On the Local Government News Roundup today, Councils take off to the Avalon International Air Show; councillor conduct under review at a number of Victorian councils, while a peak body calls for tougher penalties; concerns about Geelong’s capacity to meet its Commonwealth Games funding needs; ICAC to investigate allegations of corruption by a former council worker and others; and a move to deal with nepotism and cronyism in Tasmanian local government.
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Transcript: Episode #202 (with story links):
Hi, this is Chris Eddy, with the latest from the Local Government News Roundup.
On the podcast today, Councils take off to the Avalon International Air Show; councillor conduct under review at a number of Victorian councils, while a peak body calls for tougher penalties; concerns about Geelong’s capacity to meet its Commonwealth Games funding needs; ICAC to investigate allegations of corruption by a former council worker and others; and a move to deal with nepotism and cronyism in Tasmanian local government; and much more ahead on the Local Government News Roundup.
Latrobe City Council has announced a new partnership with Swinburne University of Technology exploring the establishment of advanced air mobility at the Latrobe Aerospace Technology Precinct.
The council used this week’s Avalon Air Show as the backdrop for the announcement, where it is promoting the technology precinct as an investment opportunity for aerospace and defence industry businesses.
The precinct, at Latrobe Regional Airport in Morwell, has established capabilities to trial and test advanced air mobility technologies and craft.
Swinburne researchers will work with the council to pioneer new technologies in advanced air mobility for the region and develop green aviation solutions.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority says advanced air mobility, or AAM, is gaining momentum for take-off, envisaging electronic vertical takeoff and landing vehicles, and other uncrewed or automated aircraft to move people and cargo in the not too distant future.
CASA has signed an MOU with parties including the State of Victoria to develop a regulatory environment to support the growth and innovation in the AAM space.
Another Council represented at the air show is Greater Geelong, which has joined forces with Deakin UNiversity and Hanwha Defence Australia to showcase the region’s defence industry capability.
A joint stand is being used to demonstrate the capacity for defence companies to expand or develop in the city, with available land for growth, infrastructure, logistics, workforce and an ideal lifestyle.
Geelong has an MOU in place with Changwon City in South Korea, which is home to global manufacturers including Hanwha, which is basing its $1B Land 8116 project in Geelong.
Yet more Councils have descended on the air show, located just up the road from the studios of the Local Government News Roundup..more on that in our national roundup shortly.
An arbiter has returned a finding of misconduct against Cr Tim Laurence of Darebin Council in relation to two allegations, and dismissed a further three allegations.
The initial complaint, brought by Cr Susanne Newton, included 10 allegations, five of which were withdrawn prior to a hearing held in December.
The arbiter, Noel Harvey, found that Cr Laurence had breached the standards of conduct in relation to two of the five remaining allegations.
The behaviour constituted making comments and sharing material on social media that was disrespectful and had the potential to damage the reputation of Cr Newton; and the circulation of an email that failed to treat the former council CEO Sue Wilkinson with dignity, fairness, objectivity and respect.
Mr Harvey chose not to impose a penalty, noting the parties’ desire to reset relationships, and the regret expressed by Cr Laurence regarding the strength of language used at various times. He did however urge Cr Laurence to make a written apology to Cr Newton and the former CEO.
Read the Statement of Reasons for the Decision here.
At Frankston, suspended councillor Steven Hughes has reportedly defied an arbiter’s order to apologise after a misconduct finding.
The Bayside News reports that the council has decided to apply for a councillor conduct panel to consider allegations of serious misconduct over the refusal to apologise, and in relation to social media posts referring to North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un.
Cr Hughes is currently suspended from council and it’s understood is facing a separate conduct proceeding in relation to a serious misconduct allegation.
At Glenelg Shire in Victoria’s southwest, an investigation is underway into claims that the shire’s mayor Scott Martin took alcohol to a family event in a designated alcohol-free zone.
The ABC reported yesterday that the claim was made by a resident at a recent council meeting.
Council CEO Paul Phelan has confirmed that the matter is being pursued under the councillor code of conduct, and that no further comment will be made at this time.
