On episode #330 of the Local Government News Roundup available now:
- Municipal monitors return to Darebin City Council
- Governance and integrity reforms introduced to the Victorian Parliament
- A Victorian mayor steps down
- ICAC makes a corrupt conduct finding against former council and state government employees
- Townsville’s new mayor the subject of an integrity investigation
- A council’s use of AI to more efficiently detect road defects
- and council worker wages under the spotlight in the UK ahead of local elections this week.
Plus more Council news from across Australia and beyond on the Local Government News Roundup, brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, hosting a members only online professional development workshop on Managing Difficult Conversations – Friday 19th April;
with support from Davidson, the nationally recognised executive recruitment service and business advisory practice;
and from Ventia, making infrastructure work sustainably for our communities.
Listen to this episode here, and find the link for your podcast player here.
Transcript for episode 330:
Victorian Roundup:
The state government has appointed municipal monitors to Darebin City Council.
Ms June Anstee and Mr Ross Millard have commenced immediately and will serve through the election of a new Council in October until the end of the year.
The Minister for Local Government Melissa Horne said the council needs support “to improve governance and better meet the needs of the community it serves.”
The Minister had previously appointed Mr John Watson as monitor between April 2022 and January 2023.
In a statement, the government said while the council has taken steps to address concerns raised in Mr Watson’s report, work is still needed to improve its governance practices and processes.
The Terms of Reference for the municipal monitors refers to outstanding actions to address findings and recommendations from the previous monitor’s report, as well as inter alia councillor relationships, councillor understanding of their statutory roles and responsibilities, health and safety processes, and support in the lead up to October’s elections.
June Anstee is a solicitor and previous President of the Councillor Conduct Tribunal for Brisbane City Council.
Ross Millard brings financial and accounting expertise to the role, and previously held an investigations and compliance role with the Local Government Inspectorate in Victoria.
Darebin City Council CEO Peter Smith issued a statement after the announcement of the appointment of the monitors, saying that the Council shares the Minister’s commitment to good governance, and that Councillors and the organisation will work together with the monitors to strengthen and improve practices.
The Minister has this week introduced a bill to the Parliament to amend the Local Government Act to bring in long awaited governance and integrity reforms.
The government has said the new legislation will introduce mandatory training for councillors, a uniform code of conduct and strengthened powers for the Minister to address councillor conduct.
There’s been a change of mayor at the Borough of Queenscliffe.
Cr Isabelle Tolhurst, mayor of the borough since 2022, resigned the role at the council’s ordinary meeting last week.
She said it was a difficult decision, but that she would remain as a councillor for the rest of the term while preparing for the arrival of her second child.
The council has elected former mayor Cr Ross Ebbels to the position with Cr Rob Minty to serve as deputy mayor until the elections in October.
The Age is reporting an exodus of sitting Victorian councillors from the Greens party, with two Monash councillors the latest to leave.
Anjalee de Silva and Josh Fergeus have reportedly quit the party alleging governance failures and a culture of abuse and harrassment.
This follows the departures from the Greens of Amanda Stone and Anab Mohamud at Yarra and James Conlan from Merri-bek.
The Age reports that five more Victorian councillors are expected to leave the party before this year’s elections.
Victorian councils failing to meet new housing targets may lose planning powers as part of state government plans to increase housing supply and affordability.
The Age reported earlier this week that developers could face a new universal liveability charge, replacing the current “infrastructure contribution” charge.
The report quotes insiders who say the government is considering measures to pressure councils into approving more housing, including seizing planning control over key precincts from councils that do not meet targets.
It follows warnings that Victoria is unlikely to meet its target of delivering an average of 80,000 new homes every year for the next decade.
As the government continues to single out councils for standing in the way of housing development, further reporting from the Age today reveals figures that prove builders are shelving housing projects despite having council permission to proceed.
Nearly 5,500 approved flats or townhouses were shelved by developers and builders in the last three months of 2023 due to rising interest rates and soaring building costs.
While 20,712 projects were commenced last year, nearly as many with approvals in place – more than 18,000 – were not started.
