While Melbourne’s CBD experiences a slow death, Melbourne City Council (MCC) has awarded itself fat pay increases to its army of bureaucrats, according to its draft budget:
- MCC’s wages bill will jump by more than $18 million this year.
- Ratepayers will pay about $180.2 million for employee costs in 2021-22, up around 11% on the previous year.
- MCC’s wage bill will blow out to nearly $194 million within three years.
- An extra 107 staff will be hired over the next year for a total of 1494.
- The average annual cost per staff member will be $120,480.
- Ratepayers Victoria is furious describing the pay rises as “tone deaf” and “out of touch”.
- Ratepayers Victoria president Dean Hurlston said there was no reason to increase staffing levels and costs: Ratepayers Victoria president Dean Hurlston said there was no reason to increase staffing levels and costs.
I have only been into the CBD twice since COVID hit (in April and May) and it was depressing. The city felt dirty, smelt of urine, and was littered with homeless on nearly every corner.
