On your weekend update from the Roundup for 15th July, all roads lead to Echuca for the Rural Councils Victoria forum;
Victoria’s electoral review proposals labelled as absurd and ridiculous;
Concerns about late night council meetings at a regional council;
A rural councillor denied a six month leave of absence;
A sporting champion denied a major civic honour;
A mayor’s outrage over a public gallery member’s hand signal;
And two US mayors step down this week after public outcry over their social media activity.
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Transcript (with story links where available):
Hi, this is Chris Eddy, coming to you from the land of the Wadawurrung People with the latest from the Local Government News Roundup.
On the podcast today:
All roads lead to Echuca for the Rural Councils Victoria forum;
Victoria’s electoral review proposals labelled as absurd and ridiculous;
Concerns about late night council meetings at a regional council;
A rural councillor denied a six month leave of absence;
A sporting champion denied a major civic honour;
A mayor’s outrage over a public gallery member’s hand signal;
And two US mayors step down this week after public outcry over their social media activity.
That’s all ahead in the latest update from the Local Government News Roundup.
Thanks for joining me for today’s podcast – brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, your councillor support network – and the national broadcaster on all things local government;
And by Snap Send Solve – in the business of keeping shared spaces safe, clean and great to be in.
Here are some of the Victorian council related stories making news in recent days.
More than 150 mayors, councillors, and local government CEOs were in Echuca this week for the Rural Councils Victoria (RCV) Forum.
Local Government Minister Melissa Horne, delivered the keynote address, while attendees also heard from Peter Walsh,the Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government, and Aboriginal Affairs.
Liz Ritchie, CEO of Regional Australia Institute, spoke about the National Alliance on Regionalisation, which brings together more than 30 chairpersons and CEOs from influential peak bodies in Australia.
RCV is the only rural and the only Victorian local government organisation to be represented in the Alliance, giving them a unique position to advocate for the needs of rural Victorian communities.
The forum was hosted by Campaspe Shire Council.
A new analysis of the electoral review process for Victorian councils has described the process as absurd, leading to some ridiculous single member ward options.
Ben Raue at the Tally Room has looked at the proposed wards for some of the councils under review, highlighting Yarra City Council’s likely single member ward map as an example of the absurdity of the system.
He says the boundaries will prioritise local geography to an extreme degree, and are bound to increase parochialism and nimbyism in councillor behaviour.
The analysis also looks at models proposed for some regional council areas, such as Latrobe and Horsham, which are described as electoral system changes that are embarrassing for Victorian local government.
A Monash City Council proposal to spend $110M on a new library development in Glen Waverley has attracted attention from Channel 9 News this week – with the proposal receiving a mixed reaction from the residents the news outlet spoke to.
The development of a library and community hub, with some council office space, will be funded by the proceeds of land sales, including compulsory land acquisition for the Suburban Rail Loop project.
Opposition to the money being spent on a library is being led by one the city’s own councillors, but some local residents featured in the story welcomed the news that they would be getting a new library.
Community input on the proposed new Glen Waverley precinct is being invited over the next six weeks.
Channel 9 Twitter; City of Monash
Concerns about the length of Ballarat City Council meetings have been covered in a report by the Ballarat Times this week.
The paper has reported on comments from deputy mayor Amy Johnson at a recent meeting which saw debate on the city’s annual budget commence just before midnight and continue through until 1.00am.
Cr Johnson called for less packed agendas and better management of agenda items that weren’t urgent.
Her concerns include the ability of councillors to make clear decisions when concentrating over long periods of time, and the reduced ability of the community to watch or listen to meetings late at night.
Some south western Victorian councils are the latest to undertake reviews of their aged care services in light of federal reforms.
The Standard reports that Warrnambool and Colac Otway councils have appointed consultants to evaluate the future of aged services, as part of a joint review.
The review is expected to be complete by December.
Moyne Shire is also considering its options, and Corangamite has previously decided to withdraw in-home services.
