In the midweek update from the Local Government News Roundup for 18th October 2023:
A Northern Territory council suspended due to serious conduct deficiencies;
IBAC’s new commissioner announced;
A mayor takes leave of absence;
A new rural housing action plan launched;
The dog responsible for a fatal attack in Tasmania confirmed to be unregistered;
The NSW government accused of targeting councils unfairly;
The Gold Coast may yet come to the rescue of the 2026 Commonwealth Games;
and which country has announced a freeze on council tax rates?
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Victorian Roundup:
The new IBAC Commissioner has been announced this week.
Victoria Elliott, currently a Deputy Public Interest Monitor, will commence a five year term in the position in December.
Ms Elliot has over 25 years of experience in managing legal investigations, compliance, and integrity frameworks.
She previously worked as a managing lawyer at IBAC, where she helped establish the legal team and provided critical advice to the Commissioner on complex issues.
Ms Elliot takes over from Stephen Farrow, who has been overseeing IBAC since the departure of Robert Redlich at the end of his five year term.
Rural Councils Victoria has launched its Rural Housing Action Plan, calling for government support in tackling the rural housing crisis in rural Victoria.
The plan includes examples of successful strategies implemented by three councils in addressing the housing crisis – a residential development in Pyrenees Shire; a key worker accommodation project at Moyne Shire; and the use of a housing broker at Mount Alexander Shire.
RCV Chair Mary Ann Brown said, “Rural isn’t the same as regional and the vast majority of the 152,000 homes recently announced for regional and rural Victoria will go to regional cities.”
She said rural Victoria needs a targeted approach with dedicated supports to enable development in rural communities.
RCV commissioned research found that rural Victoria needs over 87,000 new homes by 2036.
Hume City Council has welcomed news of the redevelopment of a Broadmeadows neighbourhood as recognition of more than 10 years of advocacy for change.
The Australian and Victorian governments have announced an $80 million investment to redevelop Banksia Gardens, with construction expected to begin next year.
120 new, energy efficient social homes will be built on vacant land facing Coleraine Street, and the project will include upgraded facilities and with new cycling and pedestrian pathways.
The redevelopment is part of the Victorian Government’s Big Housing Build, which is promising to deliver 12,000 new social and affordable homes across the state.
Alpine Shire Council is seeking input from the community on short stay rental properties in order to develop a new local law.
The council aims to regulate the management of these properties to preserve neighborhood amenity, and to minimize the impact of short stay guests on the peace and quiet of neighbors
Mayor John Forsyth said an increase in conversion of long-term to short-term is one of a variety of reasons behind worsening housing affordability and availability issues in the area.
Community engagement to help inform a new proposed local law will close on January 31, 2023
At Greater Dandenong, the mayor Eden Foster has taken a leave of absence to contest the upcoming by-election for the state seat of Mulgrave as the endorsed Labor Party candidate.
Cr Foster has said she will not be collecting her councillor allowance during the campaign, and she has returned her council equipment to ensure her campaign is completely independent of the council.
Deputy Mayor Lana Formoso is Acting Mayor for now, with the council due to elect a mayor and deputy mayor for the forthcoming year on the 16th November.
The MAV has recognised the contribution of the state’s longest-serving councillors in handing out this year’s Councillor Service awards.
11 councillors have been recognised in the Mayor Emeritus Category, celebrating three terms as mayor of their municipalities.
There were 36 recipients of 10-year service awards; 31 received 15-year awards; while 8 councillors were recognised for 20 years of service.
Cr Gilbert Wilson of Glenelg Shire and MAV President David Clark from Pyrenees Shire Council were celebrated as recipients of the 25 years of service category.
The mayor of Cardinia Shire has been busy on the shovel lately!
Cr Tammy Radford was joined by Treasurer Tim Pallas for the sod turning at a new $300M business precinct in Officer South – a 92 hectare precinct, which is expected to provide 240 jobs.
The Pakenham Berwick Gazette (18/10/23) reported that one quarter of the land plots are already sold, and stage one is expected to be ready late next year.
Mayor Radford has also turned the sod on a new 10 hectare adventure and nature park in Officer, which she says will provide a range of recreational opportunities that are currently underprovided in the area.
But it’s not been all good news for the shire… work on its new Cardinia Youth Hub in Pakenham has been delayed due to the building contractor going into liquidation.
