On the Roundup for 8th November,
Melbourne councils grappling with a response to the Israel-Hamas war;
The cost of municipal monitors at Geelong in the media spotlight;
A former council candidate among the victims of a tragic incident in Daylesford;
The latest Mayoral election results from Victorian councils;
A Sydney CEO accuses the state audit office of making implied threats to council staff;
NSW councils faced with tough rate increase decisions;
A Tasmanian council criticised for its response to a Right to Information request;
And disappointment from local government after the King’s Speech in the UK parliament.
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Stories in this episode (with links where available)
Victorian Roundup:
The Age has reported on how Melbourne councils are grappling with their response to the Israel-Hamas war, as one council prepares to debate a motion calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
A motion has been submitted for Merri-bek Council’s agenda tonight by Cr Sue Bolton, calling on the federal government to advocate for a ceasefire, for the council to fly the Palestinian flag, and to boycott any companies linked to Israel.
The motion has already attracted criticism as being one-sided, hateful and anti-Israel, and at least one councillor has indicated they won’t be supporting it.
It’s understood a similar motion is being prepared by a councillor at Maribyrnong, which meets later in the month, and that a statement is being circulated in the sector encouraging councillors to take a stand “against the genocide in Gaza”.
According to the Age, the statement has so far been signed by councillors from Geelong, Brimbank, Yarra and Merri-bek.
The cost of municipal monitors at the city of Greater Geelong is under the media spotlight.
The Geelong Advertiser has reported that monitors, Peter Dorling and Prue Digby, who are estimated to be undertaking two to three days of work per week, are being paid a daily rate of $1296.
While in Geelong last week, Premier Jacinta Allen defended the monitors’ ongoing role through next February, despite having completed the primary task of overseeing the appointment of Ali Wastie as the city’s new chief executive.
A state government spokesperson told the Advertiser that any public release of the monitors’ report, to be submitted at the end of their term, would be subject to legal advice.
A former council candidate was among the victims of a tragic incident in Daylesford on the weekend.
Five people from two families from Point Cook and Tarneit lost their lives when a car crashed into an outdoor dining area at the Royal Daylesford Hotel.
44 year old Pratibha Sharma, who died along with her husband and nine-year-old daughter, was a candidate for Harrison Ward at the 2020 Wyndham City Council elections. She was a migration agent and volunteer with the Australian Sikh Support.
Mayor Brian Hood said it was an absolute tragedy being felt throughout the community and beyond.
He said the community grief was palpable at a vigil in Daylesford on Monday night, and he urged people to make use of a drop-in counselling service that has been made available for members of the community, visitors, or anyone else directly or indirectly affected by the events.
The City of Stonnington has announced that it will no longer provide Aged Care Services from 1 July 2024.
The Council said that the new commonwealth government funding model would make it financially unsustainable to continue delivering the services.
The Council will work with current clients and families to transition to alternative service providers.
Mayor Jamie Klisaris, said that the decision had not been an easy one, and while the city had a proud history of delivering aged care services, it would no longer be viable under the new Commonwealth model.
Here are some more mayoral election results from around the state.
At West Wimmera Shire, the council has re-elected Tim Meyer as mayor for his second term in the role. Tom Houlihan was elected to the deputy mayor position.
It will be the fourth mayoral term for Robert Vance at Pyrenees Shire. He was first elected mayor in 2008, and last served in the role in 2018/19. The council remains one of the five that choose not to have a deputy mayor.
The question of whether to have a deputy mayor was debated at Northern Grampians Shire, with three councillors voting to have the additional office, and a majority of four voting against.
The mayor was elected along the same voting lines, and that will be Rob Haswell for the final 12 months of the council term.
At Gannawarra Shire Council, there’s a new mayor, with Ross Stanton elected to the position. Cr Stanton is the first mayor from that council’s Murray Ward in 20 years.
Last year’s mayor Charlie Gillingham will serve as Deputy Mayor.
And last night Cr Andrea Metcalf was confirmed as mayor of Greater Bendigo for a third consecutive term. Matthew Evans is the council’s deputy mayor, a position he last held in 2021/22.
Kingston City Council has been recognised with a prestigious national award.