The City of Greater Dandenong has moved to dismiss the latest ‘Slug Gate’ lawsuit filed by I Cook Foods (ICF) and its director, Ian Cook, according to a report from the Dandenong Star Journal.
The lawsuit alleges malicious prosecution against the council and two officers, following charges of 48 food-safety offences that were later dropped.
The commercial caterer was shut down during an investigation into a listeria-infected patient’s death in 2019.
The council’s barrister argues that the new lawsuit is an “abuse of process”, while ICF’s barrister maintains it is in the public interest to hold the council accountable.
A decision has been reserved until a later date.
EPA Victoria and Macedon Ranges Shire Council say they are unhappy with building industry compliance during recent inspections of 34 sites in Gisborne and New Gisborne.
The inspections have resulted in seven regulatory notices, four official warnings, and 52 infringements for breaches of the Community Local Law 2023.
The violations ranged from non-compliant building site signage to incorrect waste management and general rubbish on council land.
The council plans to continue its strong regulatory approach to ensure compliance and environmental protection.
Meanwhile, Macedon Ranges Shire Council has decided to oppose an application for 50 electronic gaming machines at Romsey Hotel, citing a net detriment to the community.
The Midland Express reported that the council’s decision follows a survey which found over 60% of respondents believed the machines would have a negative impact on the community.
Additionally, a Social and Economic Impact Assessment estimated a net cost of about negative $4.3 million over 20 years due to the application.
The council will submit the findings to the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission.
Victorian Briefs:
The City of Whittlesea is expanding its Ageing Well Program to include Home Care Packages (HCP) for older adults, providing tailored support for those with more complex needs.
The expansion will allow older residents to maintain their independence longer and ensure continuity of care.
The council is expected to become an approved provider of these services by 2025.
Greater Shepparton City Council has opened public consultation on its Governance Rules, which include changes to the process for appointing acting mayors, virtual meeting rules, and conflict of interest guidance.
The community can provide feedback until 12 May 2024.
Colac Otway Shire Council is backing efforts to find transport solutions to deliver food for livestock to King Island farmers, who are experiencing prolonged dry conditions.
Need for Feed Australia has sourced 500 tonnes of oaten hay, but the challenge lies in transporting it.
The Port of Apollo Bay is unable to support the scale of operations required, and the council says it is working with relevant departments to find an urgent, alternative solution.
Kingston City Council has partnered with local charity This is IT to donate nearly 200 laptops to local secondary students from financially disadvantaged families.
The computers are securely deleted, reset, and diverted from e-waste.
The laptops are distributed to various Kingston schools, as part of an initiative that has so far donated over 2000 computers.
Australia’s first soft plastics and e-waste recycling facility has opened in Melbourne’s west, turning hard-to-recycle items into a new concrete material called RESIN8.
The plant, backed by a $500,000 investment from the state government, will process around 6,650 tonnes of hard and soft plastics each year, producing 8,300 tonnes of RESIN8.
RESIN8 is being trialed by Hobsons Bay City Council in a local road project that will turn 1350 kgs of soft plastics in asphalt.
The government says RESIN8 has potential for use in major infrastructure projects, helping to divert e-plastics and other hard-to-recycle plastics from landfill while enhancing the sustainability of Victoria’s roads and buildings.
National Roundup:
NSW:
Ten former employees and contractors of the Inner West Council and Transport for NSW have been found by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) to have engaged in corrupt conduct.
ABC News has reported that the findings were primarily against Tony Nguyen, who ICAC found had secured contracts for businesses he was associated with.
The ICAC investigation was launched after an anonymous complaint in 2019 and found that Nguyen’s corrupt dealings began in 2014.
ICAC is now seeking advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions on whether any prosecution should commence.
Both the Inner West Council and Transport for NSW have accepted the Commission’s recommendations to improve corruption prevention.
A Shellharbour councillor Rob Petreski has called for the city’s Mayor and Deputy Mayor to step aside, accusing them of a lack of integrity, transparency, and accountability
The Illawarra Mercury reported Cr Petreski’s claims that he was prevented from discussing matters at a council meeting, while other councillors were allowed to do so.
He issued a media statement the following day calling for Mayor Chris Homer and Deputy Mayor Kellie Marsh to step up or step aside.