Victoria’s peak body for council employees, LGPro, has called for changes to the standards of conduct for councillors to deal with behaviour that it says is leading to an unacceptable level of staff distress and turnover of Council CEOs.
LGPro has put a case for legislative reform to Local Government Minister Melissa Horne in a submission that exposes flaws in the current legislative regime.
The submission suggests that current penalties are inadequate, and that Councillor Conduct Panels should be empowered to suspend Councillors for up to three years.
It argues that such changes would send a very clear signal that misconduct or serious misconduct is treated very seriously, with very real consequences for those that engaged in unacceptable conduct.
LGPro President Liana Thompson took the ABC airwaves this week to press the case for change. The submission was also featured in an article by The Age.
You can read the full submission on the Roundup website.
Concerns have been raised about the capacity of Greater Geelong city council to fund its share of costs for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Finance Portfolio Chair, and Deputy Mayor Anthony Aitken, raised the concerns this week as councillors discussed a potential $150M budget deficit, as costs increase to deliver existing major projects.
The revelations have led to conjecture about the potential for the state government to limit the city’s involvement in the games if it can’t provide the funding required.
As per an ABC report, the state has committed up to almost $300M to build local infrastructure for the games, with Geelong due to host nine sports and the closing ceremony.
The scope of a planned aquatic and health centre in Surf Coast Shire has been changed, after receiving confirmation that a community pool facility will remain in Armstrong Creek as a legacy of the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Under the original scope, the centre was going to include two indoor program pools and an outdoor 25m pool. The revised scope now envisages an indoor 25 metre pool and one indoor warm water program pool.
Mayor Liz Pattison said the new Armstrong Creek facility will impact the immediate high demand that was anticipated to accelerate early growth for the Surf Coast centre.
The council has committed more than $42M to the project, and continues to seek external funding opportunities.
A community panel has been formed by Knox City Council to support the consideration of options for the future of the city’s kindergarten services.
Mayor Marcia Timmers-Leitch said major changes to the way kindergarten is delivered and funded in Victoria means the Council needs to review the services it offers.
The panel will meet through March and April, with its findings to be considered by the Council before reaching a final decision mid-year.
The Rural Councils Victoria peak body has called for major federal roads funding reforms in a submission to a federal parliament inquiry set up in the wake of recent floods.
RCV, which represents 34 council areas, has called for ongoing review of road engineering and construction standards; more federal funding for local roads; and the use of waterproof products in road construction among a range of recommendations.
Chair Cr Mary-Ann Brown said the submission calls for major but practical and logical reforms to federal funding for roads in rural, regional and remote areas.
Briefly:
A countback for a vacancy on Colac Otway Shire was conducted on Wednesday morning, with Max Arnott successful from a field of five remaining candidates from the 2020 election.
Cr Arnott was sworn in later in the day by CEO Anne Howard, with the Mayor and Councillors on hand at the official proceedings to welcome their new colleague.
A move to bring Hume City Council into line for most other councils that have a waste service charge has hit a hurdle, with the council this week pushing out a decision on its implementation.
If introduced in the next financial year as proposed, there would remain just two councils in Victoria to not have a waste service charge.,
According to the Northern Star Weekly, Councillors are divided over the proposed methodology and will discuss the matter further at the council’s next meeting.
And the Victorian town of Euroa has been named as a national finalist in the Keep Australia Beautiful Sustainable Community Tidy Town Awards.
Strathbogie Shire Mayor Laura Binks recently hosted the national judge in Euroa, and introduced her to community leaders, environmental champions, young legends and waste warriors to showcase the spirit of the town.
The Tidy Town of the Year will be announced in May in King Island, the winner of last year’s award.
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Now for some of the stories making local government news from around Australia this week.
The NSW Independent Commission against Corruption has announced a public inquiry into allegations of corruption concerning a former Inner West and Leichhardt Council employee, along with employees of Transport for NSW and others.
The allegations include the awarding of contracts and the misuse of information for the benefit of the employees and/or other individuals.
Inner West Council has released a statement confirming that it had referred the matter to ICAC upon becoming aware of concerns about its former employee Tony Nguyen.
Mr Nguyen was suspended from duties and resigned shortly after allegations were put to him in 2020.
ICAC’s public inquiry is set to commence on Monday 20th March.
