Warrnambool City councillors debated a rework of the Provision of Resources and Support for Councillors Policy and the Councillors IT Equipment Conditions of Use Policy on Monday night. 

Both were voted on together, drawing the ire of Crs Brian Kelson and Peter Sycopoulis who suggested they should have been discussed separately. 

The IT equipment policy says when the new term of council begins, all councillors will be issued with a Warrnambool City Council email address, which will not be forwarded to a personal account. 

The policy also states councillors should expect their internet and email use to be monitored and results reported to chief executive officer. 

Cr Kelson said he has been using a personal email address since emails went missing from his council-issued iPad. “There’s a confidentiality issue with this,” he said. 

“So when someone emails me with confidential information, that could be going to the CEO – that is a problem. To me big brother is alive and well.” 

But Cr Jacinta Ermacora said email monitoring would be no different to what is in place at large professional organisations, searching only for words that have been flagged as inappropriate. 

Mayor Michael Neoh said councillors had nothing to fear if they were using their email appropriately.

“Technically, any correspondence with a councillor is correspondence with the council,” he said. 

“We need to be able to track if a resident has made a request. It makes sense for all councillors to have emails linked to the council server.”

Cr Ermacora said she was pleased to see an extra $500 for personal development as part of the resource policy. 

“That has a specification it be used for governance training,” she said. 

“I’ve been looking forward to this renewal, especially the greater commitment to governance training for councillors,” Cr Ermacora said. 

“It’s also worth to note to any woman, or man, planning to stand for council there is provision for reimbursement of childcare or for the care of someone the councillor is a primary carer for. 

“That’s really important because the cost associated with care is often a barrier for people putting their hand up.”