On the Roundup today, Hume Council loses a Supreme Court case; West Wimmera reverses a decision on the Rainbow Flag; a controversial sand mine expansion in Gippsland met with shock and disappointment; a former CEO faces significant cases after losing an appeal; election campaign promises and much more.
Listen to this episode here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1726495/10595187 or on your preferred podcast app (podbio.me/lgnewsroundup)
The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association.
Transcript with links:
Issue 122, LG News Roundup, 11th May 2022
Hello and welcome to the Local Government News Roundup for the 11th May 2022.
Coming up today: Hume Council loses a Supreme Court case; West Wimmera reverses a decision on the Rainbow Flag; a controversial sand mine expansion in Gippsland met with shock and disappointment; a former CEO faces significant cases after losing an appeal; election campaign promises and much more in this edition of the Roundup.
The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, your national broadcaster for all things local government. Subscribe to the VLGA Connect channel on YouTube or your preferred podcast app for the latest interviews on topics of interest to the local government sector.
Hume City Council has lost its Supreme Court bid to overturn a decision to allow West Gate Tunnel spoil to be disposed of at Bulla.
The court found that the Minister for Planning’s decisions on the matter were not affected by jurisdictional error, and were therefore lawful.
Hume Mayor Carly Moore said the council was disappointed with the result, but would continue to object to the proposal and voice community concerns to State Government.
The Council estimates its costs to pursue the matter to be in the order of $100 to $200K, and possibly higher. The outcomes of the decision will be formally considered at a future meeting of the Council.
West Wimmera Shire has overturned a previous decision on its flag flying policy, and will now fly the Rainbow Flag on IDAHOBIT Day, later this month.
A special meeting of the council was called on Monday to reconsider amendments to its policy, after a community outcry over its original decision and subsequent comments by its mayor in the media.
The council’s CEO is now authorised to establish community flagpoles at five locations in the shire, including Edenhope and Kaniva, and to fly the rainbow flag at those locations on 17th May.
If the flagpoles cannot be established by that date, the second flagpoles at the Edenhope council chambers and the Windmill in Kaniva will be used to fly the rainbow flag.
A state government decision to allow a controversial sand mine to go ahead in Grantville has been met with shock and disappointment by Bass Coast Shire Council.
Mayor Michael Whelan said it was a devastating decision that seemingly ignored the concerns of the Council and the community around the expansion of operations by Dandy PreMix into the Biolinks area of the Western Port Woodlands.
The planning application was called in by the State Government in November 2020.
Sand mine extension ignores environmental risks | Bass Coast Shire
Meanwhile, Bass Coast council is undertaking works to rehabilitate a deliberately damaged section of the Cape Woolamai foreshore.The creation of BMX and motorbike tracks has damaged native vegetation and increased the risk of erosion. The Council says there has been considerable community outrage at the damage, and the mayor is encouraging anyone seeing motorbikes being ridden in the foreshore reserve to call the police.
https://www.basscoast.vic.gov.au/about-council/news-listing/damaged-foreshore-to-be-restored
The state government will develop a new cat management strategy to encourage responsible ownership and better support the welfare of cats and native wildlife.
$1.3M is included in the latest state budget to develop a 10 year plan, which is expected to include a focus on education and promotion of cat containment measures.
Many councils have been grappling independently with the challenges of balancing responsible cat ownership with the threat to wildlife from uncontained and feral cats in urban and natural environments.
Various versions of cat curfews and effective control policies have been tried, often with controversial results and the need for extensive education and awareness campaigns.
The new funding is also understood to include grants to encourage cat containment and responsible cat ownership.
https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/10-year-plan-protect-cats-and-wildlife-victoria
A new purpose built regional animal facility will be built in Ballarat, with $11.5M being contributed by the state government in its latest budget.
The City of Ballarat has identified a site for the project and committed $200K for planning of the shelter in this current financial year.
Mayor Daniel Moloney said 94 percent of responses to a community survey ranked a new regional animal shelter as a high priority.
$11.5 million in funding for a new Ballarat Regional Animal Facility
Meanwhile, the council has released a tender for the first stage of a Ballarat Airport Runway Upgrade.
The Ballarat Courier reports that the 555m extension to the main north-south runway is one of three stages to modernise the facility.
$7M of federal and state government funds has been secured to date, and the council’s draft budget forecasts borrowings of $12.75M for major infrastructure works, including the airport.
https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AUNB&docref=news/189E0806513B83A8
Golden Plains Shire is connecting its residents with free mental health support and counselling.
Under a new partnership arrangement with Barwon Child Youth and Family, residents of shire can access free counselling for generalist mental health, and drug and alcohol issues, from four locations in the municipality.
