On episode #348 of the Local Government News Roundup, for Wednesday 12th June 2024:
- Local government leaders among those recognised with King’s Birthday Honours
- Industrial action to be stepped in Ballarat as a pay dispute drags on
- Hornsby Shire’s Mayor and councillors furious over a state government demand to pay back $36M
- The new Isaac Regional Council CEO announced
- A former Council executive sentenced to prison for fraud and misconduct in public office
- Tourist attractions in limbo in South Australia as a Council reviews their operation
Plus more Council news from across Australia and beyond on the Local Government News Roundup, brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association,
with support from Davidson, the nationally recognised executive recruitment service and business advisory practice, presenting LG Innovate: Artificial Intelligence Summit for the local government C-Suite at Peregian Beach in September – early bird bookings open now.
Listen to this episode here, and find the link for your podcast player here.
Transcript for episode 348:
Local government leaders across the country have been recognised in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours.
Former four term mayor of the City of Greater Bendigo, Cr Margaret O’Rourke has received the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the community of Bendigo.
Rural Councils Victoria Chair and councillor at Southern Grampians Shire, Mary-Ann Brown is also now an OAM, for service to local government and the communities of Dunkeld and Hamilton.
The late Dr David Zyngier, a former councillor at Glen Eira Council, has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia.
Donna Hope, a former councillor and deputy mayor at the City of Kingston, has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia.
Other former Victorian councillors to be recognised Max Papley from Cardinia Shire; Elizabeth Jackson of the former Brunswick City Council, and Carolyn Ingvarson of the former Camberwell Council.
Emeritus Professor Michael Buxton, a councillor at the former councils of Sherbrooke Shire and City of Mordialloc, has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia.
Other OAM recipients include Ray Chappell, a former Armidale City Councillor and NSW state MP; and
Wendy Waller, the former mayor of Liverpool Council who served on the council for 26 years.
The CEO of Queensland’s Burdekin Shire Council, Terry Brennan, has been honoured with the Public Service Medal for dedication and outstanding service to local government;
a PSM has also been awarded to Sharon Pope, the Director of Environment and Planning at Muswellbrook Shire in NSW, for outstanding public service to urban and regional planning in that community;
Terry Knight, a 50 year veteran of Upper Lachlan Shire Council in NSW has been awarded a PSM for outstanding public service in the area of water and sewage operations.
A PSM also for Andrew MacDonald, currently of SA’s Town of Walkerville, and formerly of Wakefield, Kingston District and Adelaide councils for outstanding public service in local government providing strategic leadership through the COVID 19 pandemic.
Victorian Roundup:
The Mayor of Greater Dandenong City Council, Cr Lana Formoso, has voiced concern over the number of road fatalities in Greater Dandenong after the latest incident on Friday night.
Cr Formoso expressed deep condolences to the family of a pedestrian killed in an incident on Stud Road, a different section of the road from where the council has been advocating for traffic and pedestrian improvements.
The Council has welcomed the State Government’s budget commitment to install traffic lights and pedestrian facilities at the Stud Road and McFees Road intersection, and pledged support to expedite the project.
Ballarat City Council union members are set to stop work this week in an escalation of industrial action.
The Ballarat Courier reports that more than 40 ASU members have signed up for a one hour rally on Thursday, including early childhood, waste collection, parks and gardens and council office workers.
A second pay offer has been put to a vote, without the support of the union.
Frankston City Council has decided to end its membership with the South East Councils Climate Change Alliance without community consultation, according to the Frankston Times.
The decision was one of over 30 late changes to the budget, which also included funding reallocations for various projects.
Councillor Suzette Tayler argued that the council should focus on its own climate projects.
However, some councillors expressed concerns about the lack of transparency and a potential breach of the Local Government Act 2020 due to the late changes.
A reduction in funding for Community Support Frankston is also proving controversial, with Member for Frankston Paul Edbrooke slamming the decision in Parliament last week.
Yarra City Council has secured a $314,000 funding boost from the Victorian Government for the Richmond Youth Hub, ensuring its operation for another year.
The hub, located at Elizabeth Street, provides a safe space for young people to build social connections, participate in the community, and access coordinated services from local agencies.
The recent evaluation reported the hub as a non-judgmental, supportive environment for young people.
The City of Melbourne is running free cooking classes from one its libraries to address food insecurity and social isolation.
The ‘Cook to Connect’ program, created in partnership with Co-health, teaches participants to cook healthy, budget-friendly meals.
The program also fosters community and improves mental health.
Despite the program’s success, Councillor Olivia Ball told ABC News that more needs to be done to alleviate cost-of-living pressures, as a survey found nearly a third of respondents were struggling to afford food.
Victorian Briefs:
The City of Whittlesea has begun a $1 million project to improve access to Whittlesea Township Park.
