Calls for a rethink of rail infrastructure priorities in Melbourne intensify.
That development leads this edition of the Local Government News Roundup.
Also today: Ballarat presses its case to host the Commonwealth Games marathon events; councillor resignations and election results, plus CEO appointments confirmed and pending; he Pisasale name will not return to local assets in Ipswich; a SA councillor in breach of the code of conduct over social media usage; more Councils introducing cat bans and ownership restrictions;
And much more in this midweek edition of theLocal Government News Roundup, brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, your national broadcaster for all things local government. L
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Transcript, with story links:
Calls for a rethink of rail infrastructure priorities in Melbourne intensify.
That development leads this edition of the Local Government News Roundup.
Welcome to the bulletin for the 13th July. I’m Chris Eddy.
Also today: Ballarat presses its case to host the Commonwealth Games marathon events; councillor resignations and election results, plus CEO appointments confirmed and pending; a SA councillor in breach of the code of conduct over social media usage.
And much more in this midweek edition of the
Local Government News Roundup, brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, your national broadcaster for all things local government.
There are more calls for the government to reconsider plans for the Suburban Rail Loop project, with transport experts and local councils concerned it will monopolise public transport spending at the expense of more urgent projects.
The Rail Futures Institute, Infrastructure Victoria and the Metropolitan Transport Forum all place a priority on a third cross city rail tunnel.
A report in today’s Age quotes Cr Jonathan Marsden, chair of the MTF representing 26 councils, saying it is critical that the Suburban Rail Loop does not prevent Metro 2 from starting after the Melbourne Metro tunnel is completed in 2025.
Melbourne Metro 2, as it’s commonly known, would link the western suburbs with the CBD, Parkville and Fishermans Bend. The Rail Futures Institute is promoting an alternative plan called East-West Rail, connecting from Fitzroy through to Melton and Wyndham Vale in the other west.
Infrastructure Victoria has placed a priority on the extension of metro train services to the west and outer north of Melbourne in its 30 year strategy, and the RMIT Centre for Urban Research says Metro 2 is more urgent than Suburban Rail Loop.
A government spokesperson told the Age that the current project pipeline, including Metro Tunnel, Suburban Rail Loop and the Western Rail Plan would deliver the same benefits as those proposed by alternative plans.
Go West: Experts in call to drop Suburban Rail Loop for ‘more urgent’ projects
Ballarat City Council is pressing its case for the Commonwealth Games marathon to be staged in its city.
Ballarat has been named host city for athletics, but the location for marathon events is yet to be confirmed.
Mayor Daniel Moloney has fronted a video highlighting Ballarat’s credentials as the perfect location for the marathon, including its connection with well known marathon runner Steve Moneghetti.
The showcase video has been sent to the Victorian Government, the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee and other key stakeholders in the hope that helps to influence the decision on where the marathon will be staged.
It’s unclear when a decision is expected to be made.
Why the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games marathon should be in Ballarat
Hume City Council has endorsed a state election campaign which calls on the parties to commit to a number of funding priorities for the municipality.
The council wants to see the Broadmeadows Train Station redeveloped, and social housing investment in the Broadmeadows Banksia Gardens Housing Estate.
It has also listed a number of road duplication and improvement projects as priorities for state government investment, including Sunbury, Mickleham and Somerton roads.
The Council will officially launch its Build a Better Hume campaign next month.
The City of Stonnington has moved a step closer to being a recognised walkable city, with the adoption of its Walking Action Plan.
The new eight year plan will help shape council investment and decision making towards the goal of being a recognised walkable city where pedestrians are at the heart of how the city operates by 2030.
The plan was developed through a series of community engagement programs, with community members sharing ideas on how to improve the walking environment and to encourage more walking.
Briefs:
Buloke Councillor David Vis has resigned from the Council, triggering a likely by-election to elect a new councillor in the coming months.
Cr Vis had been on a leave of absence and resigned for personal reasons, with immediate effect.
He served on the Council for nearly six years. Advice from the VEC on the process to fill the vacancy is pending.
https://www.buloke.vic.gov.au/cr-david-vis-resigns?s=09
Alpine Shire Council will hold a Special Council Meeting this Friday to appoint a new Chief Executive Officer.
Alan Clark has been Acting CEO since May, following the departure of CEO Charlie Bird who held the position for five years.
