On the Local Government News Roundup for 21st October 2023:
A Victorian council deputy mayor and CEO resign in the same week;
A disappointing reaction to a new regional hospital plan;
An executive restructure unveiled at Greater Geelong;
Election day looms in Western Australia, as a mayor makes an all or nothing play for re-election;
A shire office closed while police investigated extreme threats against staff and councillors;
A war of words between a Sydney mayor and the NSW Premier;
Residents take aim at dodgy certifiers;
And a new NZ parliamentarian to do double duty as a councillor.
The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, the national broadcaster on all things local government.
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Stories in this episode (with links where available)
Victorian Roundup:
Glenelg Shire Council has received another councillor resignation, the second for this term.
Jayden Smith, who was elected in 2020 and became the shire’s youngest ever councillor at age 25, has stepped down with immediate effect this week.
Arrangements to fill the extraordinary vacancy are yet to be advised.
Mr Smith’s resignation follows that of long term councillor and former six term mayor Anita Rank in July. Her position was filled by John Northcott through a countback procedure in August.
On Friday came the news that the shire’s CEO Paul Phelan had also resigned, just two days after the resignation of former councillor Smith.
In a statement issued late on Friday , the council said Mr Phelan’s resignation was for personal reasons, and had been accepted at a special council meeting earlier in the day.
Mr Phelan was appointed in January this year, and is expected to finish in January 2024.
The release of the master plan for a new $558M regional hospital in Albury Wodonga has been met with disappointment by Indigo Shire Council.
In fact, Mayor Sophie Price said to say they are disappointed is an understatement.
The plan was released on Monday, followed within days by community comment sessions.
Cr Price said in a message to the community that the plan lacks detail on the number of beds and theatres, the provision of car parking, and says nothing about how the hospital would address the acute issue of ambulance response times.
She said the council still believes a new hospital with room to expand is preferable to a redevelopment of the existing hospital, and that she agreed with views expressed by others that the Albury-Wodonga region has been let down by the NSW and Victorian Governments on the issue.
Greater Geelong’s new CEO Ali Wastie has restructured the second level of the organisation, reducing the number of executive director roles from five to four.
Four director positions have been advertised, to lead the newly formed Placemaking, City Life, City Infrastructure and Corporate Services directorates.
Three of the five previous positions have been held by interim appointments in recent months.
Ms Wastie said the new executive team will be focused on delivering a culture, opportunity and vision that is expected by employees, customers and the community.
Leadership advisory and executive search firm Amrop Carmichael Fisher is handling the recruitment process, with applications open until 5th November.
Yarra City Council has officially launched a collaborative initiative addressing homelessness and rough sleeping in the municipality.
Yarra Zero is a partnership with Launch Housing and cohealth, bringing local service providers together to provide a coordinated and compassionate response to people who are sleeping rough and experiencing homelessness.
The aim is functional zero homelessness in the area, which is the point when more people are moving into permanent housing than experiencing primary homelessness.
The partners will work closely with service providers, neighbouring councils, and other levels of government to support the rights of all citizens to safe, secure, and stable housing.
A Melbourne developer who was fined for illegally clearing native vegetation on his property has been allowed to build a multi-million-dollar development on the same land, sparking calls for an overhaul of planning laws.
The developer bought a Campbellfield property in Hume City Council in 2019 and began removing trees and native vegetation without a council permit. An estimated 1.4 hectares of vegetation was cleared, including endangered species, over a three month period.
As ABC News has reported, despite a criminal conviction and $225,000 in fines, the developer was given permission by VCAT to clear the rest of the land, subdivide the block and build warehouses.
Hume Mayor Joseph Haweil said Victoria’s planning laws should be re-assessed to ensure anyone who had engaged in misconduct was not rewarded by loopholes in the system.
Tony Raunic from Hunt and Hunt Lawyers told TGU this week that he sees the issue as being more about a lack of sufficient deterrents:
“I don’t see so much what the fuss is about ultimately VCAT making a decision about development on the site. I don’t think we ought be making planning decisions on the basis of the character or the form of the applicant. That’s not how we typically make the decisions.