Cardinia Shire Council has rejected a proposal to construct a new place of worship in Pakenham.
The proposed location for the building was deemed inappropriate as it falls within an industrial precinct and is designated as state-significant industrial land.
The council cited concerns about noise and accessibility, which they believed would impact the viability of a place of worship in that location.
According to a report from the Pakenham Gazette, a recommendation to refuse the application was first considered in May, and deferred to the July meeting, where it was supported by a majority of five votes to two, with two councillors absent.
Now in today’s Victorian Briefs:
Nominations are now open for the 2023 Sally Isaac Memorial Scholarship Award – a $10K prize fostering the professional development of emerging female leaders committed to the improvement of their communities.
The award, administered by LGPro, is open to women under 35 years of age, and applications must be in by Monday 31st July.
Warrnambool City Council has rolled out its first remote-controlled robotic lawn mower for use in areas that are either difficult or dangerous for people to mow.
Mayor Debbie Arnott said the new mower’s main advantage was an improvement in safety, and would also increase productivity by freeing up council staff to work in other areas.
The robotic mower has been nicknamed ‘Mo’.
24 Victorian Councils are among the announced recipients from the latest round of Community Road Safety Grants from the state government.
$1.3M will be distributed across the successful applicants, which also include schools, sporting clubs and other community groups, for projects that help to prevent serious injuries and reduce the number of lives lost on Victoria’s roads.
A rural council has denied a councillor request for a leave of absence.
Buloke Shire councillor and former mayor Carolyn Stewart has not attended a Council meeting this year, and has had one leave of absence from February to May.
Mayor Alan Getley advised at this week’s Council meeting of the request for a further leave of absence from this month through to the end of December.
Councillors voted 3 -2 to deny the request, with one councillor abstaining from the vote.
A countback will be required to fill an extraordinary vacancy on Glenelg Shire Council, after the resignation of one of the Council’s longest serving councillors.
Anita Rank has left the Council due to a change in employment status, and will be replaced via a countback scheduled for the 2nd August.
Ms Rank left an indelible mark on the shire, becoming the first councillor in the shire’s history to serve six consecutive terms as Mayor.
Hindmarsh Shire Council has invited applications for the CEO position.
This comes as the contract of current CEO, Greg Wood, is due to expire in October. Mr Wood was reappointed on a two year contract in May 2021.
GEM Executive is conducting the recruitment process.
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Now for some of the stories making local government news from around Australia this week.
Mixed martial arts (MMA) champion Alex Volkanovski, who recently defended his featherweight Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title, will not be honoured by the mayor of Wollongong despite his achievements.
In a report from the ABC, Mayor Gordon Bradbery, cited concerns about endorsing violence as the reason for not putting forward Volkanovski’s name for the city’s top honour, the keys to the city.
The mayor emphasised the importance of discouraging violence, particularly in light of brain trauma concerns.
Previous recipients of the keys to the city in Wollongong include a motor neurone disease researcher and an Olympic gold medalist.
Volkanovski, who trains in Wollongong and lives in Shellharbour, was awarded the keys to the neighbouring City of Shellharbour in 2020.
Sutherland Shire Council has decided to voice its dissatisfaction with Toyota Corporation’s “legacy commitment” by writing to its Sister City, Chuo, in Japan.
The unanimous council decision follows claims by current and former mayors Carmelo Pesce and Kent Johns alleging that Toyota has not fulfilled its promise of a significant legacy when it closed its Caringbah operation in 2019.
A report in the St George and Sutherland Shire Leader outlines scholarships and grants provided to local schools over a four year period, and a Toyota announcement last year of the conclusion of its Sydney Legacy projects.
The council has also requested that Toyota remove any references to Sutherland Shire Council from its website.
St George and Sutherland Shire Leader
A new initiative under consideration by Parramatta City Council could see the first use in Australia of safe haven baby boxes.
