On the Local Government News Roundup for Friday 15th November:
- Suspected vote tampering reported as Victorian council elections come to a close
- The sector falls short on gender equality targets for the state’s councillor cohort
- New leadership for the VLGA board
- Five more councils elect their mayors and deputy mayors for the new term
- Fallout from the shock resignation of Shoalhaven Council’s CEO
- Opposition ramps up to the NSW Government’s proposed ban of confidential councillor briefing sessions
- Tensions on the Gold Coast over an alleged information leak
- A Council GM quits due to serious health issues
- And the UK Government sets the cap for Council tax bills, and intervenes at another troubled council
Plus more from across Australia and beyond on the nation’s #1 podcast for local government news and interviews.
The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, with support from Davidson recruitment and business advisory services.
Listen to this episode here, and find the link for your podcast player here.
Transcript for episode 399:
Victorian Roundup:
The Victorian Electoral Commission has applied to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal for a review of two ward results from the Council elections in Whittlesea and Knox.
The VEC detected higher rates of multiple ballot paper envelopes returned appearing to be from the same voters in Whittlesea City Council’s Lalor Ward, and Knox City Council’s Baird Ward.
The VEC said an examination of voter declarations highlighted a pattern of irregularities.
VEC Commissioner Sven Bluemmel expressed disappointment that it appeared election interference had occurred, but assured voters that additional safeguarding measures had identified the irregularities.
In addition to the applications to VCAT, the matters have been referred to Victoria Police and the Local Government Inspectorate for further investigation.
Chief Municipal Inspector Michael Stefanovic AM said the matters concern potential serious offences that carry a substantial fine or imprisonment of up to five years.
Stevan Kozmevski was declared elected to Whittlesea City Council in Lalor Ward, and Peter Lockwood was declared elected to Knox City Council in Baird Ward.
According to The Age, both councillors have denied wrongdoing and called for a quick investigation into the matter.
A few bits and pieces to tidy up since our last episode.
A recount in Jacksons Hill Ward in Hume City Council confirmed the election of Jarrod Bell, by a margin of 16 votes over Natalie Harrison – an increase on the margin of eight votes in the first count.
The VEC advised the outcomes of three recounts at Greater Geelong City Council.
In Charlemont Ward, Emma Sinclair was the winner; Connewarre Ward went to Emma Wilkinson by three votes from Angela Shearman; and in Deakin Ward, Andrew Katos was confirmed as the successful candidate.
The final ward was declared in Whitehorse – Sparks Ward, which was won by Peter Allan, confirmed in a recount.
There was a final ward declaration at Darebin yesterday, that being South West Ward which went to Alexandra Sangster.
Results were finalised for the outstanding councils of Campaspe, Maribyrnong, Frankston, Greater Geelong and Manningham.
There’s been much anticipation to see if Victoria would become the first state to achieve gender parity in local government through these elections.
Unfortunately, we’ve fallen short again, with ABC News reporting the final figure at just over 43 per cent – around the same as last time.
While metropolitan councils are close to a 50-50 split, regional areas lag behind with only about a third of elected councillors being women.
There are exceptions though with Moyne Shire among the eleven regional councils to have elected majority female councils.
With the percentage of women councillors unchanged, the Victorian Local Governance Association has called on the sector to work in partnership to bridge the gap in future.
CEO Kathryn Arndt said it was good news that there are now more female councillors in total, but there are also more men.
Ms Arndt said more funding needs to be directed towards the experts that can bring about positive change in gender equality.
Victoria fails to reach goal of gender parity on councils ahead of 2025 deadline
The bragging rights for Victoria’s longest serving councillor have shifted these elections from Ararat in the state’s west, where Gwenda Allgood has retired after 42 years, to Yarra Ranges on Melbourne’s northwest fringe.
Len Cox has secured his 15th consecutive term on the council, securing over 68 per cent of first preference votes in his ward contest.
The Lilydale Star Mail has profile Cr Cox and his plans for his record breaking term, while also noting that Yarra Ranges voters have bucked a broader trend by electing eight men to the new council.
The one and only female councillor, Fiona McAllister ran unopposed in her ward.
40-year-veteran reappointed in 15th consecutive council win | Lilydale Star Mail
The elections have delivered changes to the membership of the board of the Victorian Local Governance Association.
President Denise Massoud and long serving board member Susanne Newton were both unsuccessful in their re-election campaigns to Whitehorse and Darebin councils respectively, creating vacancies on the VLGA Board.
CEO Kathryn Arndt paid tribute to their contributions to the board, and thanked them for their professionalism, commitment and service.
Ms Arndt announced that VLGA Vice President Grace La Vella from Central Goldfields Shire Council will assume the role of interim President until annual board elections in June next year.
