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Today on the Local Government News Roundup:
Three municipal monitor appointments announced;
The results of two countbacks are in;
A Victorian mayor moves to open briefing sessions to the public;
A censure motion recommended against a South Australian mayor;
Double duty for a NSW councillor also running for a seat in federal parliament;
and a proposal floated to merge 4 councils into one in Tasmania.
The Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association.
Transcript with links:
Issue 118, LG News Roundup, 27th April 2022
Hello and welcome to the Local Government News Roundup for the 27th April 2022.
Coming up today: three municipal monitor appointments announced; the results of two countbacks are in; a Victorian mayor moves to open briefing sessions to the public; a censure motion recommended against a South Australian mayor; double duty for a NSW councillor also running for a seat in federal parliament; and a proposal floated to merge 4 councils into one in Tasmania.
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.
The municipal monitors have been appointed for Darebin, Moira and Wodonga Councils, as flagged by the local government minister a couple of weeks ago.
Former LGV Executive Director, and current Chair of the Victorian Local Government Grants Commission John Watson will take on the monitor role at Darebin council. Mr Watson has considerable experience across the local government sector, including four years as an administrator at the city of Brimbank until 2016.
At Wodonga Council, Janet Dore will take on the monitor role, concurrently with her monitor duties at Strathbogie Shire Council. She has previously served as a monitor at Ararat Council between 2017 and 2019.
And at Moira Shire Council, the monitor is Marg Allan, former director at councils including Loddon and Greater Bendigo as well as regional director with DELWP. Ms Allan currently serves as a member of the Victorian Local Government Grants Commission.
The three monitors have been appointed until the end of January next year, and will provide regular progress reports to the minister, recommending any further actions as necessary.
Minister Leane said he was confident the monitors will be effective at guiding the councils to better serve their communities.
In the case of Darebin and Wodonga, they will also be supporting the councils in their recruitment of a new CEO.
https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/monitors-appointed-darebin-moira-and-wodonga-council
Brimbank administrator Peter Lewinsky to leave after four years, appointed monitor at Darebin Council | Herald Sun
Two countbacks have been held today to fill extraordinary vacancies on Wodonga and Glen Eira Councils.
The Wodonga countback was triggered by the resignation of Kat Bennett last month, part way through her second term on Council.
12 unsuccessful candidates from the 2020 general election were included in the countback, with the computer countback resulting in the election of Danny Lowe.
The former councillor returns to the council table, after missing out on re-election in 2020.
At Glen Eira, long term councillor Neil Pilling resigned to focus on health and family.
The countback to fill the vacancy in Rosstown Ward was contested by 10 candidates, with Sue Pennicuik’s name coming up trumps in the computer countback. Sue is a former Greens State MP for Southern Metropolitan Melbourne.
Both successful candidates have 48 hours to complete the necessary declaration of qualification before the result can be declared and the new councillors sworn in.
The federal government has committed $2.7M towards new and upgraded community facilities in Cardinia Shire.
A new community, sport and scout facility is planned for Upper Beaconsfield Recreation Reserve, and Cardinia Mayor Jeff Springfield welcomed the funding pledge, saying it is imperative that all levels of government work together to deliver for their fast growing community. Council welcomes funding pledge for Upper Beaconsfield facilities
New ABS statistics have highlighted the population growth in Baw Baw Shire, which now has the third highest growth rate in regional Victoria.
The Council has released details of the growth which shows 3.7 per cent annual growth in the population of Warragul and Drouin, and overall population growth of 3.1 per cent.
Mayor Michael Leaney said the staggering data highlights Baw Baw’s fast growth, and that projections show the numbers will continue to rise into the future.
He said the data supports the council’s advocacy to other levels of government for more infrastructure and services for the shire. New ABS statistics highlight Baw Baw’s exploding population
The mayor of Indigo Shire wants his council’s briefings to be open to the public. Cr Bernard Gaffney gave notice of a motion for last night’s council meeting, in which he says the secrecy of weekly briefing meetings is not good governance, and that discussions should be held in a public forum.
The Border Mail reports this morning that the vote on the motion was tied at 3 all with one councillor absent, and the matter was deferred to the May meeting.
Council briefings have been a hot topic in the border region. Albury City Council recently considered closing its briefing sessions, which have been held in public since 2015. The council voted 7 to 2 to keep the sessions open.
Wodonga Council has also reportedly considered opening briefings to the public, ultimately deciding to maintain the status quo on the casting vote of the Mayor. Indigo Council to vote on public briefings at May meeting after split decision due to absent councillor | The Border Mail | Wodonga, VIC (paywall)“Mayor seeking to make council more open to the public” https://tinyurl.com/2p9f6zj7
Now for the Victorian Briefs:
Port Phillip Council has taken to Twitter to warn of an alarming number of thefts of bronze plaques and public works from the municipality. It says St Kilda and Elwood have been targeted, and has called on the community to report any information that could help catch the culprits. https://tinyurl.com/2p9e9a37
The IPAA Top 50 Public Sector Women awards will be announced at a ceremony this Friday night. This year the awards will recognise the exceptional efforts of women leaders during the COVID19 pandemic, and it’s understood 80 women leaders will be recognised for their contribution during recent times. Top 50 Public Sector Women (Victoria) – COVID-19 Heroes
And Golden Plains has welcomed an upgraded election commitment from the ALP of $690,000 towards a $1.4M netball pavilion in Bannockburn. Labor has increased its commitment from $350,000 announced earlier in the month, to match a $690,000 pledge from the Liberal Party. Federal Election: Netball Pavilion | Golden Plains Shire Council
55 rural and regional Victorian towns will see new electric car fast chargers installed in the coming months.
