RELATED: New mayor outlines vision
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BENDIGO Mayor Peter Cox wants the executive arm of the council to be more efficient and have a lesser say on the council's finances.
Cr Cox said City of Greater Bendigo employee wages had blown out and executives took too long to complete projects.
"I see things happening in local government that a normal business would not agree with - there are practices in local government that would not be acceptable in the general running of a business," he said.
"It takes too long to bring out change - I want the issues dealt with in a speedier fashion."
Cr Cox was reiterating his previous calls for the Local Government Act 1989 to give elected councillors a greater say on the council's finances.
He said the City of Greater Bendigo's annual employee costs had risen by eight per cent last financial year, bringing the total to $54 million.
"We have to ask ourselves if that's sustainable," he said.
Cr Cox said the council's Waste and Resource Management Strategy adopted three years ago was an example of a project that had taken too long to complete.
"We haven't actually changed anything at this point in time - I get a little frustrated when it takes that long," he said.
But Cr Cox said chief executive Craig Niemann had his full support.
“Craig does a great job, but he does a great job under the current local government act. I want the act to be reviewed," he said.
A spokeswoman for Local Government Minister Natalie Hutchins said the government was committed to a full review of the Act.
Mr Niemann declined to comment.