Mayor Gavin Gamble said after a difficult two years for many community members, the new program will make it much easier to seek the help they need.
The free service is available to all Golden Plains residents and families between now and the end of March next year.
Free Mental Health Support for Residents | Golden Plains Shire Council
As the federal election heads towards its final week, here are some of the council advocacy outcomes:
Yarra Ranges has welcomed funding commitments from candidates and called on all parties to match the pledges made to date.
A Liberal party commitment of $14.8M would see the construction of eight key roads in the council’s Roads for Agribusiness proposal; while almost $5M has been promised by the Labor Party for construction of the Yarra Valley Trail, Stage 2A.
Council welcomes election funding commitments
A federal Labor commitment of $386K for upgrades to the Toomuc Recreation Reserve has been welcomed by Cardinia Shire. The Council is calling on other parties to match the pledge, which will enable upgrades to heating, air conditioning and ventilation and repainting of the pavilion’s second storey.
Knox City Council has provided an update on results from its advocacy efforts, after the state government confirmed the upgrade of a dangerous intersection in Ferntree Gully.
Mator Susan Laukens said the Liberal Party had made an election commitment to fund lighting upgrades at three local sporting reserves. She said the Council is looking for further support for the upgrade of sporting infrastructure, kindergarten places, social housing developments, and investment in Boronia station and shopping precinct renewal.
https://www.knox.vic.gov.au/whats-happening/news/election-advocacy-pays-0
Briefs:
Moira Shire has released a draft environmental sustainability strategy, looking to address threats to water security, extreme weather events, loss of plant and animal species, and the generation of waste. It’s the council’s third such strategy, and will set the direction for the next four years.
The City of Casey has honoured a former councillor and mayor by naming a new reserve in Clyde North the Mick Morland Reserve. The late Mick Morland served as a Casey councillor for six terms from the early 90s.
https://www.casey.vic.gov.au/news/clyde-north-reserve-named-honour-of-mick-morland
Port Phillip City Council has provided more detail on a spate of thefts targeting bronze plaques and artworks in recent weeks.
A bronze sundial and three plaques have gone missing from Elwood, Port Ormond and St Kilda, and there have been attempted thefts of two other plaques in the area.
Acting Mayor Tim Baxter said the cost to replace the artefacts could be as much as $10,000. The council is asking residents to be on the lookout for the stolen items and report suspicious activity to Victoria Police.
Still to come – a former CEO faces significant cases after losing an appeal; the nation’s largest EV destination network planned; e-scooters expanding to a third Tasmanian city; and the UK city that has voted to do away with direct election of its mayor.
You’re listening to the Local Government News Roundup for 11th May 2022, brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association.
I’m joined now by the VLGA CEO’s Kathryn Arndt to talk about the next in the 2022 series of Global Panel Discussions which is fast approaching.
Thanks very much Kathryn. For more details on that session on Thursday 26th May and to register, go to the events page on the VLGA’s website.. There’s a link in the show notes.
Now for some stories making news around Australia in local government this week:
The former CEO of Logan City Council has lost a court bid to overturn a ruling clearing the council of dismissing her unlawfully.
Sharon Kelsey was appealing a ruling by the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission from April last year.
According to a report from the Courier Mail, Industrial Court Justice Peter Davis upheld the ruling that the council and councillors had not acted unlawfully when terminating Ms Kelesey’s employment at the end of her six month probation.
The judge has given Logan City Council, seven councillors and the former mayor until this Friday the lodge submissions on costs, which are expected to be in the millions of dollars.
Ms Kelsey has until 27th May to lodge any objection to the cost claims.
Ex-Logan CEO Sharon Kelsey fails in appeal bid to overturn sacking as court cost payouts loom (paywall)
The NSW Government is offering $20M in grants to establish the largest destination charging network for electric vehicles in the country.
Up to 3,500 EV chargers will be installed at a range of destinations across the state, including motels, wineries, visitor information centres and tourist attractions.
A series of EV tourist drives will be developed to promote EV travel in regional NSW after the rollout of the charging network.
The grant program is part of a broader program investing $171M in charging infrastructure over the next four years.
$20 million in electric vehicle charging grants to drive regional tourism | NSW Government
A successful trial of e-scooters in Tasmania is being expanded into Burnie next month.
The trial has been running for four months in Hobart and Launceston, with a total of over 700,000 kilometres ridden on machines in that time.
Beam, the micomobility company running the trial, says each e-scooter has been used on average 4 times each day, with the average duration of a trip of 12 minutes.