The NSW parliamentary inquiry probing alleged links between property developers and Canterbury Bankstown council members has found the matter should be referred to ICAC.
AAP reported that Inquiry Chair Aileen McDonald said close relationships between councillors and property developers might have influenced planning and where infrastructure was positioned.
Canterbury Bankstown Mayor Khal Asfour responded by describing the finding as a political attack with scant evidence.
He said the report makes assertions based on no evidence or material presented to the committee.
Mayor Asfour was previously cleared by a separate inquiry established by the council to investigate the allegations made under Parliamentary Privilege that led to the upper house inquiry.
And the parliamentary committee looking into allegations of impropriety at the Hills Shire Council has called for the matters to be referred to ICAC.
The committee handed down its final report yesterday, and described the efforts of some individuals to avoid giving evidence as ‘unprecedented’. They included a current Hills Shire councillor, Virginia Ellis.
More from the Sydney Morning Herald here.
Tasmania’s Integrity Commission has called for the development of a model recruitment policy to address perceptions of nepotism and cronyism in the state’s local government sector.
In a report tabled in the Tasmanian Parliament today, the commission has also recommended the reintroduction of obligations on councils to appoint employees based on merit.
A similar provision was removed in 2005.
The report includes observations from an investigation of recruitment processes at an unnamed Tasmanian council where several jobs were filled without internal or external advertising.
The investigation found a failure to recognise conflicts of interest, and a lack of a policy to deal with conflicts of interest.
Source: Tasmania Integrity Commission media release; full report here.
The NSW Planning Minister Anthony Roberts has overridden a decision of Lismore City Council and appointed a local planning panel to accelerate planning processes to support flood recovery efforts.
The Minister has effectively removed Lismore councillors from local planning decisions, according to some, and has required the council to pay for panel members’ remuneration.
Minster Roberts told the Northern Star that his decision to appoint the panel against the council’s wishes was made to support the Lismore community, and provide more consistent and transparent decision-making.
He said councillors will be able to focus on strategic direction and building community resilience following the floods of early 2022.
In Tasmania, a Burnie councillor has refused to apologise for calling for migrant worker busses to be banned from the Burnie CBD.
The Advocate reports that Cr Trent Aitken is standing by his post and can’t see an issue with it. He said he was there to protect the people of Burnie, regardless of who it offends.
Mayor Teeny Brumby reportedly said after a council meeting this week that she had tried in vain to help Cr Aitken navigate the role of an elected member, while at least three other councillors called his social media post offensive.
Source: The Advocate, 2nd March 2023
Central Queensland is strongly represented at this week’s Avalon Air Show in Victoria, with leaders using the event to push the case for a boost in ADF presence in the region.
Livingstone Shire Council Mayor Andy Ireland has joined representatives from Rockhampton Regional Council and Regional Development Australia to meet with senior defence and political figures this week in Avalon.
Cr Ireland said Central Queensland can provide strategic depth and maximise capability advantages, as the government considers its response to the Defense Strategic Review.
The latest report on regional migration in Australia shows a continued increase in city dwellers moving to regional areas, and more regional residents moving to smaller centres.
The Regional Movers Index quarterly report shows 13 local government areas have doubled their net internal migration in the last year. Nine of those were inland such as Southern Downs in Queensland, Murray Bridge in South Australia, and Glen Innes in NSW.
The report demonstrates that jobs growth is not keeping pace with many regions suffering acute labour shortages and an undersupply of housing.
The Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast held down the top two destinations for regional movers, with 12.5% and 11.3% of internal migration respectively, with Greater Geelong in Victoria coming in third with 5.2 per cent.
The Guardian has more detail from the link in the show notes.
Another side effect of the population growth on the Sunshine Coast is the pressure on cemeteries.
The rising demand for burials has led to two of the 18 cemeteries in the Sunshine Coast local government area being nearly full, and an urgent review of facilities because of the need to cater for expected demand.
A council spokeswoman told the Courier Mail a review of the city’s largest cemetery is underway in the first half of this year, as projections suggest a population of more than 400,000 people by 2028.
