Today on the Roundup:
A fight over public access through a school site leads to deliberately provocative action by residents as a gate comes down.. twice!
A rural city to exit aged and disability services; building surveyor and planner shortages impacting rural Victorian councils; rubbish piling up on the streets of Sydney; former councillors under investigation by ICAC; and a Federal Court blow for an embattled Tasmanian council.
The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, the national broadcaster on all things local government.
Transcript with links:
“Deliberately provocative”
A fight over public access through a school site leads to deliberately provocative action by residents as a gate comes down.. twice!
That story heads the Roundup for the 29th May 2022.
Welcome to the Local Government News Roundup. I’m Chris Eddy.
Also today:
A rural city to exit aged and disability services; building surveyor and planner shortages impacting rural Victorian councils; rubbish piling up on the streets of Sydney; former councillors under investigation by ICAC; and a Federal Court blow for an embattled Tasmanian council.
The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, your national broadcaster for all things local government.
After 8 months of attempts to reach a resolution over a gate on a school site, Yarra City Council removed the gate and restored pedestrian access to a section of Darebin Creek.
The council says the gate was illegally installed and without permission, and was effectively privatising public land.
The issue has attracted mainstream attention, with demonstrations staged at the site to protest the removal of the gate.
The Council resolved last October to restore public access, and said it had issued numerous letters since that time, but that the school refused to comply with requests to remove the gate.
The gate was removed by the Council after the expiry of a deadline at 5pm last Tuesday.
The school is understood to be exploring legal options, after erecting a temporary gate across the footpath which was later removed by a member of the public using an angle grinder.
According to a report by heromag.net, the school principal Vivianne Nikou said local residents were deliberately being provocative by walking through and heading towards the creek in the middle of the arrival of students.
Statement on the removal of the gate at Alphington Grammar School | Yarra City Council
Alphington school gate removed in fight over public access to creek
Meanwhile, a draft of Yarra City Council’s new Governance Rules will be presented to the Council Meeting this Tuesday evening for endorsement before being placed on exhibition for public comment.
The preparation of the governance rules has been controversial, with claims that they infringe on councillors’ right to free speech. In a statement, the council says the process of reviewing the governance rules has been supported by a municipal monitor, and that a benchmarking exercise has been conducted in the interests of ensuring best practice.
Statement on Governance proposal | Yarra City Council
Mildura Rural City Council has announced that it will transition out of aged and disability home support services by June of next year.
The decision follows a three month consultation period with staff, clients and the wider community.
It has reached the view that it’s not in the best interests of the community for the council to continue as an aged care provider due to the impending end to Commonwealth aged care programs and transition to a new model of care.
The Council has stressed there will be no immediate changes, and it will work toward a seamless transition when its contract with the Commonwealth ends in June 2023.
Council to exit Aged Care service delivery by mid-2023
A plan to revitalise Box Hill Central shopping centre has been approved by Whitehorse City Council.
Three applications have been approved, including for a 51 storey residential, office and retail tower, with a public plaza, and improved pedestrian and bike connections to public transport.
The council received and considered 40 objections to the proposal before ultimately reaching its decision to approve it.
Whitehorse approves permits for Box Hill Central redevelopment
Knox City Council says it will write to the new federal government for clarification about funding for commuter car parks in Boronia and Ferntree Gully.
The funding was announced prior to the 2019 election for projects to be delivered on state government land.
The Council is seeking confirmation of the new government’s intentions for the projects, highlighting the need to engage the local community in the planning and design of any new infrastructure.
Strathbogie Shire Council has launched a campaign to secure nearly $4M in funding for an innovative water recycling project.
The Greening Euroa Project will use recycled water to irrigate public green space during the summer months, and the council believes its the first of its kind in Victoria.
It is asking locals to get behind the #LetsGreenEuroa campaign, and to support its calls for state and federal government funding.
The project is being driven by a committee comprising local and regional stakeholders and community representatives.
Briefs:
Campaspe Shire Council has appointed Tim Tamlin as its Acting CEO, following the recent departure of Declan Moore from the role.
Mr Tamlin was interim CEO at the City of Kingston for 8 months last year, and was previously CEO of South Gippsland Shire for nearly 10 years.
He will step into the position this Monday and support the Council while a process to recruit the next CEO is undertaken.
East Gippsland Shire and Brimbank City Councils have been recognised with a national award for their unique planning partnership.
The councils’ resource partnership was joint winner of the Improving PLanning Processes Award at the Planning Institute of Australia Awards for Excellence, announced in Hobart recently.
https://www.eastgippsland.vic.gov.au/media-releases/planners-win-national-gong
An overnight cat curfew has come into effect in the City of Port Phillip. Domestic cats must now remain on their owners’ properties between the hours of 9pm and 6 am. The fine for a cat being at large during curfew hours is $91. Mandatory desexing of newly registered cats is now also required, as part of recent updates to the council’s domestic animal management plan.