VLGA Board Changes | VLGA | Victorian Local Governance Association
Latest mayoral election results:
Cr Georgina Oxley who has been elected to serve as Kingston’s Mayor for the next 12 months.
Cr Chris Howe has been elected to serve as Deputy Mayor.
At Northern Grampians Shire, Cr Karen Hyslop was elected mayor.
In a change of recent practice, the council decided to elect a deputy mayor, and that role has gone to Cr Justine Hide for a 12 month period.
At Hindmarsh Shire Council, Cr Ron Ismay has been elected Mayor and Cr Chan Uoy was elected Deputy Mayor.
Surf Coast Shire has elected Cr Mike Bodsworth as its mayor for the next 12 months.
And Cr Libby Stapleton was elected to the deputy mayor position from a field of three nominations.
And at Port Phillip City Council last night**,** Cr Louise Crawford was returned to the mayoralty, a position she last held in 2021.
Cr Crawford was elected unopposed, as was the new deputy mayor Cr Bryan Mears.
Victorian Briefs:
Latrobe City Council has launched a new community safety campaign called ‘Lock up your stuff’ to combat rising theft-related crime rates in the region.
The campaign aims to educate residents on simple safety measures, such as locking doors and securing valuables, to prevent opportunistic thefts and burglaries, while also providing information on how to report crimes.
Latrobe City launches a new community safety campaign | Latrobe City Council
The City of Ballarat is urging motorists to be cautious of koalas during breeding season, particularly in areas like the Canadian Corridor from Warrenheip to Buninyong.
The city is considering seasonal road signage to raise awareness, and has implemented measures such as the Koala Plan of Management and Environmental Significance Overlay to protect the vulnerable marsupials.
Motorists cautioned to be on the lookout for koalas | City of Ballarat
A $2M funding boost for Yarra City Council will see traffic treatments upgraded in Fitzroy North, and seven separate road safety studies conducted for Clifton Hill, North Abbotsford.
The funding is part of the state government’s $210M Safe Local Roads and Streets program.
Yarra City Council secures $2 million in funding for road safety initiatives | Yarra City Council
National Roundup:
NSW:
Shoalhaven City Council has confirmed the resignation of Robyn Stevens from her role as CEO, which has prompted calls for an investigation into the council.
Ms Steven’s resignation follows speculation in recent days that new Mayor Patricia White and some other councillors had been seeking a leadership change.
Ms Stevens started in the role in February this year with a focus on improving the financial sustainability of the organisation through driving process change and streamlining systems.
Mayor White thanked Ms Stevens for the positive impact she has had on the culture of the organisation and the efficiencies that she has implemented in the short time in the role.
At a Council meeting on Tuesday night, Councillors appointed Director of City Development, James Ruprai to act in the role while recruitment is considered by the elected council.
Following the news of Ms Steven’s resignation, the United Services Union claimed that the new councillors had rejected her plan to deal with the council’s financial services, instead preferring a plan to slash 500 positions from the organisation.
The Union says that would be a disaster for local families and services, and has called on the Minister for Local Government to immediately intervene and “hold this dysfunctional council to account”.
Deputy Mayor Peter Wilkins denied reports of plans to cut up to 500 staff, but told the ABC that Ms Steven’s plan to remove 19 positions and absorb two director positions didn’t go far enough.
Announcement of CEO resignation
The NSW Government’s proposed ban on confidential councillor briefing sessions is facing significant opposition from Sydney councils.
The government says it wants to increase transparency and stamp out “bad councillor behaviour” by limiting behind-closed-doors meetings.
The Daily Telegraph has reported that many councils, including Sydney, Hornsby, Camden and Mosman, argue that the sessions are crucial for informed decision-making and efficient governance.
Some warn that banning these sessions could lead to less efficient governance and potentially drive confidential discussions “underground.”
The proposal is part of new code of conduct reforms that are open for feedback currently.
It follows a decision in July at Mornington Peninsula Shire in Victoria to move councillor briefing sessions online for public viewing, a change that is yet to be implemented.
The New South Wales Government has ended the ticketless parking fine system, which allowed for delayed notifications of infringements.
New legislation requires councils to provide on-the-spot notifications and take photos of offences, measures which the government says will restore transparency and fairness to the parking fine system.
The change comes after a notable increase in ticketless parking fines, leading to the NRMA and other stakeholders calling for reform of a “broken system”.
Minns Labor Government ends unfair ticketless parking fine system
Councillor Big Rob has again been formally censured at a Lismore City Council meeting for breaches of the Code of Conduct, according to a report from the Lismore App.
Following a confidential session to consider the matter, Mayor Steve Kreig told the meeting that the matter would also be referred to the Office of Local Government for further action under the misconduct provisions of the Local Government Act.
Cr Rob confirmed the censure on his Facebook page, describing it as another to add to the collection.
The details of the complaint against Cr Rob have not been revealed.
