“Complete vindication; administrators coming and CEOs going” #206

On the Roundup today, Moira Shire’s interim administrator announced, and three administrators appointed to Coober Pedy Council in South Australia; two long term CEOs announce they are stepping down; Melbourne Councils in the news; preliminary electoral representation reports released; and a twist in a long running CEO’s unfair dismissal case.

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Transcript (with story links where available):

Hi, this is Chris Eddy, with the latest from the Local Government News Roundup.

On the podcast today: Moira Shire’s interim administrator announced, and three administrators appointed to Coober Pedy Council in South Australia; two long term CEOs announce they are stepping down; Melbourne Councils in the news; preliminary electoral representation reports released; and a twist in a long running CEO’s unfair dismissal case; all that and more 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.

The State Government has appointed one of the two commissioners from the recent Moira Shire Commission of Inquiry as the interim Administrator of the council for a three month period.

John Tanner AM has been charged with starting the process of governance reform, ahead of the appointment of a panel of administrators.

The appointment follows the dismissal of the elected Council by the government, in light of the Commission of Inquiry report which found declining governance at the council, evidence of misconduct and potential illegal activity.

Mr Tanner is a former administrator at Brimbank council, and was made a member of Order of Australia in 2016.

Source: Victorian Government

Merri-bek Council in Melbourne’s inner-north has attracted media attention over the amount of money collected from animal registration fines last year.

The Age first reported on $600,000 in unanticipated revenue in the six months to December 2022, and that hundreds of pet owners say they were unfairly or incorrectly fined $370 for late registration payments.

The Council said there had been 1,316 appeals of the fines since July, with more than half of those withdrawn.

It said the higher number of fines issued may have been partly because of new pandemic pet owners receiving first time renewal notices.

Source: The Age

Yarra Council has also been attracting more media attention this week over plans to become the last Victorian council to introduce a separate waste charge.

Some councillors used media outlets to press their case to reject the proposal to add a charge of between $12 and $115 for kerbside bin collection.

There were protests outside the Council chamber, and rowdy scenes inside the meeting as public gallery members shouted at councillors and other community members who spoke in support of the charge.

According to The Age, a change.org petition had attracted more than 5,000 signatures before the Tuesday night meeting.

It was all in vain however, with the news outlets reporting that the charge was voted up, six votes to three, which means from next financial year, all Councils will have a separate waste charge – Whitehorse and Hume both reportedly took a similar vote recently.

Yarra Council estimates the cost of sending residential rubbish to landfill has increased 90 per cent over the last three years to $1.8M annually.

Source: The Age

Also in the media this week, Bass Coast Shire Council is leading the charge on behalf of some of the state’s coastal councils, looking for stronger state government leadership on coastal inundation.

The councils want consistent flood mapping across the coastline to remove doubt for property owners and purchasers about building rules.

A report in the Age describes how Bass Coast has recently refused three permits for housing, with a likely fourth to follow soon, as they were opposed by Melbourne Water due to the risk of sea level rise.

CEO Ali Wastie told the Age that the state government should take a lead role and provide a clear road map on coastal planning, as it did over bushfire hazard planning after the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009.

Source: The Age

A trial to convert green waste into soil has been launched in Wangaratta, involving the council, North East Water and the state government.

The ground-breaking trial will take biosolids from the city’s wastewater treatment plant, mix it with green waste, and process it into biochar in Melbourne.

Biochar is a carbon-rich form of charcoal used to improve soil health and boost agricultural productivity.

If successful, the trial could lead to a new facility and the creation of jobs in the Wangaratta region.

Mayor Dean Rees said the trial was particularly exciting, and further demonstrated the council’s commitment in the waste management space following the success of an organics processing facility at Bowser.

Source: Victorian Government

Preliminary electoral representation reports have been released for Buloke, Gannawarra, Northern Grampians and Yarriambiack Shire Councils this week.

The preliminary reports offer electoral models for public feedback, with submissions open until 5th April.

Online public hearings have been scheduled for next month.

Source: Victorian Electoral Commission

Briefly:

The CEO of Homes Victoria, Ben Rimmer, is leaving the role for a deputy secretary position with the Australian Government Department of Education.

Mr Rimmer has led Homes Victoria since its establishment three years ago, and is a former CEO of the City of Melbourne.

Source: LinkedIn

A petition to overturn a Whittlesea City Council decision to allow construction of a 5G tower in Thomastown has been thrown out by VCAT, describing the application as misconceived.