The project includes the construction of 620 metres of new pedestrian and cycle paths, replacement of an existing timber bridge with a concrete one over Plenty River, and installation of rest stops, improved lighting, and signage.
The project, funded equally by the City of Whittlesea and the Victorian Government, is expected to be completed by mid-2025.
The 21km extension of the Great Southern Rail Trail between Welshpool and Alberton is now open, increasing the total length of the trail to 129km.
Wellington Shire Council Mayor, Cr Ian Bye and South Gippsland Shire Council Mayor, Cr Clare Williams recently took to the trail to ride the extension, commending both councils for their collaborative efforts to achieve the much-anticipated project.
The extension has been funded by a $6 million Regional Infrastructure Grant from the Victorian Government.
Greater Geelong’s Boronggook Drysdale Library has received a Public Architecture award from the Australian Institute of Architects.
The $9.15 million public library features a circular design, community activity spaces, an adult changing places facility and an innovative green rooftop featuring 4,300 plants.
Davidson presents LG Innovate: Artificial Intelligence Summit for the local government C-Suite at Peregian Beach in September.
The program includes
- Australian Local Government CEO Index – Official launch 2024 survey results
- Keynotes on the latest AI trends and their impact on local government
Early bird offers are available until 30th June. Find out more from the link in the show notes.
National Roundup:
NSW:
The NSW Government is ordering Hornsby Shire Council to repay $36 million from the Stronger Communities Fund due to significant project delays and limited progress.
The fund, described as “deficient” and “lacking integrity” by the Auditor General of NSW, was established to support council amalgamations.
However, 96% of grants were awarded to Coalition electorates, including councils that never merged.
Hornsby Council’s request for an extension of time to use the unspent funds has been denied, and it must now return the unspent portion of the original $40 million grant.
A furious Mayor Philip Ruddock AO and councillors say they are now faced with a major dilemma as a development application has been lodged and construction to commence the transformation of Westleigh Park was expected to start in late 2024.
Mayor Ruddock said “The residents of the Hornsby Shire deserve better, and Council is now considering what options are available to us to ensure our community gets the recreational facilities it was promised.”
The Office of Local Government received 16 applications for variations from 10 councils.
Of these, 12 have been approved. These councils asking for extensions of time have demonstrated that their projects are on-track.
Three requests were refused, including Hornsby’s request regarding the Westleigh Park project.
The other two refusals included Federation Council, which requested permission to reallocate $83,889 remaining from a grant of $5.4 million to other projects, which is not permitted under the grant guidelines.
Edward River Council also had a request to reallocate $10,000 in funding refused.
A separate request from Hornsby Council for an extension of time to utilise a $50 million grant provided for its Hornsby Quarry project has been approved as construction has progressed significantly.
Additionally, a request from Snowy Monaro Council regarding the delivery of a community centre funded by a grant of $200,000 will be reviewed further.
Planning laws in Western Sydney are requiring developers to build half-width streets around new housing projects, leading to space and traffic issues for residents.
ABC News reported that the state government and local councils are blaming each other for the problem.
The situation has been described as ‘absurd’ and calls have been made for improved planning laws.
Current laws allowing developers to build public roads around new housing projects are said to have failed to account for situations where neighbouring landowners do not want to sell.
QLD:
Livingstone Shire Council CEO Cale Dendle is leaving his post to take up the top job at Isaac Regional Council.
Mr Dendle has been Livingstone’s CEO since February 2021 and has more than 30 years experience working at councils in Queensland, including Rockhampton and Gladstone, and in state government.
Mr Dendle will take over from acting CEO Ken Gouldthorp after completing his time at Livingstone Shire next month.
Livingstone Shire Mayor Adam Belot thanked Mr Dendle for his contribution to the organisation over the past three and a half years, and said an Acting CEO appointment would be made in the coming weeks.
South Burnett Council is racing to get a temporary solution in place before a deadline that will force its landfill sites to close.
Construction delays at the Nanango and Wondai landfills have pushed the Council to urgently install a $140,000 temporary weighbridge at the Murgon landfill to prevent operational disruptions and adhere to waste management deadlines.
The South Burnett Times reports that the council has until July 1 to make the weighbridges operational or the landfills will have to cease operations.
The council has approved $210,000 to cover the costs, but that decision has sparked frustration among council members over the financial strain and the late timing of the decision.
John Mugambi Mwamba, former deputy CEO of Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council, has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison after a five-year investigation revealed his involvement in white-collar crime.
Mr Mwamba pleaded guilty to all four charges, including misconduct in public office, two counts of fraud, and receiving a secret commission.
It is estimated that Mwamba profited almost $250,000 from the illegal activities, according to a report from the Townsville Bulletin.
He will eligible for parole in late 2026.
Cairns Regional Council has dismissed a report claiming the city’s drinking water contains dangerous cancer-causing contaminants, according to the Cairns Post.