Its dedicated Project Management Office (PMO) team has been crowned the national winner for Transformation Projects at the Australian Institute of Project Management Achievement Awards.
The PMO team used an in-house, user-centric and co-design approach to develop new systems and processes in collaboration with various project teams and stakeholders across the Council, based on the unique requirements of Kingston.
CEO Peter Bean said the award was well-deserved recognition of the council’s fresh and innovative approach to project management.
Victorian Briefs:
The numbers are in from Ballarat’s Biketober initiative, which saw participants ride over 16,400 kilometres, eliminating 472 kilograms of carbon emissions from the city.
The City of Ballarat finished in seventh place across government and public services participants nationally, and was the second placed city in Victoria in terms of workplaces registered.
A new gateway sculpture has been installed in Footscray.
The 10-metre vertical sculpture, called Maribyrnong, has been created by renowned Melbourne artist Geoffrey Bartlett, and symbolises Footscray’s maritime history, drawing inspiration from sailing and shipbuilding.
Mayor Sarah Carter said the permanent sculpture at the Hopkins Street Bridge will be a dynamic gateway marker to the city.
And Moorabool Shire has adopted a new CCTV policy, paving the way for the introduction of cameras to monitor community safety, asset security and illegal dumping.
The Star Weekly reports that the council received significant interest in the policy during a public comment period, with significant support as long as strict guidelines are in place.
The council responded to concerns about privacy, assuring the community that there were no plans to use facial recognition technology.
National Roundup:
NSW:
Ryde Council has accused the NSW Audit Office of downplaying corruption risks and making implied threats to staff during the investigation into the suspected misuse of public funds.
The referred itself to the Independent Commission Against Corruption over concerns of misusing $35.5 million in developer contributions, prompting the investigation.
According to a report from the Sydney Morning Herald, the council’s chief executive Wayne Rylands has written to state parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, accusing the auditors of a lack of accountability, and saying they downplayed corruption risks, concealed information and made “implied threats” to council staff.
Upper Lachlan Shire Council has abandoned a special rate variation process after receiving strong opposition to the plan from its community.
The council had given in-principle support to the process after being briefed on the council’s financial position.
Mayor Pam Kensit said ratepayers sent a clear message across six engagement sessions that they did not support an SRV, and would rather see service levels reviewed and internal efficiencies than paying higher general rates.
Meanwhile, the Daily Telegraph reports that Dubbo Regional Council is set to consider a recommendation on Thursday night for a special rate variation of 37 per cent over four years.
A consultancy report says the rate variation, along with productivity improvements and debt and service reduction, is needed to address a structural operating deficit.
Last year’s budget resulted in a shortfall of nearly $8M.
The council aims to achieve a net operating surplus over the next decade.
TAS:
The Mayor of Burnie says a revised rollout of transmission line upgrades on the coast is putting billions of dollars of investment at risk.
Teeny Brumby told the Burnie Advocate (7th November 2024) construction delays meant some renewable energy projects planned for the northwest are on the line as a result of the decision.
Mayor Brumby flew to Canberra this week to meet with the federal Climate Change and Energy Minister about the concerns.
She said she could not reconcile the decision to delay the upgrades with the state’s declared target of 200 per cent renewable energy by next year.
Tasmania’s Ombudsman has criticised Dorset Council for spending more time fighting a Right to Information request than it would have taken to fulfil it.
The Ombudsman, Richard Connock, said the council appeared to have struggled to objectively assess the application from a resident, whom it was noted had a long-running dispute with the council.
The Launceston Examiner (7th November 2023) reports that the applicant was seeking information about a land valuation, and statements for credit cards used by the Mayor and General Manager.
After the initial application was refused, a request for internal review was also refused without reasons, prompting the complaint to the Ombudsman.
Hobart City Council has marked the one-year anniversary of its new portfolio-based governance model, which aims to enhance transparency, community engagement, and effective decision-making.
Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said the model had delivered significant and beneficial change after initially being met with some resistance.
Key achievements include a 50 per cent reduction in average response time to elected member requests, down from an average 10 days to five days.
An interim governance review has been conducted, with another scheduled for early next year to ensure continual improvement.
SA:
A South Australian mayor says she will lie in front of a bulldozer to prevent a major marina development.