The council intends to engage a new contractor through another tender process, and anticipates work will recommence early next year.
A senior Melbourne City Council executive is changing roles amidst what the Herald Sun describes as a conflict of interest controversy.
Roger Teale has been the GM of property, infrastructure and design for nearly three years, and has reportedly maintained a property consultancy business over that time.
The Herald Sun reported that potential conflicts of interest were behind a complaint lodged with IBAC.
The council says that its integrity processes have been followed, and Mr Teale has made a significant and highly valued impact at the council through his work on a number of complex projects.
Mr Teale is believed to be moving into a new strategic role in the office of the chief executive, Alison Leighton, as she undertakes an internal restructure at the council.
Victorian Briefs:
The VEC has announced that a countback to fill an extraordinary vacancy on Macedon Ranges Shire Council for South Ward will be held online at 10 am on Monday 13 November. The vacancy is due to the resignation of Councillor Anne Moore.
The countback will include all formal votes from the 2020 Macedon Ranges Shire Council, South Ward election , with votes to be redistributed to unsuccessful candidates who are still eligible to be elected.
The District Council of Grant and Glenelg Shire Council have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to ensure consistent service levels are met for regional air travellers.
The MOU allows staff at the two Council-owned and operated airports, Mount Gambier Regional Airport and Portland Airport, to be upskilled to work across both locations when the need arises.
Brimbank City Council is celebrating picking up five awards at the inaugural Western Rainbow Awards, announced earlier this month.
The awards, established and hosted by Hobsons Bay City Council, recognise work in furthering inclusion and empowerment of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Brimbank’s wins included the youth focused, leading change, and young person categories.
A new 1.6km pathway along the edge of Lake Nagambie has been celebrated with a Foreshore Walk, and now a photography competition.
The council has called for participants to submit their best photos of the new pathway, which Mayor Laura Binks says will be an attractive and iconic walking trail and a real win for tourism in the shire.
This week from VLGA Connect, two exclusive lunchtime webinars that you don’t want to miss.
On Thursday, 19th October, as part of Children’s Week, join us for a discussion about the participation, voice, representation and leadership of children in matters that impact them… and about how councils can take a leadership role in this space.
And on Friday, 20th October, in the wake of the Victorian Government’s housing and planning reforms, the first in a series of panel discussions looking at the finer details of the changes that are coming.
Find out more on the VLGA website and make sure you secure your spot at one or both of these important discussions this week.
National Roundup:
NT:
NT Minister for Local Government Chansey Paech has placed the Barkly Regional Council under official management, and all elected members have been suspended from office.
In a statement, the Minsiter said he had made this decision because he is satisfied there are, or may be, serious deficiencies in the conduct of the Council’s affairs.
Peter Holt has been appointed Official Manager and now holds the powers of the elected members to ensure the business of Council continues without interruption.
Ruth Morley has been appointed as Investigator to examine the affairs of the Council and will report her findings to the Minister by 12 March 2024.
During the period Council is under official management, elected members will not be able to conduct any official Council business, and all allowances and other entitlements will cease.
The suspension follows widespread speculation due to a number of recent issues, including the emergence of video of the council’s mayor Jeffrey McLaughlin pinning an Aboriginal boy to the ground, and for which he has resisted public calls for his resignation.
TAS:
Kingborough Council has released details about a dog responsible for a fatal attack on the weekend.
A 66 year old man died from injuries sustained in an attack by the pet dog, while a 64 year old woman was also seriously injured.
According to a report from ABC News, the council says the breed of the dog was ‘similar to a rottweiler’, and that it was not registered with the council.
The dog was euthanised by a council animal management officer, and two other dogs from the property have been impounded.
NSW:
Councils in NSW have called on the state government to stop targeting councils unfairly in relation to the housing crisis, and to look at the end to end performance of the state’s planning system, including the government’s own role.
LGNSW President Darriea Turley said this week that the state’s housing crisis is a complex issue due to a number of factors, and that playing the blame game with councils in the firing line is simplistic and disingenuous.
Cr Turley was responding to allegations that councils are responsible for the withdrawal of development applications adding to the housing crisis, when the government’s own research points to other causes, such as shortages of construction material and labour, rising interest rates, and falling housing prices.
She said councils approved more than 85,000 dwellings in NSW during 2022/23, meeting state targets for council-led planning proposals.