Councillor Big Rob censured at council meeting
Port Stephens Council has launched a ‘Demystifying Development Applications’ video series to simplify the Development Application (DA) process for residents and businesses.
The initiative is part of the Housing Delivery Program, which aims to construct 11,100 new homes to accommodate an expected population growth of 20,000 people over the next two decades.
The program includes measures to streamline the DA process while also addressing issues of housing diversity, affordability, and supply in the region.
Port Stephens builds for the future with streamlined development application process
Almost 18 months after introducing a three-bin waste collection system, data reported to Kyogle Council shows that residents are still incorrectly sorting their waste, with recyclables and organic materials often ending up in the wrong bins.
However, the new system has resulted in a 32.7 percent reduction in waste sent to landfill, according to a report from IndyNR dot com.
The results highlight the need for further education on proper waste sorting and recycling practices to maximise the efficiency of the three-bin system.
Red, yellow, green – Council reports on how well (or not) we are using our three bins
QLD:
An investigation into an alleged information leak at Gold Coast City Council has led to tensions between Governance committee chair Brooke Patterson and CEO Tim Baker, according to a report from the Gold Coast Bulletin.
Cr Patterson claimed that a confidential report on the outcome of the investigation, which mentions her 137 times, was not shared with her prior to the council meeting.
That claim was disputed by the CEO who said the report was provided with an opportunity for feedback.
The heated exchange follows a report in July revealing eleven complaints against Cr Patterson from staff, leading to guidelines for her dealings with the administration.
Central Highlands Regional Council has appointed Aaron Johansson as its new Chief Executive Officer.
Mr Johansson resigned last week as CEO at Goulburn Mulwaree Council in NSW citing an untenable relationship with Mayor Nina Dillon.
He will take up his new role in Emerald on 1st February.
Gladstone-raised Mr Johansson has previously been CEO at Charters Towers Regional Council, and Director of Corporate, Governance and Financial Services at Isaac Regional Council.
Banana Shire Council has become the first council in Central Queensland to install Containers For Change public bin collection stations, aiming to reduce landfill waste and assist residents during the cost-of-living crisis.
The council has installed 75 racks on selected public bins throughout the shire, allowing residents to place up to six Containers for Change items in the racks, with the goal of preventing an estimated $240,000 worth of recyclable containers from ending up in landfill annually.
Banana Shire First CQ Council to Launch Public Containers for Change Stations – Banana Shire Council
The Queensland Government is providing over $13 million to 26 councils for waste reduction, recycling, and reuse initiatives through the Let’s Get It Sorted Partnership Program.
Environment and Tourism Minister Andrew Powell announced the program during National Recycling Week, as part of Queensland’s broader goal to establish a zero-waste society within a circular economy by 2050.
MEDIA STATEMENT: Queensland councils to receive more than $13 million for waste initiatives
National Briefs:
Federation Council will put eight motions to the NSW Local Government Conference next week in Tamworth, according a report from the Yarrawonga Chronicle.
They include a push for a review of candidate nomination procedures for local government elections, a request to the state not to restrict real estate agents and developers from being councillors, and a call for mirror legislation to prevent more demonstrations like the one that occurred in Corowa in October. Yarrawonga Chronicle
Western Downs Regional Council has joined the Welcoming Cities Network, committing to fostering inclusiveness and equality in the region for all residents, including new arrivals and migrants.
It aligns the council with a national network of local governments dedicated to creating welcoming communities, providing opportunities for collaboration and access to resources that support the attraction and retention of new residents.
Western Downs Regional Council
Cairns Regional Council is introducing a new ‘pay by plate’ parking system in select areas of the CBD and north Cairns, allowing drivers to enter their license plate number and pay without needing to display a ticket.
The ticketless system, being rolled out from this week, simplifies the parking process while maintaining existing fees and time limits, and will coexist with traditional ‘pay and display’ machines in some areas.
Council introduces simpler way to pay for parking
The Groote Archipelago Regional Council has announced the appointment of Shane Marshall as its inaugural Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Mr Marshall’s immediate priority will be to lay the groundwork for the establishment of the newly elected Council with the first council elections scheduled to take place in March 2025.
TAS:
Former Launceston mayor Danny Gibson has resigned from his position on the Local Government Association of Tasmania as controversy swirls around revelations of council payment of his legal fees and PR advice.
The ABC reported that the council has spent thousands of dollars on behalf of Cr Gibson, with former senior managers believed to have approved the payments for legal fees and public relations services.
There are calls for an independent investigation into the matter, and concerned ratepayers are circulating a petition calling for Cr Gibson to resign from the council.
He has not made any public statement or attended a council meeting since historical allegations of sexual misconduct were revealed through an ABC investigation earlier this year.
The Tasmanian government is proposing new planning reforms that would establish independent Development Assessment Panels to bypass local councils for certain development applications.
