Last week’s Campbelltown Council agenda contained what seemed to be a rather innocuous item under the category Q2 Quarterly Financial Review 2025-26 of a $50,000 expenditure increase for a monument.
It may have seemed innocuous on the surface, but councillors went on to ask more than 20 questions and the council spent more than half an hour debating it.
The item read as follows: “International Mother Language Day Monument – $50,000 increase in capital expenditure. A request of $50,000 has been allocated from the building program to surrounding infrastructure to support the Mother Language Day Monument Federal project.’’
That was all the information provided for the councillors’ benefit, something which displeased some of them, including Cr Warren Morrison, who said during the lengthy debate that ensued: “There is no report, no costings; I would want to be properly advised what the extra money is for.’’
The request for an extra $50,000 for the proposed monument was brought to the attention of the other 14 councillors by independent Adam Zahra, who moved an amendment which read: “That the adjustments recommended in the Quarterly Budget Review be adopted with the exception of the $50,000 allocation to surrounding infrastructure to support the Mother Language Day Monument Federal project.’’
Cr Josh Cotter, the leader of the three person Community First group seconded the motion.
Cr Zahra said his concern was purely financial as he was opposed to ratepayers of Campbelltown being “slugged twice’’ for this proposed monument.
“They will get slugged through income tax for the original $50,000 provided by the member for Macarthur, Dr Mike Freelander, for the monument itself, and now, will fork our another $50,000 through their rates to pay for the landscaping around the monument,’’ Cr Zahra told the council.
The questions did unearth some more information about the issue, including that it all started with the Dr Freelander commitment of $50,000, and that subsequent enquiries by council officers had shown another $50,000 would be needed to ensure the ground around the monument was fit for the purpose.
Most of the questions went to the chief executive officer Lindy Deitz, who revealed that no location had yet been determined for the monument – nor a design for the monument itself.
Cr Zahra asked which building programs would be cut to the tune of $50,000 if the request was granted, but all he got was confirmation that the money would be coming out of the building program budget.
He pressed again by asking of the footpath program would be affected. “No,’’ said the CEO. “The footpath program has its own budget.’’
Cr Cotter asked if Campbelltown Council had been consulted by Dr Freelander before he made the announcement: No, was the answer.
Mayor Darcy Lound defended the allocation of the extra $50,000 of ratepayers’ money to make the ground around the monument as aesthetically pleasing as possible.
“I always want the best for our community in whatever we do, and we will get a better outcome with the extra $50,000,’’ he said.
In the end, and after some robust debate, including a division here and there, and another question or 10, the majority voted for the extra $50,000 to be given the green light.