He’s also calling on Council not to publicise price estimates on its work, fearing it will lead to inflated contractors’ quotes.

At Tuesday night’s meeting he criticised a $13,000 estimate for internal painting of a cottage at the Recreation Area (on Mountain Ash Rd) and $8500 for re-carpeting and vinyl.

“To throw $21,000 at renovations is ridiculous,” he said.

“I’ve done some figures and they’re not anywhere near that.”

Cr Carol James, a real estate agent, agreed the estimate was “very high.”

Councillors were being asked to allocate funds to undertake the work.

Council owns the threebedroom brick veneer house but leases it to the Goulburn Greyhound Racing Club.

In turn, the Club leases it to a residential tenant under a maintenance contract.

Cr Margaret O’Neill said the club paid Council $270 a week in rent, but would “be lucky to get $200 for the state it’s in.”

Staff said it needed basic renovations to bring it up to an acceptable standard.

“There have not been substantial funds expended on the cottage for 10 to 12 years,” their report stated.

“The Club has indicated they may be reluctant to renew the lease if the renovations are not undertaken.

“They do not consider the current condition of the cottage to be of a standard to achieve a market or near market rent.”

If the Club did not renew the lease then Council would again become the landlord.

Cr Banfield argued the Greyhound Club should be responsible for maintenance and enforcing rules like not allowing animals inside the house.

“So I find it disappointing that the Club hasn’t held up its end of the bargain,” he said.

“I say we take it over again and if tenants are not doing their job of up-keeping the place, they’re out the door.”

Cr Banfield said it was also “insane” for Council to publicise budgets for contracted works.

“Time and time again I see estimates well and truly above market value,” he said.

“Tradies look at it and say ‘we’re sitting on a pot of money here,’ up their price and still come in under the estimate.”

He won his colleagues’ support to withdraw the item.

General manager Warwick Bennett will prepare a report on the lease agreement and cottage’s condition for a future meeting.

Goulburn Greyhound Club president Pat Day said the organisation did not make any money out of the arrangement.

He said under the NSW Crown Lands Act, Council could not directly lease assets on the Recreation Area to a private party. Instead, it had to be leased to a user. In this sense, the Club was simply the conduit.

“We have told Council that we’re only too happy not to have the cottage as part of the maintenance contract arrangement,” he said.

“It’s just that we’re in the process of doing up another lease and we feel it needs some work…We feel that because it’s a Council asset and they earn rent from it, they should be responsible for maintenance.

He told the Post that the cottage only need re-painting and re-carpeting and was not in poor internal condition