A report from Car Expert.com says the chargers are Brisbane made and run on renewable energy. It is said they will put about 50km extran range into a typical electric vehicle in just 10 minutes.
There will be one charger per town installed by Evie Networks over the next year and a bit, with the state government contributing around $3M of the cost. They are in addition to the Evie operated chargers already in 20 regional towns across the Loddon-Mallee and Hume regions. Regional Victorian towns getting EV fast-charger boost | CarExpert
Still to come – a proposal floated to merge 4 councils into one in Tasmania; a censure motion recommended against a South Australian mayor; double duty for a NSW councillor also running for a seat in federal parliament; and big changes ahead for some parts of the UK with local government elections due next week.
You’re listening to the Local Government News Roundup for 27th April 2022, brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association.
Subscribe to the VLGA Connect on YouTube or podcast to keep up to date with a regular series of interviews and discussions with local government identities and decision makers.
Available to watch or listen now are interviews with Emily Maguire, the CEO of Respect Victoria; Prof Liam Smith, a leading authority on behaviour change; and the popular weekly Governance Update, unpacking the week’s news from around the sector.
And stay tuned this week for a chance to meet the Victorian Commissioner for LGBTIQ+ Communities, Todd Fernando.
All that and more on VLGA Connect, from the Victorian Local Governance Association – the national broadcaster on all things local government.
Now for some stories making news around Australia in local government this week:
A Tasmanian council is proposing a merger of four councils to form a new regional Council covering 60,000 residents.
Devonport City Council has endorsed a submission to the state government’s local government review, which suggests that Devonport, Kentish and Latrobe councils could be merged with the eastern part of Central Coast to form a new Mersey Region Council.
A report in the Burnie Advocate today quotes Mayor Annette Rockcliff as saying now is the time for the necessary leadership to set the region up for the next 50 years.
She said detailed modelling has not yet been done, but it’s expected that cost efficiencies would be significant. https://tinyurl.com/2p85nam6
An investigation report was presented to the City of Unley Council Meeting last night, recommending its mayor be censured.
The investigation was conducted by Minter Ellison Lawyers, after two separate complaints were received in November of last year.
The investigation found that Mayor Michael Hewitson had breached two clauses of the Code of Conduct for Council members, and recommended a censure motion expressing disapproval in the mayor’s conduct.
The report said the mayor had diminished community trust and confidence in the Council; irresponsibly published details of confidential Council legal advice; and irresponsibly shared an unauthorised Council video.
A report on the agenda for last night’s Council meeting provided options for the Council’s consideration in how it chooses to deal with the investigation report and its recommendations.
Mayor Hewitson told the Adelaide Advertiser that he would seek permission to table a statement at last night’s meeting. The newspaper published an editorial defending the mayor’s actions in encouraging his ratepayers to support greater transparency and accountability within councils. It decried a trend of feuding councillors weaponising complaints, driven by animosity, political ambition and pettiness.
However, in a letter to the editor published this morning, Cr Jane Russo says the matter is not about transparency for ratepayers, and more about the mayor’s political agenda.
To date, it has cost the Council $16K for advice, the conduct of the investigation and the preparation of the report.
An Albury councillor will continue in his local government role while contesting the seat of Farrer as a Labor Party candidate.
Darren Cameron, a councillor since 1995, confirmed last week that he would stand for the seat despite his nomination being confirmed at the last minute.
According to the Leeton Irrigator newspaper, Cr Cameron believes he is more than capable of balancing his councillor duties with his campaign. The paper points out that former Albury mayor Kevin Mack campaigned for the seat at the last election while maintaining his mayoral role.
https://tinyurl.com/mry8u3ds
Darren Cameron | Candidate for Farrer | Australian Labor Party
Bathurst Regional Council is pushing for the Bathurst Bypass to be listed as a national priority, following support for a councillor’s motion last week.
The Western Advocate reports that the motion put forward by Cr Jess Jennings follows persistent lobbying by a local resident who wants to see less heavy vehicles in residential areas.
Cr Jennings said there is an opportunity to bring the need for a bypass into the current federal election campaign discussions.
There are concerns that the project might not be far enough advanced to make the independent body’s priority list. The council has included $100K in its draft budget for a bypass study. https://tinyurl.com/2u3upezm
NSW government data has been released showing that more than half of Sydney councils have not met targets for new housing.
The Sydney Morning Herald has reported that 19 of 33 councils did not hit a five year target for 2016 to 2021 period.
