Coming up today on the Local Government News Roundup:
- A Council CEO resigns
- Greater Geelong returns to the G21 alliance
- Latrobe’s future-focussed plan for municipal waste
- Warrnambool to review animal shelter management
- Construction projects halted in Shoalhaven
- A cashless transition in Dubbo
- A long-standing mayor concedes defeat in Queensland
- A Tasmanian mayor’s higher political ambitions
- and arrests made over the 2018 alleged murder of a South American councillor
- and in breaking news, Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp announces she is stepping down.
Plus more Council news from across Australia and beyond on the Local Government News Roundup, brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, the national broadcaster on all things local government; with support from Davidson, the nationally recognised executive recruitment service and business advisory practice.
Listen to this episode here, and find the link for your podcast player here.
Transcript for episode 317:
Victorian Roundup:
Golden Plains Shire Council CEO Eric Braslis has resigned after over six years of service.
Mayor Brett Cunningham has paid tribute to Mr Braslis’s contribution to the organisation during his tenure, leading the council through a transformative period, navigating challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, and achieving significant milestones such as the construction of the Civic Centre and the implementation of the Growing Places Strategy.
His leadership also resulted in record levels of funding for the Shire and improvements in organisational culture and staff satisfaction.
Mr Braslis was previously CEO of Gannawarra Shire Council for 2 and a half years, and has held senior roles at Hobsons Bay, Ballarat, Stonnington and Greater Shepparton.
The search for a new CEO at Golden Plains will commence immediately.
The City of Greater Geelong council has voted to renew its partnership with the G21 Geelong Region Alliance, aiming to strengthen relationships with neighboring councils and boost investment and job opportunities.
The renewed membership comes with a reduced financial contribution, following a review into advocacy processes.
The decision reverses a position taken last April, when the council voted to leave the alliance and to undertake greater in-house advocacy.
The G21 will soon release its 2024 Priority Projects list, including upgrades to transportation, investment in cultural and tourism infrastructure, and faster delivery of mental health hubs.
Latrobe City Council has decided to send municipal waste to the Maryvale Energy from Waste facility, which will convert waste into energy for the Opal Maryvale Paper Mill, reducing reliance on the national grid.
The decision aligns with the Council’s Transition Plan to develop local industry, reduce environmental impact, and support local employment.
The facility is expected to be operational by 2028.
The Council is also advocating for industry diversification, economic growth, skilled employment opportunities, and investment in recycling and re-manufacturing industries.
East Gippsland Shire Council has completed a feasibility plan for an arts and culture precinct in Bairnsdale’s CBD.
The precinct would provide creative spaces for various pursuits, serving as a hub for the local area.
The feasibility study, conducted by Williams Ross Architects, is the first step, assessing the project’s viability and setting the stage for community involvement.
The plan is a collaborative effort involving government bodies, Traditional Owners, and the private sector.
The council is now seeking funding to move the project into the design phase.
RSPCA Victoria will stop operating the Warrnambool Animal Shelter after June 30, 2024, as the Warrnambool City Council explores alternative operating arrangements.
The shelterhas been run by RSPCA Victoria for over 20 years, and cares for approximately 1,200 animals annually.
The Council plans to maintain a shelter focused on returning lost animals and re-homing those whose owners’ circumstances have changed, and will invest in building improvements in the coming years.
Calls for the City of Casey to purchase the heritage-listed Captain Doveton house, currently on sale for $850,000, are unlikely to succeed, according to a report from the Berwick News.
The Doveton Eumemmerring Township Association (DETA) is urging the council to prevent the building from falling into private hands and potential neglect.
It argues that the council could use the property for various purposes while preserving its heritage value.
Despite the property’s historical significance, the council says it has no plans to acquire it.
Yarra Ranges Council is calling on State and Federal Governments to support key community projects as part of its updated advocacy agenda.
The projects include infrastructure for population growth, community health, and sports participation, township improvement, road construction, telecommunications, mental health services, maternal and child health, and housing.