ABC News reported that Mayors from Greater Hobart have strongly opposed the changes, warning that they could lead to a “wild west on steroids” scenario in the development approvals process.
The Property Council of Tasmania supports the reforms, claiming they will introduce unbiased expert assessment.
But local government representatives argue that the changes would remove community voices from planning decisions and potentially increase political influence in the process.
Draft legislation to introduce the reforms is due to be presented to Parliament later this month.
Greater Hobart mayors warn ‘voice of the community’ at risk of being removed from planning decisions
The general manager of Tasmania’s West Coast Council, Ciara Spencer, is leaving her position after less than a year.
The Advocate reports this morning that serious health issues have forced her decision.
The former federal public servant told the paper that she was disappointed not to be able to continue in the role at West Coast, but that she needs to prioritise her wellbeing and that of her young family.
Ms Spencer took up the role in February and will finish in January.
The Advocate, 15th November 2024
WA:
The CEO of a remote Western Australian council has been suspended pending an investigation into unspecified allegations believed to centre on workplace culture concerns.
ABC News reported that Shire of Coolgardie councillors suspended James Trail from his position yesterday.
A series of complaints about working conditions at the council was followed by this week’s action by the council.
Shire President Malcolm Cullen said all concerned parties will have an opportunity to participate in the investigation, and that all allegations will be fully considered.
Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley said the department was aware of the complaints and had been monitoring matters at the shire for some time.
The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder has received two prestigious awards at the Local Government Professionals WA Gala Awards.
CEO Andrew Brien took home the LG Professionals WA Medal for transformative leadership.
The City was also awarded for its comprehensive employee well-being programs, which have resulted in reduced staff turnover and increased employee satisfaction.
Alice Springs Town Council has reportedly held a secret meeting to discuss the leak of a letter from Mayor Matt Paterson to the Commonwealth Bank.
The letter, which requested support for a major poker machine operator, was printed by the Alice Springs News, prompting a complaint from the council to the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption.
The News has not disclosed how it came into possession of the letter.
Council takes leaking of Mayor letter to ICAC – Alice Springs News
The City of Darwin is planning to revitalise the city centre with a proposed new Civic Centre development, which will include a larger library, community spaces, and approximately 400 car parking spaces.
The project is estimated to cost around $150 million, and create over 500 jobs during construction, which is planned to commence in the 2025 dry season.
Completion is expected in 2028.
City centre to be rejuvenated with new Civic Centre
Global Roundup:
UK:
The UK government has confirmed that council tax bills in England are set to rise by up to 5% next April, maintaining the current cap on increases.
The decision means the average household faces an above-inflation increase of more than £100 to their council tax bill next year, according to BBC News.
The Local Government Association (LGA) has warned that council tax income alone cannot solve the significant financial pressures on local services, and is calling for major changes to the funding regime to stabilise local government finances.
Council tax in England set to rise by up to 5%
The UK government has announced an intervention in Tower Hamlets Council in London after inspectors uncovered major failings and a “toxic” culture.
The inspection report revealed a lack of trust and respect among political parties and management, with decision-making dominated by an inner circle around the Mayor Lutfur Rahman.
The Council said it had disagreed with the justification for the inspection launched by the previous government, but welcomed the new government’s decision to appoint an envoy, rather than commissioners.
Government confirms intervention over failings at ‘toxic’ council
CANADA:
Ontario council Greater Sudbury has dismissed its integrity commissioner, David Boghosian, over concerns with the quality and content of his reports.
The decision came after the presentation of three code of conduct complaint reports, with councillors rejecting recommendations from one of them and expressing frustration over what they perceived as excessive personal opinion in the reports.
CBC News reported that the dismissal follows another recent high-profile firing of the city’s CAO, Ed Archer, a decision expected to cost the city up to $600K in severance pay.
Greater Sudbury city council dismisses integrity commissioner | CBC News
NZ:
Auckland Council has announced that it has exceeded its annual operating savings target, saving $60.2 million in the 2023/24 financial year.
That surpasses its $50 million target and contributes to a total of $337 million in savings over the last three years.
The savings were achieved through various initiatives, including reducing corporate property footprint and centralising support functions.
Auckland Council savings hit $337m in the last three years
JAPAN:
Local governments in Japan are turning to technology to respond to a surge in bear sightings and attacks.
AI-equipped cameras and digital mapping systems are being used to monitor and alert authorities about bear activities, particularly in Akita Prefecture which last year had the highest number of bear related injuries in Japan with 70 reported incidents.
There were 49 bear attack victims in the neighbouring prefecture of Iwate.
The new system came online in July and officials say it has already helped to prevent bears from encroaching into residential areas, according to the Japan Times.
Municipalities in Japan turn to AI and digital maps to prevent bear encounters
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