Moira Jenkins, the Mayor of Victor Harbor, was speaking at a rally of residents opposed to a $350M project proposed at Encounter Bay.
The council has voted against the project proposed for an area known as The Bluff, according to a report from ABC News.
The council had previously made an allocation of $30K to conduct consultation on the idea but reversed that decision two months later before adopting a masterplan focused on protecting the natural environment of the area.
QLD:
Queensland’s peak local government body has warned against cutting approved infrastructure projects, as it would negatively impact financially strained councils and communities.
LGAQ said it fears 131 critical projects in Queensland could be at risk from the Commonwealth’s Infrastructure Investment Program review, many of which are essential upgrades to local road networks.
LGAQ President and Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson said Councils have already planned and budgeted for these projects, which are listed in the Federal Government’s budget.
He said LGAQ is strongly opposed to the cancellation or postponement of any pipeline projects, as it would simply worsen the already challenging financial situation for vulnerable councils in Queensland.
National Briefs:
Armidale Regional Council has produced a video aimed at attracting new medical professionals to the region.
The video, launched at a world conference in Sydney last week, emphasizes the benefits of working in a regional area, including a close-knit community and the opportunity to know patients well.
A 1.7Km upgrade to one of WA’s most dangerous crash sites has been completed by the City of Cockburn, with funding contributions from the Federal and Western Australian Governments.
The Hammond Road upgrade project cost $22.6M, and Cockburn Mayor Logan Howlett said it was one of the largest examples of sustainable road construction by any local government in Perth.
Adelaide City Council’s Christmas decorations have come under fire this week.
The Adelaide Advertiser (7th November 2023) reports comments from a top event coordinator, who says they are drab, uninspiring, and past their due date.
Deputy Lord Mayor Phillip Martin said the council could and must do a better job, but rejected claims the council had gone for a “povo look”.
International Spotlight:
UK:
In London, King Charles has delivered the King’s Speech in parliament, and the local government sector is disappointed that it contained nothing about improving local government finances or furthering devolution.
Localgov.co.uk has reported on the reaction from sector leaders, who say members were desperate for some answers and reassurances in the announcement.
The Local Government Association has prepared a briefing in response to the speech, which it says contained many measures of relevance to councils.
They include legislative plans for automated vehicles, smoking and vaping, renters reform, football governance, and terrorism.
The leader of Burnley council and 10 other councillors had sensationally quit the Labour party this week, in protest against Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s refusal not to push for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Sky News UK has reported on the actions of the councillors, some of whom are calling for Sir Keir to relinquish the Labour leadership.
They say their membership of the party is untenable, and that Sir Keir does not value the voice of the grassroots of the party.
50 councillors across the UK have now resigned from the Labour party and called for a ceasefire, contrary to the official party line on the issue.
The City of York Council is seeking feedback from its community on the impact of cutting free school bus services.
The BBC reports that the council, which is facing an £11.4 overspend next year, is considering cuts to save millions of pounds from its budget.
A contract for school bus services, worth £184K per annum, is due to expire next August.
The council has decided to hold a consultation period before making a final decision.
The decision will impact a 24km route for around 225 students.
USA:
The mayor of a council in Idaho was back at the council table this week after being released from jail on a bond.
Rick York, the mayor of New Plymouth Council, was charged with aggravated battery and further misdemeanours after it is alleged he shot his son last week.
News outlet KTVB7 reported that council members seemed to put the matter aside with no mention of the incident as it considered council business at a short meeting on Monday.
Mayor York’s son was hospitalised with non-life-threatening injuries. Police had said the mayor had admitted to shooting his son after after an argument.
CANADA:
A councillor in Ontario, Canada has been found in breach of the code of conduct for raising her middle finger to a group of residents.
CBC has reported that Thunder Bay councillor Rajni Agarwal has been the subject of an investigation by the city’s integrity commissioner, which received a complaint that the councillor had repeatedly harassed property owners who were doing exterior grading work.
The commissioner has recommended the councillor’s pay be suspended for 30 days.
The council was due to consider the commissioner’s report this week, but it has now been deferred to later in the month due to technical issues affecting the livestreaming of the proceedings.
Cr Agarwal is the fourth current or former councillor to have faced review by integrity commissioner in recent years.