Mayor Homer has dismissed the claims as politically motivated fabrications, and said it was alarming that a two term councillor has no grasp of the code of meeting practice or Code of Conduct.
Shoalhaven Business Chamber President Jemma Tribe has announced her intention to run for Mayor in the Shoalhaven Local Government elections.
Ms Tribe, who is stepping down from her chamber position, is advocating for a return to basic council issues such as roads, rates, and rubbish.
She is leading a team of independent candidates at the elections to focus on local issues, free from party politics, potentially putting her Liberal Party membership at risk, according to reporting from radio 2ST.
Shoalhaven City Council is using artificial intelligence (AI) and recycling trucks to identify and repair road damage.
In partnership with TechnologyOne and Retina Visions, cameras on recycling trucks monitor road conditions, with AI identifying issues such as potholes and road cracks.
The data is then used to create work orders for repairs.
In the first six months, the system detected 2,000 defects per week.
87% of Shoalhaven’s road network was able to be assessed for defects in just two weeks.
Lismore City Council says it has significantly reduced residential Development Application processing times from around 40 days to between five and ten days.
The reduction has been achieved through the adoption of a Fast Track System, which has already supported the approval of $7.5 million worth of residential developments in the first three months of the year.
The new system allows for quicker assessment of low-risk applications, benefiting not only residents but also attracting new investment to the city.
QLD:
Townsville Mayor Troy Thompson is under investigation by Queensland’s council integrity watchdog over his military history claims, according to a report from the Townsville Bulletin.
Questions were raised after Mayor Thompson, who claimed during his election campaign to have served in multiple army units, failed to produce any official records of his service.
Facebook posts about his military history have been deleted from his page, according to further reporting from The Guardian.
The issue came to light during Anzac week duties when Thompson made a speech without any personal service medals and was unable to recall his service number.
The matter has been referred to the Office of the Independent Assessor for investigation.
In the meantime, a special council meeting is understood to be happening today at which the interim CEO position will be discussed, along with the appointment of paid mayoral advisers.
Up to three qualified persons can be appointed as advisers. This comes as the Townsville Bulletin reports a number of senior executives after leaving the organisation on the heels of outgoing CEO Dr Prins Ralston.
Southwest Queensland council Balonne Shire estimates that a wild dog exclusion fencing program has resulted in a $100 million increase in agricultural income and created around 230 jobs since 2019.
The program, funded by federal and state government grants and loans, has led to the construction of 1,692km of fencing, covering over 66% of the Shire.
A council commissioned economic report has found the fencing has significantly reduced stock losses and improved employment, stock reproductive rates, and landholder well-being.
It has also enabled on-farm diversification, generating an additional $42 million in local farm investments.
NT
The Lord Mayor of Darwin, Kon Vatskalis, is preparing to step down as president of the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors (CCCLM) in July.
Neos Kosmos has reported on the plans of the Greek-born politician, who migrated to Australia in 1983 and was elected Lord Mayor of Darwin in 2017.
TAS:
The Hobart, Prosser and Elwick upper house elections will take place in Tasmania this Saturday.
Sitting councillors will contest each of those elections, including Hobart councillor John Kelly; Glenorchy Mayor Bec Thomas; and Sorell mayor Kerry Vincent – with the two mayors in particular considered strong contenders.
ABC News has assessed their chances alongside other candidates in a preview of the elections.
In other stories of interest this week:
From the Advocate in Burnie, Tasmania, a group of citizens are taking on the council’s proposed rates increase of 6.88 per cent.
The group known as Burnie Voice says it has fears for the young people of the town from the rates increase.
And from the Area News in Griffith NSW, councillors Carrathool Shire and the Mayor of Griffith Doug Curran have hit out at a state government imposed levy on cremations, interments and burials.
They say the new levy, to come in on 1st July, is another form of cost shifting, and an inappropriate financial impost on people at a time or bereavement.
National Briefs:
Murrumbidgee Council is seeking public opinion on the potential establishment of a nuclear power generator in its area, which would require dismantling existing renewable energy infrastructure after its operational life.
The council has launched an online survey as a precursor to a more formal poll in the future.
