in different locations. Although staff will still retain different report lines, staff need to work closely together as one team,” Mr Bennett said.
“…We need to consolidate and rationalise unnecessary assets. To have five operating depots in Goulburn does not make good business sense.”
He wants Council to operate from just one depot at Hetherington St, north Goulburn.
It would free up space at the Bourke St depot for vehicle storage, office and training facilities and emergency services.
In his report Mr Bennett suggested that three other depots could be sold. These were:
- Dossie St – housing a parks and gardens nursery and surrounding land parcels;
- River St – pipe storage area only (retaining stormwater reservoir);
- 84 Combermere St – housing the Rural Fire Service administration headquarters.
He acknowledged there would be additional upfront costs involved in relocating staff to one facility, but the long term benefits would be “rapidly realised.” This included having stores close to all outdoor staff and plant and equipment in the same location as the workshop.
The council previously investigated consolidation of the depots, long before Mr Bennett took up his post last June. However the idea was never pursued.
The suggestion is not set in concrete yet. Councillors only gave in principle support to the consolidation and sale at the meeting. Both are subject to a report from staff and a business case. As part of the process, a staff working party will investigate its practicality and what additional infrastructure will be required.
Freed up space at Bourke St would also allow Council to bring back records to Goulburn currently stored at Orange. Other changes are in the wind. Council also provides facilities for emergency services including the RFS and SES (Lanigan Lane) and several other organisations have requested space to store their vehicles.
Mr Bennett suggested the Lanigan Lane facility, a Crown Land reserve, could be sold under the Crown Lands Act and the proceeds used to consolidate and further develop an emergency services centre in Goulburn. This would most likely be at the Bourke St depot.
He will prepare a business case and consult with emergency services about the idea. But so far he says the SES is not keen, given significant upgrades at Lanigan Lane in recent years.
Council will not force the issue.
The proposals are a key part of Mr Bennett’s organisational review, which started in July. Staff have been consulted about widespread changes. The Post is also aware that unions have been involved.
Two senior directors have left, one of these as a result of a staff restructure and advertising of re-jigged directorships.
Mr Bennett said once all new directors had started a restructure of management positions would begin.
“I don’t expect there will be any redundancies as a result,” he told the Post.
“Where there is found to be any duplication of roles that will be dealt with by way of natural attrition or reassigning resources to areas that are currently under resourced.”
He’s flagged a further $4.5 million in annual savings following a budget review. This includes $469,000 in salaried positions “no longer deemed necessary” and $248,000 spent on contractors and consultants, his report states. Identified savings of $1.2 million in the general fund could be spent on capital works projects, Mr Bennett suggested.
But he warned that Council also has some upcoming expenses including additional costs for the Oallen Ford approaches, “old disputed settlement of claims,” local government reform, the Brayton Rd rehabilitation and road marking in rural areas.