Notice of Special Council Meeting
A new cross border commissioner position has been created to represent the interest of communities along the South Australia and Victorian border.
Legislation has passed the South Australian parliament to create the position, which has been called for in light of the ongoing impact from the COVID-19 and border closures.
It’s expected that the new commissioner will work closely with Victorian and New South Wales Cross Border Commissioners.
Appointment of a Cross Border Commissioner for South Australia
Moorabool Shire Cr Moira Berry has been appointed the new Chair of the Peri Urban Councils Victoria advocacy group.
A new chair was required to be appointed after Cr Brett Tessari of Bass Coast stood down after nominating as a Nationals candidate for this year’s state election.
The Peri Urban Councils group aims to deliver a better balance for the fast-growing fringe suburbs adjacent to metropolitan Melbourne and Geelong.
PUGRC Updates – Peri Urban Councils Victoria
A new $20 million Living Local Fund has opened for applications from councils and groups.
There are two types of grants available – up to $20,000 for refurbishment and the purchase of equipment; and up to $200,000 for infrastructure projects like playgrounds, community gardens and art installations.
Priority will be given to projects in areas most impacted by the pandemic, and those that align with the 20-minute neighbourhood principle. Applications close on 14th August.
https://djpr.vic.gov.au/about-us/news/living-local-grants-open-for-applications
Still to come – the Pisasale name will not return to local assets in Ipswich; a SA councillor in breach of the code of conduct over social media usage; more Councils introducing cat bans and ownership restrictions; and new GM and CEO appointments confirmed.
You’re listening to the Local Government News Roundup for 13th July 2022, brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association.
The next VLGA/LGIU GLobal Executive panel is coming up on Thursday 28th July., on the topic of Biodiversity Planning and Green spaces.
As patterns of land use and development change, planning for the protection of biodiversity and native vegetation is crucial to local, and indeed global, habitats.
Biodiversity conservation is an essential component of responsible environmental and natural resource management.
An eminent panel will discuss how local governments around the world play a key role in considering biodiversity values when planning for the use and development of public and private land, waterways and marine environments.
Confirmed speakers include Dr Gillian Sparkes, the Victorian Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability, Helen Bailey, CE of the London Borough of Sutton; and Donna Manson, Chief Executive of the Highland Council in the UK.
Registrations are now open on the VLGA website event page, and it’s free for VLGA and LGIU members. Find out more at www.vlga.org.au/events.
Now for some stories making news around Australia in local government this week:
As expected, Ipswich City Council has reversed a controversial decision to restore the name of former mayor Paul Pisasale.
An extraordinary council meeting was held yesterday to revisit the decision from two weeks ago, after a community backlash.
According to a report from the ABC, seven of the nine councillors voted to keep the Pisasale name off two Council assets – a road and a bridge – with two councillors abstaining from the vote.
Ipswich City Council votes to keep disgraced former mayor Paul Pisasale’s name off assets – ABC News
An Adelaide suburban councillor has been found to have breached the councillor code of conduct when he allegedly sent a message request to a teenager from an official councillor Instagram account.
An ABC report says the message referred to photos of the teenager in bikinis, after which she made a complaint to Burnside Council.
An investigation, including a cyber security assessment, found that Cr Julian Carbone breached the code of conduct, and recommended he issue an apology and undergo social media training.
The investigation report found that the councillor followed a number of accounts that would be considered inappropriate in the work environment.
Cr Carbone told the ABC that the matter was a misunderstanding; that the message was not intended for the complainant, but he could not recall who it was intended for.
WA’s Shire of Denmark is reportedly considering limiting the number of cats that can be kept by residents as part of its efforts to bring feral cat populations under control.
The ABC reports that the shire is proposing fines of up to $1,000 for keeping more than two cats without council approval; as well as a a ban on cats in certain locations.
The proposal follows the proposal of a similar ban by the Shire of Cuballing in WA’s wheatbelt last month.
The council is also lobbying the state government to look at legislation which currently limits councils’ abilities to impose such bans.
Shire of Denmark proposes household cat limit to help curb feral population in
Strathfield Council in NSW has announced its new General Manager, after a nationwide search.
Michael Mamo, current Director City Performance at Bayside Council in South Sydney, will take up the role on a five year contract commencing 15th August.
Mr Mamo has previous local government experience through roles at Blacktown, Waverley and Ryde Councils.