The key point here for me would be perhaps the fines aren’t significant enough, if they’re not enough of a deterrent. But I wouldn’t be suggesting that because someone has committed an offence under a planning provision that subsequently they should be prohibited from undertaking a development.”
That issue is discussed in more detail on the latest episode of TGU from VLGA Connect, available to watch on YouTube or to listen on your podcast player.
Monash Council has announced that Australia’s newest Super Netball team will be based in Monash.
The Melbourne Mavericks will train at the Council’s Waverley Netball Centre and will join the Waverley Night Netball Association and its 400 local netball teams across junior and senior competitions.
Mayor, Cr Tina Samardzija, said she was delighted that a team at the highest level of netball in Australia will be based in Monash, describing it as an outstanding result for sport in Monash, reflective of the work to create a thriving netball hub at the Waverley Netball Centre.
Victorian Briefs:
Mildura Rural City Council is hosting the region’s first-ever Electric Vehicle Showcase at the Mildura Riverfront in November.
The council’s EV fleet will be on display, and local EV drivers will be present to share their experiences.
The council has committed to fully electrify its light fleet by 2030.
Buloke Shire’s innovative vodcast series has been recognised with a win in the local government category of the Victorian Resilient Australia Awards.
The vodcast was a key part of the shire’s flood recovery efforts, and is now in the running for a national award to be announced in November.
Wyndham City has launched a fleet of four Rapid Response units to tackle illegally dumped rubbish and boost civic pride.
The trucks will work in zones across Wyndham to ensure the removal of dumped rubbish and clean up litter hot spots.
Three of the trucks will respond to community callouts that are logged with the Customer Service staff and online, while the fourth vehicle will patrol for illegally dumped rubbish.
The third round of Victoria’s Resilient Coast grants program is now open, with $1 million in total funding available to safeguard the future of marine and coastal environments.
The grants will help councils and land managers explore, evaluate, and adapt to the risk of coastal hazards such as erosion and coastal inundation.
The funding could be allocated towards improving vegetation and adapting farming practices, or installing seawalls and beach nourishment.
In the last round of the program, grants were awarded to help deliver works along the south-west coast, Port Phillip Bay, and Gippsland.
Applications for the third round of the Victoria’s Resilient Coast grants program close on 17 November.
National Roundup:
WA:
City of Bayswater Mayor, Cr Filomena Piffaretti, has officially resigned from her position as North Ward Councillor.
The resignation comes ahead of local government elections on Saturday, where Ms Piffaretti is a Mayoral candidate. If she is not re-elected as Mayor, she will no longer have a position on the Council.
The council has advised that the councillor vacancy created following Cr Piffaretti’s resignation will need to be filled through an extraordinary election to be held within the next four months.
As election day arrives in Western Australia, PerthNow has revealed the top of mind issues for voters, based on data from our friends at Snap Send Solve.
There’s been a flurry of pre-election activity at a number of councils to deal with dumped rubbish ahead of Saturday’s poll, with rubbish and bins responsible for the largest number of incident reports from the app.
Abandoned trolleys were the second most reported issue, with parking issues figuring strongly at number three; followed by graffiti and vandalism; and trees rounding out the top 5.
All larger local governments in WA will be required, by law, to livestream council meetings, and to place video recordings online as part of new regulations published this week.
Smaller local governments will be required, at a minimum, to publish audio recordings of meetings.
The regulations also contain further measures to simplify financial reporting, to cut red tape and reduce complexity; and enable local governments to reimburse the education expenses of council members for any course that is relevant to their role as a council member.
Local Government Minister David Michael said work is continuing on the delivery of further reforms, including the new Local Government Inspector and Monitors.
A small council office in Gingin Shire, on WA’s Turquoise Coast, has been closed to the public in the wake of disturbing graffiti threatening harm to councillors and staff.
According to an ABC News report, a number of road signs around the shire were defaced with threats described by shire president Wayne Frewster as “extreme and nasty.