The Daily Telegraph reports on a Council discussion about the practice which is common in the US and Europe of allowing parents to anonymously surrender a child up to 12 months of age.
The boxes would be installed outside Council buildings in discreet but accessible locations, and their use would trigger a silent alarm to emergency services.
Cr Ange Humphries has raised the idea after a recent incident in Blacktown in which a 35 year old woman abandoned a newborn in a backyard.
A report exploring the proposal will come back to the Council at a future meeting.
Snowy Monaro Council is nearing the conclusion of its divestment of its two aged care facilities.
It will consider a recommendation to transfer its Yallambee facility to a new provider, while the Snowy River Hostel will likely be closed for lack of an operator willing to take on the operation.
Tamworth Council is considering amending outdoor dining rules in its CBD to allow drinking on footpaths without a meal.
NBN News reports that the move is being welcomed by business owners, but some locals are concerned that it could lead to an increase in anti-social behaviour.
A report from the Courier Mail yesterday has revealed details of a controversial event at an Ipswich City Council meeting in April this year, during which a former councillor is alleged to have made a handgun signal towards the mayor from the public gallery.
Mayor Teresa Harding reportedly asked the CEO to investigate the actions of David Pahlke, who is seen on video making a gesture towards the mayor while she was speaking on a motion about public information signage.
The motion was triggered after Mr Pahlke learned that his name had been removed from an interpretive plaque at a local park.
He was one of the councillors that had been removed by the State Government in controversial circumstances in 2018.
Mayor Harding said she was appalled by the gesture and requested a review of whether a code of conduct was required to be enforced for members of the public gallery at Council meetings.
The aftermath of a car crash involving Redland Mayor Karen Williams last year has been shown in photos obtained by Channel 9 News.
It has also reported on the costs of the damage, which amounted to nearly $60K.
Cr Williams was found to have a blood-alcohol level of three times the legal limit while driving the council provided vehicle, which was a written off due to the damage.
The council received an insurance payout of nearly $54K, arguing that its insurance should not be void as it had no reason to suspect the mayor would drink drive, contrary to council policies.
It’s understood the council has pursued reimbursement of costs from the mayor, who said in a statement that the insurer had been reimbursed for all expenses related to the claim.
Townsville council has successfully appealed against a negligence lawsuit in which they were ordered to pay over $300,000 in damages to a woman who tripped and fell in a park.
CHannel 7 News reports that Barbara Josephine Hodges sued the Council after tripping in a local park in 2015, claiming that she stepped into a hole in the grass, causing her to suffer spiral fractures in her left ankle.
The Townsville District Court ruled in her favour in December of last year, and the council appealed.
The Brisbane Court of Appeal overturned the order to pay damages, concluding that the depth of the hole was critical in determining the council’s responsibility and that the council had taken appropriate steps to detect and repair hazards.
Two South Australian councils are getting tough on unpaid rates, some of which haven outstanding for over 15 years.
The ABC reports that Northern Areas Council has issued a public demand for unpaid rates, totaling over $49,000 including legal fees. The debts range from $2,800 to $25,000, and none of the properties in debt are residential.
Naracoorte Lucindale Council has also issued a public demand for over $100,000 in unpaid rates, giving property owners 30 days to start a payment plan or face their homes being sold at auction.
Briefly:
The City of Bunbury CEO Mail Osborne will do double duty for the next four weeks, taking on the acting CEO responsibilities at Bunbury Harvey Regional Council.
Bunbury Harvey Regional Council has been unable to employ an Acting CEO to cover the period before its incoming CEO commence duties in August.
The City of Bunbury and the Shire of Harvey are the two member councils of the regional organisation.
The General Manager of Snowy Valleys Council in NSW has reportedly resigned.
Ken Gouldthorp, who was appointed for a 12 month term last October, will work his last day at the Council on the 4th August, according to a report from the Tumut and Adelong Times.
A Victorian council manager has been selected as the new CEO of Tourism Noosa in Queensland.
