On the latest summer update from the Local Government News Roundup:
Electoral structure reviews to commence for 12 Victorian councils;
A high court challenge to the validity of GST payments imposed on councils;
General manager and councillor resignations, and a chief executive appointed;
and more of the latest council news briefs.
The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, the national broadcaster on all things local government.
Listen to this episode here, and find the link for your podcast player here for any of the 190 episodes to date.
Transcript (with story links):
Episode 190 LG News Roundup, 20 January 2023
Hi, this is Chris Eddy, with some of the latest stories making news on the Local Government News Roundup – brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, the national broadcaster on all things local government.
Councillors – the annual VLGA FastTrack Councillor Leadership Development is coming up on Friday 31st March, with the theme “Leading in Times of Chaos’ Check out the VLGA website for registration and more details.
The review of electoral structures in 12 Victorian rural shires will commence next week.
The Victorian Electoral Commission has announced the schedule for the reviews which splits the 12 councils into three groups.
Independent electoral representation advisory panels will conduct the reviews, with the process to include public information sessions and a public submission period.
The process commences next week for Buloke, Gannawarra, Northern Grampians and Yarriambiack shire councils. They will be followed in subsequent weeks by Corangamite, Surf Coast, Campaspe, Strathbogie, Hepburn, Moorabool, Central Goldfields and Mount Alexander shire councils.
More details about the the process, including dates and panel composition can be found here.
Hornsby City Council in NSW is leading a high court challenge to the validity of GST taxes imposed on local governments.
The Guardian has reported that the legal challenge could be worth tens or hundreds of millions of dollars to councils across Australia.
The claim centres on the arrangement where councils are required to pay notional GST or equivalent amounts will be deducted from grants.
The council argues that it is a breach of the constitution, a claim that is contested by the commonwealth.
The announcement of $100M in funding to construct the Pitt Town Bypass has been welcomed today by Hawkesbury City Council.
Mayor Sarah McMahon said the announcement was good news for Pitt Town after years of discussion.
The announcement confirms the route for the bypass, which the government sees as crucial to improving flood resilience and reducing traffic flow in and around the growing town. Read more here.
Walcha Council in NSW will be looking for a new General Manager later this year, after accepting the resignation of current GM Barry Omundson this week.
Mr Omundson will finish at the Council on 24th March, and has advised that he is relocating to Tasmania for family reasons.
The Council has appointed its current Director Infrastructure and Development Phillip Hood as Acting General Manager for a minimum of six months or until the appointment of a permanent general manager.
Users of pools in Liverpool Plains Shire have been put on notice, after a string of incidents described by the mayor as “totally unacceptable”.
Mayor Doug Hawkins OAM said recent incidents at the council’s swimming pools in Quirindi and Werris Creek include a visitor attempting to throw a lifeguard into the pool; people refusing to pay entry fees; and multiple instances of verbal abuse and physical aggression.
He said a “zero tolerance” approach would be used in relation to inappropriate behaviour towards staff. Offending patrons will be asked to leave, and in some cases, temporary or permanent bans may be imposed. Read more here.
Cr Nigel Hutton is stepping down from Livingstone Shire Council at the end of March after 9 years as a councillor, including two years as deputy mayor.
Mayor Andy Ireland has paid tribute to Cr Hutton for his “significant contribution to the Livingstone community”, describing him as a strong force within the Council chamber.
As the resignation takes effect inside the final 12 months of the current term, the Council will appoint a suitable candidate to fill the vacancy. Read more here.
Queensland’s Murweh Shire Council has appointed Sabine Taylor as its new chief executive officer.
The appointment will take effect on 20th February.
Sabine takes over from Neil Polglase who is retiring after 8 years as CEO. Prior to that, he served on the Council for almost 22 years.
Ms Taylor brings leadership experience in local government and the private sector to the role, including time as director of corporate services at Alice Springs Town Council. Read more here.
Launceston’s popular Boag’s visitor centre and brewery tours will shut down at the end of the month, in what has been described as a “significant blow” to the city’s visitor economy.
Mayor Danny Gibson has expressed disappointment at the announcement by brewery owner Lion, which is due to ongoing challenges arising from the pandemic.
Mayor Gibson said the brewery experience ranked as one of Launceston’s top three most popular activities, and he will be seeking a meeting to explore any opportunities to re-consider the closure in the future. Read more here.
The NSW government is making $6.2M available to 14 more councils to roll out green-lid food and organic bins.
News.com.au reports that the funding means nearly 300,000 additional households will be eligible for an upgraded bin service as nine councils and the Riverina and Murray Joint Organisation of councils kick off a food and organic waste collection service. Read more here.
New mobile collection service for recyclables will soon be up and running in Wingecarribee Shire.
The Community Recycling Collection trailer will collect from each of the shire’s villages on at least one day every week.
The initiative is a response to resident feedback about difficulties with travelling to, or transporting materials to, the shire’s central recycle centre.
The mobile service is expected to be up and running within a few months. Read more here.
Councils across England have been invited to bid for a share of £60M to convert disused brownfield sites into housing.
The government estimates the funding will deliver 5,800 homes by March 2027, and create around 18,000 new jobs.
The money comes from a £180M fund expected to deliver 17,600 homes and 56,000 jobs over a four year period. Read more here.
Those are the latest news briefs from the Local Government News Roundup.
Our regular episode schedule will resume later this month.
In the meantime, stay subscribed for our summer updates on your podcast player.
The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, the national broadcaster on all things local government
Until next time, thanks for listening.