The petition claimed the tower would cause neurological and cellular damage to users of a local park. 

The Council estimated the tower would emit levels at only 2.1% of the maximum allowed.

Source: news.com.au

And a major revamp of parking in Melbourne’s city centre is on the way, after a survey showed 80 percent of motorists find it hard to get an on-street park.

The ABC says the city council is planning to simplify signage, change loading zones, and have more consistent layouts and parking durations, but there is no plan to increase the maximum $7 per hour parking rate at this time.

Source: ABC News

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Now for some of the stories making local government news from around Australia this week.

The long-running Logan City Council saga involving its former CEO and mayor has had another sequel.

Sharon Kelsey was fired in 2018 after alleging misconduct by then mayor Luke Smith.

Fraud charges brought against Smith and seven other councillors were later dropped, and Ms Kelsey lost an unfair dismissal case.

Last week, the former mayor pleaded guilty to receiving a secret commission from an agent in 2016, and to misconduct in public office; and on Friday he was given an 18 month suspended sentence, and ordered to perform 120 hours of community service.

Ms Kelsey told the Guardian that the guilty plea had been a long time coming, and is complete vindication. She has launched a defamation case against Mr Smith, and is appealing the outcome of her unfair dismissal case with the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission.

Source: The Guardian; AAP Newswire

The announcement by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of a significant investment in the nation’s defence capability and workforce as part of the AUKUS deal has been welcomed by WA’s City of Cockburn, but it is keen to see more detail on the implications for the shipbuilding and maritime precinct at Henderson.

Mayor Logan Howlett acknowledged a $1B investment in WA as part of the announcement, but said the city is waiting to hear more on what is planned for Henderson, which he says is essential to maintain the submarine fleet and other military vessels.

Mayor Howlett said the city is a strong advocate of defence investment, and is leading the way by establishing a Blue Innovation Hub in Henderson in collaboration with locally-based defence industries and the State Government.

Meanwhile, construction works will begin this year at Osborne, South Australia on the shipyard that will build new nuclear power submarines from late this decade.

The Osborne shipyard is in the west of Adelaide, and is part of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield.

Source: City of Cockburn; The Guardian; Wikipedia

The South Australian government has found its three administrators to lead Coober Pedy Council back to elected representation as early as 2025.

Local government veteran Geoff Sheridan will be the principal administrator from late this month, supported by former Naracoorte Lucindale mayor Erika Vickery OAM, and former Tea Tree Gully CEO John Moyle.

Mr Sheridan was most recently CEO of the District Council of Elliston on the Eyre Peninsula, and has around 50 years of local government experience.

The panel will relieve interim administrator Colin Davies who stepped in last month, when Tim Jackson completed a four year term as a single administrator. 

In his departing State of the Council report, Mr Jackson described his time at Coober Pedy as extremely difficult and traumatic.

Local Government Minister Geoff Brock said the ongoing issues at Coober Pedy are far too complex and significant to rely on a single administrator to resolve.

It’s the first time South Australia has appointed more than one administrator to lead a troubled council out of difficulty.

The period of administration at Coober Pedy is due to end in 2026, but Minister Brock said the appointment of three administrators is designed to expedite the process of returning to an elected body – ideally in two year’s time.

Source: Indaily; Australian Rural and Regional News

Two long-standing local government CEOs have announced they will step down at the end of their current contracts.

In WA, Stuart Jardine will leave the City of Stirling in April next year after 16 years at the helm. Stirling is the largest local government area by population in Perth.

Mr Jardine has had six contract extensions between 2007 and last year, and he has been praised for his calm and proactive leadership during that time.

The Council is aiming to have a smooth transition to new leadership early in 2024.

Meanwhile, at Maitland City Council in NSW, General Manager David Evans has reportedly advised the Council of his intention to not seek reappointment when his contract ends later this year.

The Maitland Mercury says Mr Evans gave the news to the council at a confidential session recently, since confirmed by a council spokesman.

Mr Evans has been Maitland’s GM since 1998 and will remain in the role until a replacement is appointed.

Source: City of Stirling; Maitland Mercury, 11-3-23

A Whitsunday Councillor has been found to have engaged in inappropriate conduct, when he used his council email address without authorisation on his candidate Facebook page during a by-election period last year.

The findings of an independent investigation in the actions of Cr Mike Brunker were received by the council last week.