A statewide shortage of municipal building surveyors is causing a backlog in dealing with safety issues in one Victorian shire.
According to the Bendigo Advertiser, Loddon Shire has a backlog of 28 enforcement actions relating to buildings that have failed to meet safety requirements.
The council’s search for an MBS has stretched out to nearly 2 years, and the processing of applications and compliance matters is adding to the workload of other officers.
People applying for permits are being advised to hire a private building surveyor to speed up their applications.
(Bendigo Advertiser)
Meanwhile, Indigo Shire in the state’s northeast is experiencing significant delays in the processing of planning applications due to what CEO Trevor Ierino describes as a crippling shortage of planning staff.
Mr Ierino said a highly competitive market for professional staff was also impacting other local councils and the private sector.
He asked for patience and understanding from the community while the council was trying a number of strategies to address the problem, including offering greater flexibility through remote working options.
https://www.indigoshire.vic.gov.au/Council/Latest-news/From-the-CEO
Still to come – former councillors under investigation by ICAC; a new housing deal hailed as a significant and big step forward in Albury; rubbish piling up on the streets of Sydney; and a Federal Court blow for an embattled Tasmanian council
You’re listening to the Local Government News Roundup for 29th May 2022, brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association.
I’m joined now by the VLGA CEO’s Kathryn Arndt.
Now for some stories making news around Australia in local government this week:
The NSW integrity body ICAC is investigating the conduct of three former Georges River and Hurstville City councillors.
It has announced a public inquiry to commence next month looking at whether former councillors Constantine Hindi, Vincenzo Badalati and Phillip Sansom dishonestly exercised their official functions, and whether they properly managed conflicts of interests.
The allegations relate to planning matters associated with the Treacy Street and Landmark Square developments.
The public inquiry as part of Operation Galley will be conducted remotely commencing 14th June.
Albury City Council and the NSW Government have done a deal to deliver more than 500 social housing homes and 700 private dwellings through the renewal of two housing estates in Lavington and East Albury.
Albury Mayor Kylie King told the Border Mail that the agreement was a significant step towards providing improved housing in line with the council’s Local Housing Strategy.
Under the agreement, a pipeline of social homes and dwellings for the private market would come on line between now and 2032.
Local housing advocates have hailed the deal as a big step in the right direction.
(Border Mail, Albury)
A Tasmanian Council has raised nearly $800,000 from selling 65 properties due to unpaid rates.
Two auctions were held by West Coast Council, with all properties listed being sold, at prices ranging from $6,000 to $75,000.
According to the Burnie Advocate, most of the properties were vacant rural land, along with one house and five residential lots.
The council has the power to sell properties when rates go unpaid for three consecutive years. It was reported that some listings were removed from the auction when the owners finally paid their rates.
West Coast Council Mayor Shane PItt said he hoped some of the land could be used to address a shortage of housing in the region.
(Burnie Advocate)
An out of control waste problem is plaguing the city of Sydney this week, with reports of rubbish piling up in the streets.
Sydney Council’s Deputy Mayor Jess Scully told the Sydney Morning Herald that COVID 19 absenteeism was the cause of delayed pick ups and bins being missed.
However, others are blaming outsourcing and the council’s contractor Cleanaway.
Cr Scully said an investigation by council staff is due to conclude next week, and she has urged people to be patient.
‘Out of control’: Big stink as bins overflow in central Sydney
The mayor of a western Sydney region council says it will reset its attentions on job creation opportunities, after the state government did not support its proposal for a new energy facility at Wallerang.
Cr Maree Statham responded to a decision to not include a former power station site in government energy from waste plans which would have had an investment value for the city of over $1B and create 500 new local jobs.
She said nothing had changed in terms of the end game for the city, as the local economy continues to undergo change; and that the city will quickly revisit and alternatively define how the development of the 200 hectare site as potential employment land can be accelerated.
Western Australia’s Shire of York has agreed to write to the state premier demanding an end to COVID19 vaccine mandates.
The decision comes after a special electors meeting called by more than 100 locals, calling on the council to represent their concerns to the state government.
According to an ABC News report, the shire amended the electors meeting motion to include a request that Premier Mark McGowan’s response be made available to the public.
Shire PResident Denese Smythe told the ABC that the resolution does not mean the council is against vaccine mandates, but says its about representing the views of its residents.
The Town of Cambridge is making news again, after its most recent meeting degenerated into a shouting match before the Mayor stopped the meeting.
A report from Perth Now describes a heated argument over the attempted confirmation of minutes from a special meeting held earlier in the month.
The meeting in question was called with 22 minutes notice, which has been subject to criticism from some councillors and from the state’s minister for local government.