The report, based on a 2011 University of Queensland study, identified Cairns as one of 34 Australian locations with PFAS, or “forever chemicals”, in the water supply.
However, the council says 2018 tests found no such chemicals in Cairns’ water.
The chemicals in question, PFOS and PFOA, do not break down and can accumulate in the human body.
SA:
Several top tourist attractions in Mount Gambier are closing or having their leases taken over by the local council, which has decided not to renew leases for the sites.
They include the Engelbrecht Cave tours and cafe, and the kiosk and souvenir shop at the Umpherston Sinkhole.
ABC News reports that the decision has led to uncertainty about the future of the attractions.
Meanwhile, diving has been banned at Ewen Ponds due to low water levels, and the Princess Margaret Rose Cave in Victoria remains closed due to ongoing issues with the design of a wastewater treatment system.
WA:
An unnamed Western Australian council has been found to be running its entire IT system from a single server, without a vendor agreement for replacement in case of a disaster.
Despite having a disaster plan, the council failed to specify hardware specifications with its third-party vendor.
IT News has reported on an audit of six councils that found none were fully prepared for IT disasters.
While most had developed disaster recovery plans, only one was deemed adequate, and none had been tested.
All the councils relied on IT vendors for disaster recovery planning and testing but lacked detailed service agreements.
National Briefs:
The City of Moreton Bay has installed nine Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) in various parks and outdoor areas as part of a successful pilot program.
The defibrillators are accessible to the public and can potentially save lives during sudden cardiac emergencies.
The city plans to consider further installations in high-traffic parks following the success of the pilot program.
The Local Government Association of Queensland has welcomed State Budget funding to establish a Cross Border Commissioner, aimed at improving the lives of communities living across two different states.
The role, which has been advocated for over a decade, will address difficulties faced by border communities, such as navigating different systems and regulations.
The City of Port Adelaide Enfield has decided to refocus efforts to alleviate period poverty after a trial of free period products in community buildings, according to InDaily.
The trial, which ran from July to October 2023, offered free period products in 12 council buildings.
However, the council reported issues with wastage and a lack of data on whether those most in need were accessing the products, and is now considering other strategies.
Global Roundup:
EUROPE:
The government-led intervention at Liverpool City Council has concluded after three years, with the Council now being described as a well-governed and improving organisation.
An Improvement Board will be established to ensure continued progress, running until March 2025.
While there is still work to do, the Council says it is committed to further improvement and governance beyond the period of government intervention.
Uber is bidding to operate in York again after a six-year ban.
The firm’s license renewal was refused by the City of York Council in December 2017 due to complaints from local taxi drivers and a significant data breach.
Despite that ban, BBC News reports that Uber drivers from other areas have been legally operating in the city.
Uber has submitted a new license application which is set to be discussed at a council meeting this week.
The Guardian has reported this week on how hundreds of homeless families in London have been forced by councils to accept private tenancy offers outside the capital or risk being left on the streets.
A housing action campaign group found that 319 households in 2023 accepted offers from councils, often given 24-hour ultimatums.
The placements have been driven by rising rents in the south-east and insufficient local housing allowances.
The families relocated out of London have little chance to return due to long tenancy agreements and the responsibility shift to the new council for housing.
The research showed that five Labour-run councils accounted for 74% of all out-of-London private discharges.
The City of Paris is implementing its second noise control plan to reduce environmental and neighbourhood noise, aiming for a reduction of 1 to 4 decibels.
The city is also experimenting with noise-reducing asphalt, BBPhon+, which has shown satisfactory noise reduction but failed in providing heat resistance.
The goal is for 63% of Paris residents to enjoy quieter nights, in line with World Health Organization standards.
CANADA:
Thunder Bay in Ontario, is marketing itself as Canada’s most affordable city in an attempt to attract remote workers, according to a report from CBC News.
The campaign follows a study that named Thunder Bay the most affordable city based on home price data and median household incomes.
The city’s aggregate home price was under $300,000 as of Q1 this year, and median rent is $1,200.
The campaign is targeting individuals and families from major metropolitan areas seeking a lower cost of living.
USA:
Los Angeles City Council has voted to strengthen its ability to monitor and potentially create rules around driverless vehicles, following public safety concerns.
NBC News reported that the council has approved three state bills aimed at giving municipalities more power to regulate autonomous vehicles and access testing data.
Autonomous ride-hailing service Waymo, which has been operating in Los Angeles, says there has been an 85% reduction in injury-causing crashes and a 57% reduction in police-reported crash rates compared to human-driven vehicles.
BRAZIL:
And finally a cautionary tale from Brazil: a former three-time mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Cesar Maia, has been caught attending an online council meeting from his toilet.
The Metro news site reported that Mr Maia was seen with his trousers around his ankles before mercifully adjusting his camera, and being asked by the meeting chair to turn his camera off.
Unsurprisingly, the clip has gone viral across social media.