Source: Courier Mail, 2nd March 2023, p.14
Alice Springs council has withdrawn its support for a remote football competition, over concerns about crime rates and social issues.
The annual competition sees teams from remote communities around Central Australia travel to Alice Springs for weekly games, and it was due to commence in May.
The ABC reports that the decision means players and spectators will not have access to council-owned sporting fields in the town.
The councillor who brought the motion, Michael Liddle, said the pause was for one year and to allow problems to be addressed.
AFL Northern Territory said it was deeply disappointed in the council’s decision.
Briefly:
Lithgow City Council’s GM Craig Butler will be offered a new contract after performance discussions at the council meeting this week.
The Council resolved to offer a renewed term contract in accordance with the standard contract for NSW General Managers, pending completion of a formal performance review.
Northern Beaches council has resolved to pursue a soft plastics collection and processing trial, in the wake of the suspension of the national REDcycle program.
The council is negotiating with recycling suppliers and will release trial details soon,
And the Mayor of Burnie City Council in Tasmania has responded to community concerns about three ongoing road closures as a result of floods last October.
Teeny Brumby told the Advocate that the council was aiming to have three roads fully operational as soon as possible, but the situation was complex and unsafe.
She has thanked the community for its patience throughout the repair process, with full reopenings at least two to three months away.
Source: The Advocate, 2nd March 2023, p.14
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Now for today’s International Spotlight:
Residents of a tiny town in the US state of Nevada are about to be able to purchase alcohol for the first time in nearly 40 years.
The town of Alamo has been under a local board prohibition in place since 1985, with most of its 1100 residents also members of the Mormon church.
The town won’t be allowed to have bars, but stores will be permitted to sell alcohol when the ban is repealed in about 30 days.
The Associated Press reports that lifting of the ban in Alamo will leave just one other town in Nevada with an existing prohibition on alcohol sales.
Another municipality is launching a program to entice retirees back to work. This time, it’s Henrico County in Virginia which wants retired county government employees to return to temporary, part-time positions to meet critical staffing needs.
Public safety and mental health workers are particularly in demand.
The Henrico Citizen reports on the program called The Right Time for Part Time, where rehired retirees will be paid at the rate they received at the time of retirement – rather than a lower, prevailing market rate.
It’s a precarious time it seems to be a city manager in Texas at the moment. Following the recent termination of the employment of the City Manager at Austin, another city – El Paso – has moved to remove its top official.
The council resolved this week to end City Manager Tommy Gonzalez’s contract with 120 days notice. The motion was brought by a councillor after less than 8 weeks in office, and it was carried by a margin of one vote.
KVIA reported that Mr Gonzalez said the council had exercised a clause allowing termination without cause, without any advance notice, but that he respected the process.
In England, the oldest swimming baths in Britain have been re-opened to the public after a multimillion pound makeover.
The historic baths in Birmingham first opened in 1907, and are listed as a Grade 2 Edwardian pool. The original oak ticket booth is one of the oldest surviving facilities of its kind in Britain.
Birmingham City Council, which owns the building, formed a coalition with a number of organisations 6 years ago to save the baths, which were facing closure due to spiralling costs.
Funding was received from the government and the World Monuments Fund among others to carry out restoration works.
The bill for the works exceeded 3M pounds.
And briefly, it’s election season across the US currently and some high profile results have become known in recent days.
The controversial mayor of Chicago Lori Lightfoot, the first black woman and first openly gay mayor of the city, has lost office after one term; the first to lose after a full first term in 40 years.
The mayor of New York Eric Adam is being criticised for saying God made him mayor, and expressing support for compulsory prayer in schools;
The mayor of a Maryland town council has been charged on 56 counts relating to possession and distribution of child pornography; Patrick Wojahn has resigned his post as mayor of College Park after being taken into custody yesterday. More here.
And the CEO of NZ’s Central Otago District Council has announced her resignation this week. Sanchia Jacobs is moving to an engineering consultancy firm, despite having received an extension from the council last year through 2025. More here.
As always, you can find links to all the stories referenced with more details by heading to the transcript in our show notes.
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That’s the latest from the Roundup for the 3rd March 2023.
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I’ll be back soon with more of the latest local government news.. Until then, thanks for listening, and bye for now.