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City of Ballarat councillors' 2024 - 25 expenses revealed.

Yearly expenses revealed: did Ballarat councillors trim costs to ratepayers?

BH

October 25 2025


A group of councillors focused on cost-cutting has trimmed their annual expenses by thousands of dollars in the past financial year, but still charged ratepayers the second-highest amount since 2019-20.

According to the City of Ballarat council's 2024-25 Annual Report, councillors racked up $44,061.33 of ratepayer-funded expenses during the past financial year.

City of Ballarat councillors accumulated $44,061.33 in expenses in the past financial year.


As it was an election year, some of these expenses were accumulated by previous councillors, with the current group responsible for $37,862.41 in charges.


This total was significantly less than the $79,508.98 amassed by councillors in the 12 months preceding it.

However, it was more than the amount charged to ratepayers in 2021-22 and 2022-23, and was about the same as the post-COVID-19 four-year average of $46,938.03.


Which councillor amassed the most expenses?

Councillor Samantha McIntosh incurred the most costs in the past year, accumulating $12,820.22 in expenses.

About half of the Central Ward councillor's expenses were attributed to travel and car mileage, while she also accumulated $4479.18 in conference and training fees.


Cr McIntosh has now accumulated $42,345.84 in travel expenses over the past seven years, but almost half of this amount was incurred in 2018-19, when she was mayor.

Over the same period, Councillor Des Hudson, who was also mayor on multiple occasions, racked up $22,355.73 in travel expenses.


Information provided to The Courier by the council attributed Cr McIntosh's higher travel costs to her regular attendance at meetings as part of her roles with the Australian Local Government Women's Association and the Municipal Association of Victoria.

These roles involve her travelling to events and meetings, often held in Melbourne, Canberra or other regional locations.


The municipality's councillor policy entitles elected officials to claim travel expenses, including mileage and other related costs, to attend events and meetings.


After Cr McIntosh, the councillor who accrued the second-highest expenses in 2024-25 was Golden Point ward's Councillor Tess Morgan.

While Cr Morgan garnered $11,401.79 in expenses in the 2024-25 financial year, a sum predominantly due to her amassing $10,521.40 in conference and training costs.

This was due to her completion of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) course in April 2025, which alone cost $9300.


The Courier understands this is a common professional development course undertaken by many councillors during their first term.

Other councillors who have completed the AICD course include Mayor Tracey Hargreaves, Cr Hudson, Deputy Mayor Ben Taylor and Cr McIntosh.

Former councillors who have also undertaken the course include Daniel Moloney, Belinda Coates and Amy Johnson.


Of the current elected group, councillors Damon Saunders and Jim Rinaldi's expenses were the lowest, both charging just $315 to ratepayers for information and communication costs.




BH

Journalist


 
 
 

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