Planning rules and community opposition have been blamed for making it too hard to create extra homes in some areas, while some councils, such as Fairfield and Inner West, say the government should be counting granny flats, seniors housing and boarding house rooms.
Councils to have exceeded the target include Blacktown, Camden, Ryde and Woollahra.
‘Harsh truth’: More than half of Sydney’s councils failing to meet housing targets
To Queensland, the state government has released a discussion paper proposing spending caps for participants in all council elections in the state.
AAP reports that mayoral candidate spending would have a higher cap than other candidates, within a range and determined by the number of constituents.
There would also be a spending cap on third parties, such as unions and companies.
The proposal has attracted criticism, including from the state opposition and the Lord Mayor of Brisbane.
The Local Government Association of Queensland CEO Aliston Smith said the peak body supports spending caps, so long as they are workable and enhance the democratic process.
Statement from LGAQ CEO Alison Smith regarding proposed electoral expenditure caps
A Southern Downs Councillor has described complaints against her as vexatious and resigned from a local saleyards committee as a result.
Three complaints against Cr Cynthia McDonald have been under investigation by the Office of the Independent Assessor since 2020, as reported in the Warwick Today.
Cr McDonald describes herself as a ‘proud Australian farmer’ and says she can no longer remain on a committee where her “professional knowledge is brought into question for no valid reason.”
Wingecarribee Shire Council has established an internal ombudsman service to investigate complaints relating to Council staff, contractors, consultants or volunteers.
The move comes in response to recommendations from an independent review commissioned by the Interim Administrator Viv May.
General Manager Lisa Miscamble said the internal ombudsman service would improve organisational transparency, and was another step towards restoring community trust and confidence in the council.
To the National Briefs now:
A report on the realignment of boundaries between two Queensland council areas is due any day. The Change Commission has been considering a proposal to transfer the suburbs Glenlee, Rockyview and Glendale from Livingstone Shire to Rockhampton. CQ Today reports that an assessment of the financial impacts of the change on both councils is expected to be released by the end of the month.
Ipswich Council has elected a new Deputy Mayor. Cr Jacob Madsen will serve in the role for the next year. The election follows a decision two years ago by the Council to rotate the Deputy Mayor position each year of the four year council term.
New Ipswich Deputy Mayor appointed
Sydney’s Inner West Council will pilot a small number of electric vehicle charging stations to gain insights into usage and community attitudes. The stations will be located kerbside and in parking areas, and are part of a draft EV policy that has been endorsed this month for public engagement.
And South Australia’s District Council of Yankalilla has appointed an Interim CEO, following the resignation of Nigel Morris, who is moving to Alexandrina Council. Kate O’Neill is a General Manager at the City of Mitcham, and is taking on the interim role as part of a collaborative effort between the two councils.
https://www.yankalilla.sa.gov.au/news-and-events/latest-news/interim-ceo-appointed
A man has been fined in the Yeppoon Magistrates Court after being prosecuted for wilful damage to Livingstone Shire Council property.
The man was originally fined for driving on Mulambin Beach, which is prohibited under the shire’s local law.
The court heard that after receiving the fine, the man returned to the beach and threw a council surveillance camera into the ocean.
The camera was found on the beach by another resident and returned to the council. The man received a second fine of $275 for another instance of driving on the beach, and was fined more than $1100 by the court, including restitution for the damaged camera.
Man fined for damaging Council CCTV to avoid detection
Now for the International Spotlight, with stories from the UK and US.
Local council elections are due next week in the UK, with voters going to the polls on the 5th May.
In North Yorkshire, the biggest change to local government in 50 years will be cemented with voters asked to elect 90 councillors in 89 new electoral divisions.
The BBC reports that the changes will see the end of seven district and borough councils that have been in place in 1974. They are being abolished to form one new unitary authority, North Yorkshire Council, with the newly elected councillors to serve a five year term.
However, their term on the new Council won’t commence until the existing councils are abolished in 2023 – they will serve on the existing county council in the interim.
Local elections signal big shake-up for North Yorkshire – BBC News
A decision to remove the independent special district status of Disney World in Florida may lead to increased costs for taxpayers in two surrounding counties.
NPR reports that the state’s Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill that undercuts the theme park’s autonomy, and transfers the Disney districts debts to Orange and Osceola counties.
County officials say the move will lead to higher taxes for their residents.
The bill is set to take effect on 1st July, but most of its changed won’t come into effect until June next year.
DeSantis wanted to punish Disney. Repealing its tax status may hurt taxpayers instead
In the City of Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s efforts to stamp out corruption continue with more measures to overhaul the city’s ethics regime.
A new proposal would see the maximum fine for violating the city’s ethics ordinance increase four-fold to $20,000 USD.
It was only three years ago when the fine was increased from $2,000 to $5,000.
Since 1969, 37 members of the council have been convicted for corruption. In just the past year, three council members have been under indictment, with one convicted in February on charges of tax fraud and lying to federal agents. Two other cases are pending.
And that’s our program for today.
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The program is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, the national broadcaster for all things local government. Check out everything the VLGA has to offer by visiting www.vlga.org.au
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.