Sharon Raguse, the Manager of Economic Development at East Gippsland Shire Council, is returning to Queensland to take up the new role in mid-August.
Ms Raguse is a former manager with Brisbane Marketing, and has also served as general manager of Falls Creek Ski Lifts.
A councillor in Albany, Western Australia, is calling for the town to end its sister city relationship with Linyi, China, due to concerns about foreign influence.
Councillor Thomas Brough expressed worries about how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) uses sister city relationships to exert foreign influence, and believes that local governments are an easy target for such influence.
According to a report from Sky News, the relationship between Albany and Linyi was established in 2014 but has remained largely dormant.
Mayor Dennis Wellington says he is not concerned about maintaining the sister city relationship.
The matter is yet to come before the council for consideration.
Now for today’s International Spotlight:
In Oregon, two local mayors have resigned from office this week, both in relation to questionable social media activity.
The Seattle Times reports that the mayor of Newport, Dean Sawyer, stepped down on Monday due to public outrage after what were described as hateful Facebook posts mocking immigrants, Spanish speakers and transgender women.
And then on Tuesday, the mayor of Baker City in the east of the state resigned amid controversy over an offensive meme that he posted last month depicting four pride flags rearranged to form a swastika.
Matt Diaz did address his controversial post in announcing that he was leaving the city and could therefore no longer serve as its mayor.
Elsewhere in North Carolina, a state senator has announced that he is planning to run for mayor of the city of Durham, according to a report from Axios.
Mike Woodard is a former city council member and has announced his candidacy after current first term mayor Elaine O’Neal announced that she would not be running for re-election.
While we have a sitting senator running for a mayoral position in the US, the script is being flipped in the UK, where Bristol mayor Marvin Rees is standing for a seat in Parliament.
He says his campaign won’t take away from his day job of running the city, according to the Bristol Post.
Given the demands of a parliamentary campaign, his announcement has raised questions about where and how he will focus his efforts over the remaining ten months of his mayoral term.
He is a directly elected mayor serving his second term in the position.
Councils in the UK are a step closer to being able to meet virtually after a vote in the House of Lords.
According to the Local Government Chronicle, it was one of four votes on a levelling up bill that were lost by the government.
While an amendment to allow local authorities to meet virtually was passed, there is a possibility that government ministers may seek to overturn the change when the bill goes back to the House of Commons.
Three other amendments that were passed were related to the governance of combined local authorities, and protections to ensure local councils can have a voice in those processes.
The dire financial circumstances of two more English councils have been revealed this week.
A report by the Local Government Association reportedly reveals that Hasting Council in Sussex is being pushed to the brink of bankruptcy, raising concerns that councillors are not facing reality.
And the Southampton City Council is reportedly spending beyond its means and has warned the government it may run out of money this year.
The BBC has both of those reports – links in our show notes.
Hastings council bankruptcy fears amid housing crisis – BBC News; Southampton City Council alerts government over financial emergency – BBC News
And finally to Japan, where a city in the Fukushima Prefecture is promoting itself as a “City of Bugs.”
The unique marketing angle by Tamura City has been revealed in a report from NHK World News.
The city has established a division dedicated to beetles and other insects, but it won’t have any dedicated staff.
A beetle-like mascot called Kabuton has been put in charge of the division.
His job will be to encourage lots of children to visit the city in the summer tourist season.
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That’s the latest from the Roundup for the 15th July 2023 – brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, with support from Snap Send Solve.
Don’t forget to register for the lunchtime webinar on the 20th July at which Snap Send Solve and the City of Swan will showcase the two way integration that is helping to improve customer satisfaction at the city.
Head to our website – www.lgnewsroundup.com – for more details, and to learn how you can support the Roundup by becoming a subscriber through a small monthly contribution, which you can cancel at any time.
The Local Government News Roundup is recorded in the city of Greater Geelong, Victoria, on the land of the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation.
More of the latest local government news coming your way next week. Until then, thanks for listening, and bye for now.