The council is also seeking ongoing investment in local tourism projects.
Central Goldfields Shire Council has also adopted a new advocacy strategy this week, with a focus on services and infrastructure delivered by other levels of government.
Priority areas include children and families, jobs and industry, digital and transport connectivity and affordable housing.
The Wyndham City Council has approved the Integrated Strategic Plan (ISP) for the Wyndham Stadium Precinct in Tarneit.
The ISP, developed in collaboration with consultants and stakeholders, outlines a roadmap for future planning initiatives, including the Oakbank Precinct Structure Plan, potential adjustments to the Riverdale Precinct Structure Plan, and the Riverdale Major Town Centre Urban Design Framework.
Werribee News reported that the plan focuses on seamless integration, livability, and sustainability, with proposals including the relocation of Sayers Road and the strategic placement of the future Sayers Road railway station.
Victorian Briefs:
Wodonga Council is restructuring to streamline service delivery and reduce its budget.
Local radio station Edge FM reported that the changes have been informed by a financial assessment and have led to three redundancies and staff redeployments.
The Community Development directorate’s portfolios will be absorbed into other directorates.
An avenue of flags is among options being put to the Greater Shepparton community for public recognition of First Nations, migrant, and refugee communities.
Community input is being solicited through a survey on the Shaping Greater Shepp website, with the consultation period running from March 27 to April 24, 2024.
Other recognition options include an artwork, a mural, or community spaces.
Golden Plains Shire’s Create and Connect Program, a series of storytelling and art sessions for community members living with dementia, has won the LGPro 2024 Positive Ageing and Wellbeing Award.
The program, delivered in partnership with Geelong Regional Libraries, has been recognised for its exceptional impact on the community and its support for those experiencing early onset dementia and their caregivers.
Mildura residents with kerbside recycling and rubbish collection will receive a new 120L purple-lidded glass recycling bin next month, as part of a mandatory state government legislation.
The new bin, to be emptied once a month, will help in reusing more items and reducing waste. From July 2024, households will sort waste into four streams: glass recycling, mixed recycling, food and garden organics, and general rubbish.
Worth a read from The Age this week, stories about the ongoing war against rubbish dumping – particularly dumped tyres.
One story focuses on efforts by the EPA and the City of Wyndham to identify those responsible for dumping over 1,000 tyres in Truganina, while another reveals how over 100,000 old tyres were dumped on a rural property in Mildura, unbeknown to its owner.
Links to both of those stories in the show notes.
National Roundup:
NSW:
Shoalhaven City Council has decided to pause several construction projects to address its current financial situation.
The decision follows recommendations from Financial Sustainability Review to increase revenue and cut costs.
The paused projects include the refurbishment of the Bay and Basin Leisure Centre, construction of Bob Proudfoot Pavilion, and redevelopment of Bomaderry Basketball Stadium, among others.
The council will also investigate a Sanctuary Point District Library redesign and defer outdoor dining fees consideration to the new council.
The council is working on the 2024-25 draft budget, focusing on financial stability, including increasing fees, charges, and rates, and prioritising asset maintenance over new capital projects.
Dubbo Regional Council’s waste facilities and transfer stations will transition to cashless operations from 1 July 2024 to reduce property damage and increase staff efficiency.
The change follows $470,000 of damage to facilities and the closure of the last banking institution in Wellington.
The cashless operation is expected to save money on repairs and insurance claims, and save staff time on banking trips.
The change will apply to all DRC waste facilities, and all cards will be accepted without additional merchant charges.
Snowy Monaro Regional Council has submitted a proposal to the NSW Government regarding regulations for short-term rental accommodations, advocating for a balanced approach that protects residents without negatively affecting tourism.
The council says it recognizes the benefits of short-term rentals to the tourist industry, but is concerned about the impact on housing affordability and availability.
The proposal suggests new regulations should balance the need for affordable housing with the continuation of short-term rentals that support the region’s tourism economy.