Police are investigating the matter, and it was hoped the shire office at Lancelin could be reopened in time for this weekend’s local government election. A closure notice remained on the shire website at the time of recording.
The Town of Bassendean council has paid tribute to its longest serving councillor, Anne Brinkworth, who has died at the age of 85.
Ms Brinkworth was a councillor for 26 years, between 1988 and 2015, and received many awards including the title of Honorary Freeman, bestowed in 2016.
NSW:
In Sydney this week, a war of words has broken out between the NSW Premier and a western Sydney Mayor.
The Mayor of Fairfield, Frank Carbone, has accused Premier Chris Minns of not knowing his Sydney geography and trying to dump new housing on the west through the government’s development reforms.
As the Daily Telegraph reported, the Premier was quick to hit back, describing Cr Carbone’s comments as ridiculous, and suggesting he was trying to mislead the public.
The spirited debate followed the announcement of proposed reforms that will give developers an easier approval path for projects with more height and density in return for 15 per cent designated social and affordable housing.
A group of residents in the Georges River and Sutherland Shire area of NSW have launched a petition calling on the state government to take action on what they describe as dodgy certifiers.
They say the private certification system introduced in 1998 has morphed into an industry that is essentially unregulated, leading to the approval of unsafe and shoddy developments without fear of consequences.
And they say local councils lack the resources to be able to intervene.
Despite there being thousands of complaints each year about private certifiers, only five have been disciplined by the Department of Fair Trading in the past three years, according to a report from the St George and Sutherland Shire Leader.
The petition urging the government to fix the private certification system so far has 592 signatures against a target of 1,000.
The city of Newcastle has been removed from the supercars championship program for next year, after the council and the state government could not reach agreement on whether to hold the race for one year or five.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes confirmed to ABC radio this week that the Newcastle 500 had been called off for next year, and it was unclear if the race would be held in the city beyond 2024.
State minister for Jobs and Tourism John Graham blamed the council for the loss of the race, while some residents welcomed the news after years of campaigning to have the event moved out of the streets.
QLD:
A new councillor is set to be sworn in to Brisbane City Council.
Penny Wolff, a businesswoman and former teacher, is stepping into the position held by James Mackay, who stepped aside this week due to the ongoing effects of long Covid.
The Courier Mail reported that Ms Wolff will be one of 20 LNP members on the council, two thirds of whom are women.
The SEQ Council of Mayors (SEQ) has initiated targeted discussions with Metro Vancouver in Canada to establish a strategic sister-region partnership.
The partnership aims to strengthen collaboration and cooperation between the two regions and exchange international best practices to shape the future of South East Queensland.
At the same time, it’s been reported that the Indian city of Delhi would like to be a sister city with Brisbane.
Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi has said she was impressed with the sanitation and cleanliness management and preservation of built heritage when she was in Brisbane recently for an international summit and mayor’s forum.
TAS:
Tasmania’s Ombudsman has found Northern Midlands Council breached the Personal Information Protection (PIP) Act after an employee’s confidential documents, including medical records, were found dumped outside a post office.
According to a report in the Mercury, the complaint was made in 2021 to the Ombudsman, who found that the council had a number of deficient policies that allowed the breach to occur; and that while the matter had been investigated appropriately by the council, it failed to advise the complainant of the outcome.
The ombudsman made four recommendations for process improvement, which have been accepted by the Council.
National Briefs:
Two council CEO positions have been advertised for the first time this week.
At Shoalhaven in NSW, recruitment has started to replace Stephen Dunshea who announced his retirement last month, and finishes in February.
Local Government Management Solutions is handling the process, with applications due by 6th November.
And in Tasmania, the southeast coastal council of Kingborough has invited applications to fill the CEO position, with GM Gary Arnold also retiring after 9 and a half years in the role.
He finishes up in February, and LG Services Group would like to have applications in by 13th November.
Edward River Council has signed a Sister City Agreement with Lozova City, Ukraine, via video conference with Ukrainian Ambassador, His Excellency Vasyl Myroshnychenko.