A new type of mulch and seed mixture which could increase grass coverage is being trialled in the City of Logan.
Textile recycling company BlockTexx has developed the hydromulch, a blend of recycled cotton fibers, grass seed, and fertilizer.
It is expected to promote turf growth by increasing nutrient levels in the soil and retaining moisture.
The final results from the trial are expected in late May.
The first shared e-scooter trial in the Sydney metro area is rolling smoothly, according to Georges River Council.
Early results from the trial in Kogarah’s town centre show strong take up, high parking compliance and no accidents so far.
Mayor Sam Elmir said it has been a positive experience so far.
The submission period for the Federal Parliament’s inquiry into local government financial sustainability has been extended until the 31st May.
A four week extension had been requested by ALGA to allow more time for councils to outline their challenges and the opportunities that would flow from a fairer funding system.
Global Roundup :
NZ:
New Zealand’s Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has urged councils to prioritise essential services and critical infrastructure over non-essential items due to the inflationary environment impacting local government finances.
The Minister told 1News that the government is developing a strategic framework to support councils with infrastructure delivery.
His comments come as Christchurch City Council faces backlash for cutting funding to The Arts Centre and Orana Wildlife Park in its long-term draft plan, with the rebuild of the Christchurch Cathedral also in doubt.
Peak body Local Government New Zealand has called for more funding and financing tools for councils. Its President Sam Broughton said the current reliance on rates is unsustainable.
UK:
With local elections about to take place in England, new figures have been released show wage levels at nearly two thirds of UK local authorities are below 2008 levels in real terms.
The Trades Union Congress analysis has been described as a damning indictment on the economic record of the Conservative Party.
The wages of workers at 212 of 340 local councils, including 94% of those in the London area, are said to be well below where they would be if they had grown at the pre-2008 growth rate.
The Canary has more details on that story.
Somerset Council has been forced to apologise to an arms firm, for falsely accusing it of providing weapons to the Israeli military.
The firm, Elbit Systems UK, is a tenant in a council-owned building, and has been the target of protests due to these allegations.
The company maintains that it supplies equipment to the British army and denies any direct links with Israel.
BBC News reported that the council is exploring legal avenues to evict the firm from the premises, which have been covered in paint several times in recent weeks by a Palestine action group.
JAPAN:
Japanese town and village councils are adopting new strategies to address the critical shortage of prospective candidates, with many members being elected without a vote due to a lack of contenders.
Educational seminars and mock assembly sessions are among the measures being used to spark interest, according to a report from the Japan Times.
Some of the initiatives have already been successful, with participants in Kuriyama and Zao running for and winning seats.
The efforts are seen as essential to maintaining the function of councils and assemblies.
Global Briefs:
Slough Borough Council in London has called in the police to investigate allegations of bribery in property development applications.
The Standard has reported that allegations have been made by at least three property developers.
The council, currently under Conservative control, was previously overseen by Government-appointed commissioners after declaring bankruptcy under Labour leadership.
The BC Humanist Association (BCHA) says it plans to take legal action against the City of Parksville for breaching religious neutrality with an “explicitly Christian” prayer at a council meeting.
The Greater Victoria News reported that the BCHA has previously written to Parksville about prayers in municipal governments and has now stated its intent to commence legal proceedings.
New government reforms now in force in the UK allow councils to buy cheaper land to build more social and affordable housing.
The change is part of the long-term plan for housing, and permits bodies like Homes England and councils to apply for the removal of what’s known as ‘hope value’, provided the development is in the public interest and promotes affordable housing, health, or educational uses.
‘Hope value’ estimates the cost land could be worth if it was developed on in the future.
The City of Venice in Italy has made global news recently with the introduction of a new tax to deal manage with over-tourism.
Italy is one of an increasing number of European countries, including Spain, Greece, and Germany, to have implemented tourist taxes to support local businesses, especially during the busy summer months.
ABC News America has looked at how the fees are becoming increasingly popular as a way to raise revenues without taxing local citizens and to manage over-tourism.
Some locations, like Barcelona, Paris, Seville, and Venice, have specific tourist taxes, and others, like Galapagos National Park, Bhutan, Wales, and Hawaii, are believed to be considering implementing them.