Newcastle City Council expecting to save around 12 tonnes of paper annually through its transition to an employee self service solution from Technology One.
The move away from manual, paper-based timesheets equates to saving one billion litres of water, as well as a reduction in time and money.
Newcastle is one of the first local governments in New South Wales to switch to 100% renewable electricity.
The digital transformation is also expected to increase efficiency, with 80% of the manual data entry work predicted to disappear, allowing staff to focus on more value-adding tasks.
QLD:
After 12 years in office, Townsville’s first female mayor, Jenny Hill, has formally conceded election defeat to independent Troy Thompson.
ABC News reported on Ms Hill’s concession yesterday.
The election of Mr Thompson as mayor has since been declared by the electoral commission.
The election outcome reflects a wider wave against incumbent politicians across northern Queensland.
Mr Thompson is a former state election candidate who was disendorsed by One Nation, and according to The Guardian has the backing of conspiracy theorists and is banned from stepping foot in the Queensland Parliament.
There as still some results outstanding, some 11 days after the election. They include the mayor and some councillor positions at Sunshine Coast Council, and the councillor positions at Noosa Shire.
But in Rockhampton, the new council has been sworn in this week, including Tony Williams the returned mayor; five returned councillors and two new faces.
TAS:
Glenorchy Mayor Bec Thomas plans to run as an independent for the Legislative Council seat of Elwick in Tasmania.
Her announcement follows the resignation of Labor’s Josh Willie, which has triggered a by-election which will held on the 4th May.
A second Legislative Council by-election will be held on the same day, due to the resignation of Jane Howlett from the division of Prosser.
The University of Tasmania (UTAS) is partnering with the Australian Government, Devonport City Council, and local organizations to establish a rural health training facility in East Devonport.
The initiative is part of Devonport’s “Living Well Health and Wellbeing Strategy” and aims to enhance inter-professional training for students, improve access to health information, and foster local talent in healthcare.
The East Devonport Recreation and Function Centre will serve as the base for this initiative, with final operational details expected to be concluded later this year.
SA:
Adelaide City Council will investigate the reinstatement of a rate rebate for aged and disability pensioners in its upcoming budget, In Daily has reported this week.
The council previously provided a $100 annual concession rate rebate for eligible pensioners until the 2021-22 financial year.
Cr Phil Martin proposed that the rebate be introduced in recognition of the cost of living crisis, estimating it would cost the Council $35,000 but would significantly benefit pensioners.
Bill Verwey has resigned as a councillor at the District Council of Yankalilla.
Mr Verwey’s decision was reported to be for personal reasons which require his attention and focus.
The move signals more change at the council, coming just a few weeks after Tim Moffat resigned the deputy mayoral role over reported differences of opinion with the mayor Daryl Houston.
WA:
The City of Perth council has rejected a proposal to remove free night parking in the CBD, planning to continue the initiative until at least April next year.
Despite the city losing more than $9 millions due to free parking, Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas said it has resonated with the community and supports local businesses.
Parking costs will increase in other areas however with boom-gated and non-boom gated carparks seeing price increases effective from May 1. More on that story from PerthNow.
Busselton Council has extended s trial of hireable e-scooters until November, following a 12-month trial and a community survey.
Despite 62.4% of local residents expressing concerns about the e-scooters, the supplier, Neuron, has offered to make improvements to address issues.
The improvements include designated parking areas and slower speed restrictions.
The trial’s extension is contingent on these improvements being implemented.
National Briefs:
Internationally recognised graffiti artist Nickolas Stuart, also known as Olas One, has been commissioned by the City of Newcastle to create a new mural in the pedestrian tunnel at Newcastle Beach.
Stuart is the third artist to work on the site, following murals by Birgitte Hansen in 1990 and Trevor Dickinson in 2011.
The new mural, inspired by Stuart’s love of the ocean, is expected to be completed in April.
Tenterfield Shire Council has appointed Mr Hein Basson as its new General Manager.