The Council accepted the findings and ruled that Cr Brunker should publicly admit the inappropriate conduct, reimburse the council $500 in costs, and attend training or counselling.

Cr Brunker said he had already apologised for making a simple mistake, and that the allegations were frivolous and embarrassing.

Source: Whitsunday Times, 9-3-23

Still in Queensland, where Moreton Bay Regional Council has made a move to “stand out from the crowd” by offering to waive all development fees and infrastructure charges to incentivise private sector construction of affordable social housing.

Mayor Peter Flannery said the new policy was strategically timed ahead of an industry briefing this week on the Queensland Government’s $2B housing investment fund.

HE said the council wants the private sector to know that Moreton Bay is willing to work with them, has slashed red tape, and is willing to sweeten the deal further to save them literally hundreds of thousands of dollars on construction.

The move to alleviate under-investment in affordable housing in the region has been welcomed by the community housing sector and by UDIA Queensland.

Source: Moreton Bay Regional Council

Briefly:

Australian Local Government Association CEO Matt Pinnegar has resigned, and is returning to Adelaide to be closer to family.

Mr Pinnegar was appointed in 2021 to succeed Adrian Beresford-Wylie, who retired after 15 years in the role.

ALGA has appointed Liz De Chastel as interim CEO pending a full recruitment process.

Source: Australian Local Government Association

The Deputy Mayor of Tasmania’s Clarence City Council, Allison Ritchie, has been inducted into the Tasmanian Honour Roll of Women.

In 2001, Cr Ritchie became the youngest person ever elected to the Tasmanian Legislative Council, and the following year was the first woman to have a baby while a member of the Council.

Mayor Brendan Blomeley said the award was recognition of a long history of remarkable service to the community.

Source: Clarence City Council 

Queensland’s South Burnett Council has deferred a decision on its electoral structure to the next Council, to be elected next year.

The council has been considering its position on a move from six divisions to an undivided structure, under which residents would vote the mayor and six councillors.

Currently, voters elect a mayor and one divisional councillor.

Source: southburnett.com.au

Legislation to restore councillors who lost office in South Australia due to failures to submit campaign returns on time has passed both houses of Parliament, and received Governor’s assent.

Those councillors have been retrospectively restored to office, and the legislation provides a 10 business day window for the submission of returns, if they have not already done so.

Source: Norman Waterhouse

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Now for today’s International Spotlight:

Ground has been broken for construction of a new city to replace Jakarta as the capital of Indonesia.

The Associated Press reports that a carbon-neutral, sustainable forest city is being promised in the jungle of East Borneo, as the current capital is rapidly sinking into the Java Sea.

The new capital will be about twice the size of New York City, with renewable energy resources, smart waste management and green buildings.

The site has however attracted criticism from environmentalists and Indigenous communities, over concerns that it will further shrink the habitat of endangered animals and displace Indigenous communities.

Construction of key buildings, including the presidential palace, is expected to be completed by August next year.

Source: Associated Press

In New Zealand, a state MP is taking on Auckland City Council’s proposed $125M in budget cuts, by encouraging people to take part in the submission process and launching a guide to help them.

Chloe Swarbrick is concerned that the service cuts proposed in the draft budget will impede progress on social equality and combating the climate crisis.

She says the sheer breadth of the cuts is upsetting, and that everything we value about life in the city of Auckland is under attack.

Budget feedback is due by the 28th march, with the council to make final decisions in June.

Source: Newsroom.co.nz

The English council of Cornwall is under fire for spending nearly £4.5M on redundancy payments last year, according to a report from the BBC.

The figure was revealed in a Freedom of Information request, and relates to 203 packages that the council says were necessary to make budget savings of about £18M per year.

It’s been described as a “kick in the teeth” to local taxpayers, but the council says the payments were in line with government guidelines and contractual obligations.

Source: BBC News

And finally to the US, where the city of Nashville has filed a lawsuit to stop a move by the state to cut its council size in half.

New legislation has been enacted to cap city and metro council sizes at 20 – Metro Nashville Council currently has 40 members, and is the only council affected by the bill.

Some have suggested the new law is payback from the Republicans, after the council last year blocked the 2024 Republican National Convention from being held in Nashville.

The city’s lawsuit raises concerns about the validity of the law, and is seeking a temporary injunction with elections set to take place later this year.

Source: Tennesseelookout.com

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That’s the latest from the Roundup for the 15th March 2023.

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I’ll be back soon with more of the latest local government news. Until next time, thanks for listening, and bye for now.