Wake up Joondalup

With changes happening at the Mindarie Regional Council, I am going to run a mini-series examining the problems at Tamala Park and the lessons that should be taken into the future of waste management.

Because objectively, the tip is a mess, and it did not happen on its own.

 

It happened over many years through decisions made by the MRC. This particular episode is as good a place as any to begin reflecting on where we are and how we got here.

In May 2024, councillors appointed to the Mindarie Regional Council voted to increase their Information and Communications Technology allowance from $1,040 to the maximum permissible amount of $3,500.

 

No evidence was presented that councillors had previously incurred out-of-pocket ICT expenses warranting such an increase. Many also received ICT allowances or equipment through their own local councils.

 

The recorded justification was not demonstrated expenditure or need. It was essentially that the MRC had the legal authority to pay the maximum allowance.

Moved by: Cr Jordan Wright

Seconded by: Cr Albert Jacob

 

The motion was carried 9 votes to 1.

 

FOR: Crs Creado, Dudek, Gobbert, Hatton, Jacob (CoJ), May (CoJ), Miles, Proud and Wright

AGAINST: Cr Castle

 

WHAT WERE MRC COUNCILLORS PAID AT THE TIME?

Annual meeting fee: $10,824

ICT allowance: $3,500

Total: $14,324 a year, before any remuneration or allowances received from their own councils.

 

And yes, the tip still stinks.

 

UPDATE

For reasons that are not clear from the public record the MRC reduced the ICT allowance to $1,167 from July 2025. It remains at $1,167 in the 2026/27 budget. Did they pay the previous payments back? 

 

The current amounts budgeted through the MRC, and ultimately funded by its member councils, are:

CHAIR’S 2026/27 BUDGETED PACKAGE

Meeting fee: $18,361

Additional Chair allowance: $23,257

 

ICT allowance: $1,167

Superannuation: $5,134

Travel provision: $214

Conference provision: $8,333

Total budgeted: $56,466

 

ORDINARY COUNCILLOR’S 2026/27 BUDGETED PACKAGE

Meeting fee: $12,245

ICT allowance: $1,167

Superannuation: $1,609

Travel provision: $214

Conference provision: $8,333

Total budgeted: $23,568 per councillor

 

Note: Travel and conference amounts are budget provisions not cash payments.

The costs incurred are shared among the MRC’s member councils. Joondalup’s share of the MRC’s governance and administration costs is approximately 16.67%.

 

Ratepayers fund their decisions. They are entitled to scrutinise how those decisions are made.

And that brings us back to the bigger question: how did Tamala Park get into its current state, and what lessons should be learned before the next generation of waste-management decisions is made?