Mr Basson was the General Manager at Glen Innes Severn and Coonamble Shire Councils and has 36 years’ experience in local government.
His appointment from next month follows the resignation last year of Daryl Buckingham.
The search is underway for the next CEO of the City of Adelaide.
Davidson is partnering with the council to recruit a replacement for Claire Mockler, who stepped down in December to return to the UK for family reasons.
WA’s Shire of Ashburton has a new councillor.
Rosanne Kapor has been sworn-in following an extraordinary election earlier this month.
Her term will run through to October 2027.
Two local cricket initiatives in Hornsby Shire promoting diversity have won at the Cricket NSW 2024 Community Cricket Awards.
The Mark Taylor Oval Indoor Cricket Centre was named Indoor Cricket Facility of the Year.
The Hornsby Ku-ring-gai & Hills District Cricket Association won in the Women and Girls Initiative category for its Girls’ Cricket Competition.
International Spotlight:
UK:
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has denied a crisis in council finances during a Commons liaison committee meeting this week, despite concerns raised about a potential £4bn funding gap for councils.
Mr Sunak acknowledged that there are challenges but said more funding has been allocated to local government, including a £600m boost in the most recent financial settlement.
He said the grant from central government to councils had doubled in cash terms since 2019.
However, the Local Government Chronicle reported that despite questioning he would not confirm future spending plans for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Lord Morse, the interim Chair of the Office for Local Government, has announced that he will be stepping down from his role at the end of March, for unexpected health reasons.
Lord Morse was appointed as interim Chair in January 2023 and has provided independent advice and support in Oflog’s first phase.
The UK Department for Transport has announced a £185m funding boost to 44 local authorities to accelerate the rollout of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.
The funding aims to speed up the installation of EV charge points and facilitate the switch from petrol or diesel cars to EVs.
Meanwhile, £5.7m has been allocated to support the rollout of electric buses across East Yorkshire, replacing the existing diesel-powered buses.
The funding is part of the government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas scheme and will cover the cost of 40 electric buses and charging equipment.
Councillor Mike Rowley is set to become the first openly gay and neurodivergent Lord Mayor of Oxford, with his tenure starting in 2024/25.
The Oxford Mail reported that the traditional mayor-making ceremony will take place at Oxford Town Hall in May, where outgoing Lord Mayor, councillor Lubna Arshad, will pass on the chains of office to Mr Rowley.
USA:
A new regulation in New York City will significantly limit emissions from coal and wood-fired stoves in restaurants, impacting over 100 eateries, many of which are pizzerias.
The rule requires these restaurants to install a filter system that reduces emissions by 75%.
The filters are costly though, and Council Member Justin Brannan says he plans to introduce legislation for a tax credit to help restaurateurs.
The website Gothamist reports that while the law takes effect next month, however fines for non-compliance will not be issued until 2025.
SOUTH AMERICA:
In Brazil, police have arrested three individuals, including a federal lawmaker and a former police chief, for planning and ordering the 2018 murder of Rio de Janeiro city council member Marielle Franco and her driver.
The arrests close a six-year-old case that exposed the infiltration of organized crime into public institutions in Rio.
The investigation revealed the involvement of militias and organized crime in Rio’s political and public bodies.
NZ:
John Boswell, who previously held the most senior officer role in the New Zealand Army, has been appointed as the new chief executive of the Marlborough District Council.
The council said it was impressed by Boswell’s vision, strategic thinking, leadership skills, and experience.
He will join the council on August 1, replacing outgoing chief executive Mark Wheeler.
Hastings District Council has cancelled a Rainbow Storytime event, which was to be hosted by drag performers, due to safety concerns following a large number of threatening messages.
Radio NZ reported that the decision came after protests planned by Destiny Church and incidents of vandalism involving church members.
The council had previously run similar events without issues, but the escalation of hateful rhetoric and the potential for aggressive protests led to the cancellation.
Breaking News:
Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp has announced that she will not be contesting the upcoming local government elections, and is stepping down after six years in the role.