Beam is working with Burnie City Council to introduce 150 e-scooters to the city’s pavements in June. The company also says drink-driving deterrence technology will be introduced to the devices in the coming weeks.
With over 700,000 kms ridden in 4 months, Beam expands Tasmanian footprint to Burnie
Still in Tasmania, and the Greater Hobart Committee has released a draft 30 year Greater Hobart Plan.
Tasmania Premier Jeremy Rockcliff said this week that the four Greater Hobart councils have worked well together to deliver and articulate their collective visions for the growth and development of Hobart over the next 30 years.
The plan looks at how the city can accommodate expected growth of 60,000 people over that period, with a forecast need of 30,000 additional dwellings.
The new plan is on exhibition with submissions invited until 20th June.
Planning for Greater Hobart’s future
NSW mayors and councillors will be eligible to receive a 2% increase in fees, as a result of the NS Local Government Remuneration Tribunal’s 2022 determination.
The new fees take effect on the 1st July.
The tribunal also considered five requests for recategorization of councils, but found no justification for a change. It did however note that some councils may have a better case for recategorization at the next major review in 2023.
https://lgnsw.org.au/Public/News/News22/05/0510-2022-fees-set-for-mayors-councillors.aspx
To the National Briefs now:
A new heavy vehicle bypass is officially opened in Gwydir Shire, after five years of work and $8.1M mostly from state and federal governments, and the shire. Mayor John Coulton said the 4.1km bypass at Warialda would ease congestion on the local road network and make the town’s main retail district safer for all motorists.
(Country Leader)
The City of Launceston will waive an $800 development application fee in a bid to remove a disincentive to public art projects. According to a report in the Launceston Examiner, Councillors voted to reduce the fee to $0 under an interim Art in Public Space policy, and to have public or street art assessed by a cultural advisory committee.
(Launceston Examiner)
Blacktown City Libraries has released a book of COVID-19 lockdown stories, documenting an unprecedented time in history and its effect on local communities. Mayor Tony Bleasdale OAM this week joined local author Emie Roy to launch the book, called “The Light at the End of The Tunnel”, which is available to borrow from Blacktown libraries.
Blacktown City Libraries launches book of lockdown stories
The CEO of Queensland’s Charters Towers Regional Council has announced he is stepping down. Aaron Johansson has served in the role for the past 4 and a half years. He announced his resignation in a LinkedIn post earlier this week.
In NSW, the council areas of Port Stephens, Maitland and Cessnock would benefit from a $1M Liberal Party pledge to fund crime deterrent measures, including increased use of CCTV systems.
Meanwhile, Labor has committed $373M for lighting upgrades at the Cessnock Sportsgrounds.
The election commitments in the Hunter region follow an earlier Coalition commitment of a $15M investment in the wine, spirits and craft breweries sector, which will include a $5M program under which councils can receive funding to develop new tourism events and experiences.
(Cessnock Advertiser)
International Spotlight:
In England, the model of directly electing the mayor of Bristol will be abolished after a referendum conducted in conjunction with council elections last week.
According to a report from the BBC, approximately 59% of voters chose a committee system in which groups of councillors make the decisions, over the current model of a directly elected mayor.
The current mayor, Marvin Rees, will hold the position until 2024.
The current model has been in place for about a decade.
Bristol mayor vote: City decides to abolish mayor post – BBC News
A county in Hawai’i has introduced a form of property tax relief for families on ancestral lands for whom skyrocketing property values have made them asset rich but cash poor.
Hawai’i Public Radio reports that the new measure allows families on properties that have been passed down for at least three generations or more than 80 years to pay the minimum property tax.
It provides one example of a family whose property tax has gone from $700 to $22,000 per year – but is now liable for just $350 per year.
The council has received overwhelmingly positive feedback on the measure, which aims to ensure future generations don’t have to move away from their ancestral lands.
A long time city manager in the US state of Texas has passed away, just weeks before he was due to receive a lifetime service award.
Bob Hart was the City Manager of Corinth City Council since January 2017, one of six cities he had worked at in Texas across a local government career of 41 years.
He is being remembered for his servant leadership, strong commitment to economic development and regional partnerships, and as a teacher and mentor to students at the University of Texas at Arlington. Bob Hart was 69 years of age.
Corinth announces city manager’s death | Lake Cities Sun | starlocalmedia.com
That’s the latest from the Roundup, thanks to the Victorian Local Governance Association, your national broadcaster for all things local government. Subscribe to VLGA Connect on YouTube and podcast for regular sessions with local government identities and decision makers. I’ll be back with more news from around the world of local government on Wednesday.
Until then, thanks for listening and bye for now.