The two cities share much in common including a focus on the agricultural and industrial sectors. This is the first Sister City agreement for Edward River Council and has been in the making since May 2022 when the community demonstrated their desire to provide support to Ukraine.
The twin towns of Forster-Tuncurry on the NSW mid-coast will be the next are in the state to trial shared e-scooters.
A 12 month trial will commence on 15th November.
The devices will be geofenced, and accessed via the Bird app.
Speed limits on most streets in Darwin’s CBD will be reduced to 40km/h from 1st November.
The council expects the change to enable more street greening opportunities and create a more pedestrian friendly environment.
Limits on local streets in WA’s City of Vincent will also be set at 40 km/h after a successful three year trial.
Main Roads WA will start bringing in the change before the end of this year.
International Spotlight:
NZ:
A five term Marlborough councillor has been elected to the NZ Parliament, and plans to do both roles for the time being, according to a report from Radio New Zealand.
Jamie Arbuckle says he wants to save the council from having to conduct a by-election, and will keep his councillor position until at least a year out from council elections which are scheduled for 2025.
Meanwhile, there will be a by-election for a vacancy on Hamilton City Council, after Cr Ryan Hamilton was elected to the Parliament as a Nationals candidate.
He has formally resigned his councillor position, triggering a by-election which will occur in February next year.
USA:
The Mayor of Bridgeport, CT, has appeared in court to testify in a hearing challenging the results of a Democratic primary election, that he won by about 250 votes after absentee ballots were counted.
The lawsuit was filed by his primary opponent John Gomes, who alleges that Ganim won the primary as a result of absentee ballot fraud.
Ganim maintains that he never spoke to one of the two women accused of stuffing ballots, about handling ballots.
The other accused woman is a former City Council member. The hearing is ongoing.
In Maine, councillors at Lewiston City have removed their current council president over a dispute about meetings at a local bar, according to a report from television station WABI-5.
Linda Scott accused a group of four council members of holding meetings at the bar to discuss city business, which she claimed was in violation of state law.
Those four council members then used their votes to remove Ms Scott from the president position, replacing her with one of their number.
Another councillor was censured by the council for public statements about the alleged illegal meeting.
The Mayor of New York City Eric Adams has come in for criticism this week after admitting that he has been using artificial intelligence to generate robocalls in languages that he doesn’t speak.
Fortune.com has reported that the the calls were used to promote city events, and did not include any disclosure that the calls were AI generated.
Use of AI technology is coming under increased scrutiny, raising ethical questions and calls for greater regulation on how it is used by governments and media companies.
Mayor Adams says he is simply using available tools to more effectively communicate with his constituents.
UK:
The financial crisis at the local government level in the UK is deepening, with fresh warnings that many more councils are at risk of bankruptcy.
The Guardian reported this week that the Local Government Association has written to the government describing increasing budget pressures caused by inflation and demand for social care.
It said the inflationary storm had seen the estimated budget gap at English councils grow by an additional £1B since July.
The LGA wants the government to use its Autumn Statement, due next month, to take immediate action to address the crisis and provide a more sustainable direction for council funding.
The first report from Commissioners at Woking Borough Council has been published. Woking is one of the councils under government intervention, after it declared bankruptcy in June.
The commissioners have drawn attention to the severity and uncertainties of Woking’s financial position, and overseen the development of an improvement and recovery plan which will see a smaller, more efficient council focused on core service delivery.
Chief Executive Julie Fisher said savings have been identified to bridge a business-as-usual budget gap of more than £11M, but that a laser-like focus will be needed to ensure delivery against those savings.
Hull has become the first UK city to grant a “right to grow” on unused council land, allowing community groups and individuals to cultivate fruit and vegetables.
The council will produce a map of suitable land and help overcome obstacles like insurance and water provision, in a bid to promote healthy local food and mental well-being.
The Guardian reports that Hull’s move follows a national campaign for a “right to grow” on neglected urban land, with a rising demand for allotments and a call for a national law obliging all local authorities to keep a register of potential growing land.