He replaces Brian Barrett who has been in the role on an interim basis since March, following the departure of Henry Wong who held the position from 2016 until earlier this year. https://www.strathfield.nsw.gov.au/appointment-of-strathfield-council-general-manager-ceo/
A new CEO has been appointed at Charters Towers Regional Council in Queensland.
Martin Drydale will hit the ground running, having been in the position on an interim basis since May, after being the council’s interim Director Corporate and Community Services since March.
Mr Drydale has extensive local government experience through previous roles at Noosa Shire and in the UK.
Toowoomba Regional Council has paid tribute this week to Shinzo Abe, the former Japanese Prime Minister who died as a result of an assassination last week.
Toowoomba has a strong sister city relationship with Takatsuki City in Japan, which is near Nara, the site of last week’s shocking event.
Flags in the Toowoomba Civic Precinct flew at half-mast yesterday, the day of Mr Abe’s funeral, and the Japanese colours will shine on the Toowoomba outer ring road bridge all week as further tribute.
A life saving lock for water valves invented by Logan City Council is to be rolled out nationwide, under a new deal to sell the product online.
Logan Water, a business unit of the Council, partnered with Downer to develop the device that prevents stored energy from being released while repairs are carried out on water networks.
Fatalities have occurred overseas due to trench collapses caused by stored energy incidents.
The Council has relinquished all intellectual property rights to ensure the device can be used as widely as possible, and make the water industry safer for workers.
The valve lock has been recognised with an industry safety excellence award.
Life saving lock invented by Council
Briefs:
The NSW Government yesterday announced more urgent relief for flood affected councils in the state.
37 councils will each receive $1M for immediate relief, including urgent repairs to infrastructure and recruitment for recovery efforts.
WA’s City of Cockburn has a new councillor, following an extraordinary election earlier this month.
Carol Reeve-Fowkes was successful from a field of six candidates, receiving 25.25% of the votes.
Ms Reeve-Fowkes previously served as a Cockburn councillor from 2007 to 2019.
Councillors at Blue Mountains City Council have opted not to take the 2% increase in pay recommended by the remuneration tribunal for this financial year.
They have determined to divert the increase, equating to almost $35,000 towards its local road repair budget.
(Blue Mountains Gazette, 13-7-22, p.16)
International Spotlight:
In England, a councillor has been found to have overclaimed child care expenses on more than 50 occasions.
An independent investigation into the claims of Brighton and Hove City councillor Alex Phillips found 55 of 74 expense claims were approved by council staff without receipts or supporting information.
The Council’s Chief Executive told The Argus newspaper that council staff had acted in good faith, and have apologised for their part in the matter.
The councillor has repaid £490 and has also apologised for what she described as a small number of claims that were not in line with the council expenses policy.
One of the claims was for childcare not provided while she and her family were away in France.
Cr Phillips, and her husband and fellow councillor Tom Druitt, have announced they will not be standing at the next round of elections in May 2023.
https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/20266829.brighton-council-staff-acted-good-faith-expenses-saga/
Social housing and climate change challenges have converged in Belgium, where continuing flood threats from the river Vesdre in the town of Limbourg have stalled a major waterside social housing project.
A report from Reuters describes how flooding one year ago devastated parts of southern and eastern Belgium, killing 39 people. Limbourg has been struggling to recover ever since.
Authorities halted renovations on an abandoned social housing block, which is 80% complete. After 1.4M euros have been spent on the project, plans are now being reconsidered due to continuing flood threats.
The town’s mayor said it was tough to make long term plans amid concerns about public finances and multiple crises, including COVID-19.
https://news.trust.org/item/20220708145420-wvdzs/
Continuing on the subject of flood mitigation, a host of projects to construct a permanent flood control system are moving ahead in the US city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Works on both sides of the Cedar River are being accelerated to build and raise floodwalls and levees, move roads, sidewalks, and move water and sewer infrastructure.
A playgrounds and skate park are being replaced with a detention basin and residents are being consulted on replacement locations.
And those are just some of a multitude of projects estimated to be costing upwards of $750M USD.
The works are being funded by federal, state and local governments, but they are running into supply chain and inflation issues. You can read more about the massive scale of works about how officials are mitigating issues in a report from the Cedar Rapids Gazette – link in the transcript for this episode.
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 Sunday. Until then, thanks for listening and bye for now.