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MAP overspend explainedLatrobe City Council recently resolved to give a public explanation as to the reasons for the Marketing Advisory Panel's (the MAP) overspend. By Latrobe City Council - 25th July 2005 - Back to News Council's Chief Executive Officer, Paul Buckley, said that despite the overspend there was no doubt that the campaign undertaken by the MAP in 2003 and 2004, as part of the Latrobe Ministerial Taskforce initiative, had been influential in successfully promoting the region nationally and to the wider world.
Mr Buckley said that among the plusses, was the instigation of the Latrobe First Ambassador Program, which had created a recognition within the community that the region has enormous strength and talent.
"The realisation that each and every one of us can, and must make a contribution to furthering the region, is perhaps best demonstrated through the Ambassador program. More than three-hundred residents as Ambassadors actively promoted the region's expertise and advantages in tourism, industry, sport, and education, and demonstrated pride in their community on a daily basis," Mr Buckley said.
Mr Buckley also highlighted the Innovation Festival as providing a springboard to recognition for numerous business and community interests. "Gippsland, and in particular the Latrobe Valley, has displayed enormous ingenuity in promoting innovation, technology, skills and cleverness. It is acknowledged both at a state and nation-wide level that our region has set the agenda," Mr Buckley said.
"The results after the first and second festivals were so encouraging that, although the MAP's work has ended, Council has continued to embrace the Festival as an integral tool in highlighting the region."
The overspend was first identified by Council officers in mid 2004, and was reported to Council who subsequently referred the matter to its Audit Committee for investigation. The Audit Committee subsequently found that a lack of reporting and monitoring of the project costs by the MAP, combined with a number of weaknesses in internal controls, and inadequate development of Council expenditure policies and procedures, allowed the overspend to occur.
Mr Buckley, who was appointed CEO in 2004 and was not involved with the MAP at the time that the marketing time was undertaken, said that in inheriting the responsibility for Council's fiscal management, he had been extremely disappointed that the MAP budget overruns had been shown in the auditing process.
"I set an extremely high standard of fiscal accountability within Council, and although the MAP was responsible for its own budget, our audits have revealed an overrun of $300,000 that fell to Council to fund.
"The overspend predominantly related to the Clean Air Campaign, the Latrobe First Ambassador Program, and general promotional and marketing activities.
"In any future arrangements where funding is provided to be administered by project management groups under the eye of Council, I will not only expect, but demand strict adherence to limits imposed, and clear and precise contractual arrangements over what funding is being provided.
"It is unacceptable that overruns in the MAP's one-million dollar marketing budget, despite it being a very complex project, has taken some of the shine off the great work it undertook.
"The steps I have put into place will ensure that a position such as that revealed in the audit cannot take place in the future," Mr Buckley concluded.
Source: www.gippsland.com Published by: news@gippsland.com
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