The minister told PerthNow that his department is engaging directly with the council to offer support with ongoing relationship breakdowns within the council.
The meeting resumed after a break of about 30 minutes.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/integrity-management-solutions_activity-6935735070594932736-OOvo
In Tasmania, another blow for Huon Valley Council with the Federal Court ruling its insurance policy did not cover the cost of a 2015 state government board of inquiry into council dysfunction.
As The Mercury reports, the council had been ordered to pay more than $300K in costs for the inquiry, which led to the sacking of the council in 2016.
The council had argued in the Federal Court that a drafting error in the policy meant it should be indemnified for the costs, an argument that was not supported by the Chief Justice.
Three councillors, including the mayor, have resigned in recent months, and there has been community backlash over the process to appoint a new general manager.
(The Mercury)
The general manager at the City of Ryde has resigned this week.
George Dedes will finish on the 1st July after 23 years with the council, the last five in the top job.
Mr Dedes has not revealed his next career move, but he said he felt the time is right to move on to new opportunities.
Meanwhile, the general manager of Port Stephens Council, Wayne Wallis, has announced he is leaving the council after 13 years to commence a transition to retirement.
Mr Wallis has racked up 43 years in local government, and says he now has an opportunity to begin a new chapter when he steps down in late August.
And in yet more NSW senior executive news, the city of Coffs Harbour has announced the appointment of Natalia Cowley as its new GM.
Ms Cowley is a chartered accountant with extensive leadership experience in the local government and international finance sectors.
She is making the move to Coffs Harbour in July, from her director and CFO position at Central Coast Council.
Council Appoints New General Manager
To the National Briefs now:
The plans for the alignment of the Tweed section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail have been released, providing insights into the final route of the 24km section of the trail.
The trail, which is due to open early next year, will see heritage bridges restored and places of cultural significance acknowledged and celebrated.
Excitement builds as Rail Trail alignment finalised | Tweed Shire Council
The NSW Government has entered into a $2.4M partnership with two Sydney universities, aimed at supporting regional councils to reap the benefits of smart cities technology.
Local Government Minister Wendy Tuckerman said 91 regional councils could benefit from the partnership by connecting them with industry experts, and empowering investment in new technology and data driven solutions to address the digital divide between rural and urban areas.
$2.4 million for ‘smart spaces’ in regions | NSW Government
Dubbo Regional Council will explore the potential for 3D printed housing, following debate on Cr Mat Wright’s Notice of Motion at a council meeting last week
Research and analysis will be conducted to define a framework and business model, with a further report to be considered by the council in September.
International Spotlight:
In New Zealand, a second councillor has resigned in the current term of Hutt City Council, amid claims of bullying.
Cr Shazly Rasheed resigned with immediate effect on Friday, expressing a lack of faith in the leadership, and concerns that councillors were not free to express views without fear of punishment.
In her resignation letter, she described the council, located in the Wellington region of the country, as an unhealthy and undemocratic environment.
According to a report from stuff.co.nz, the council will need to decide whether to fill the vacancy or wait until local elections in October.
Hutt City councillor Shazly Rasheed quits immediately, citing ‘unhealthy environment’ | Stuff.co.nz
The US city of Dallas has joined a list of over 400 around the country to ban the commercial sale of pets.
A decision by Dallas City Council brings the number of Texan cities that have introduced the restrictions to ten. The measure is aimed at clamping down on puppy mills, and encouraging people to visit shelters or small scale, responsible breeders.
According to Petsradar.com, there is only one store in Dallas that will be affected when the new law comes into effect in November.
Dallas becomes latest city to ban sale of cats and dogs in pet stores | PetsRadar
In the United Kingdom, a record number of eight communities have received word that they will be classified as cities as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Three towns in England, and one each in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales will receive the honour, along with Stanley in the Falkland Islands, and Douglas in the Isle of Man, a first for places in an overseas territory.
Today on the Roundup:
A fight over public access through a school site leads to deliberately provocative action by residents as a gate comes down.. twice!
A rural city to exit aged and disability services; building surveyor and planner shortages impacting rural Victorian councils; rubbish piling up on the streets of Sydney; former councillors under investigation by ICAC; and a Federal Court blow for an embattled Tasmanian council.
The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, the national broadcaster on all things local government.
Record number of city status winners announced to celebrate Platinum Jubilee – GOV.UK
The next time you visit New York City, don’t go looking for a public payphone. The last one was removed by the city last week as city officials gathered to witness the event.
For the past eight years, the administration has been replacing the payphones with 2,000 kiosks that provide wi-fi and device charging.
According to a report from npr.org, the last public pay phone will go on display at the Museum of the City of New York in an exhibition about the pre-digital era.
New York City removes the last payphone from service
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.