Cr Turley said the crisis will only be solved with the cooperation of all three spheres of government, rather than finger pointing.
QLD:
LGAQ has welcomed the announcement of $300M for the Works for Queensland program over the next three years.
LGAQ President and Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson said councils had been campaigning for the program to continue and for funding to be restored back to $100 million a year.
It was also announced that the GasFields Commission’s remit would be expanded to take in renewables projects, with the establishment of Local Energy Partnerships.
$9.25 million has been allocated to fund the partnerships that will include local councils, universities and industry groups like the Queensland Farmers’ Federation to address concerns including infrastructure, housing and supply chain issues.
The Gold Coast may yet emerge as host for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The council is exploring the possibility of accelerating the development of the Olympic Games Village planned for 2032 to accommodate the 2026 Games – a solution that could not only provide a venue for the event but also potentially address the city’s pressing housing crisis.
The Gold Coast Bulletin has reported on a submission prepared for the Council, which has highlighted that the city possesses the necessary infrastructure, workforce, and volunteers to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games in a budget-friendly manner, with an estimated cost of around $650 million.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate met with Commonwealth Games officials on Monday for what he described as a very positive meeting to discuss the potential for the Gold Coast to step in as host for the 2026 event.
Brisbane City Council will reduce its expenditure by 10 per cent over the remainder of the current financial year to an escalating budget position.
The Courier Mail reported yesterday that Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner is requiring cuts amounting to $1.6M per day in order to avoid future rate increases, with elections just around the corner.
Soaring costs of labour and materials, especially in the construction market, are said to be the cause of a forecast budget blowout, with savings to be found by reducing expenditure on council-run projects and services.
Ipswich City Council has expressed concerns about limited data, a lack of transportation infrastructure, and compressed engagement timeframes in the Queensland Government’s draft Shaping SEQ 2023 Regional Plan Update.
The plan projects that Ipswich’s population will grow to 528,000 by 2046, necessitating over 100,000 new dwellings.
However, the council claims that the proposed infrastructure falls short of what is needed to accommodate this growth.
Ipswich ranks 58th out of 77 councils in Queensland for per capita transport investment, despite being the state’s sixth-largest city.
National Briefs:
South Australian councils will share in nearly $18M from the federal government in a unique local roads funding program.
The state’s 68 councils are able to pool a portion of their federal road funding, and distribute it through competitive grants, to transform significant and strategic local roads across the state.
WA’s Shire of Katanning Council has appointed Peter Klein as Chief Executive Officer of the Shire.
Mr Klein has experience in local government from the Shire of Wyalkatchem, as well as corporate experience, including Chief Executive Officer of Mid-West Ports.
He will take up his new role on December 13.
Cessnock City Council has delivered $1M worth of upgrades to local rural fire service stations, ahead of the bushfire season, and commenced construction on a new $930K station at Paxton Park.
Mayor Jay Suvaal said the projects were important to better support local volunteers and the work they do to protect the community.
Penrith City Council is celebrating being crowned the overall winner of the Keep Australia Beautiful NSW 2023 Sustainable Cities Awards.
The award was announced last week at a function hosted by the previous winner, Randwick City Council.
Penrith also took out the Circular Economy Award for its ‘recycled coffee cups in road base’ project.
International Spotlight:
CANADA:
The City of Hamilton in Ontario, Canada, has voted to boycott Meta’s Facebook and Instagram platforms.
The motion is a show of support for the Trudeau government’s Bill C-18, which is designed to ensure large tech companies compensate Canadian news organisations for content that gets posted to their platforms.
Meta has previously called the act “fundamentally flawed” and has blocked news content for Canadian users for months.
The council says ceasing the advertising will have an impact on its ability to reach residents, but it will be manageable.
CBC reports that Hamilton joins a number of other jurisdictions to stop advertising with Meta, while some like Ottawa City Council have rejected a boycott.
USA
Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser is calling on the federal government to do more with empty office buildings in the nation’s capital.
Bowser has urged the Biden administration to either require that most federal workers return to their offices “most of the time,” or “get a plan” for unused office space, according to a report from Bloomberg.com.
Revitalizing the city’s downtown is one of the mayor’s core focuses, but the dominance of federal workers who remain remote poses a unique challenge for the US capital.
Federal employees make up one-third of downtown workers, so federal strategy for personnel management is vital for DC’s post-pandemic recovery.
Bowser says she needs more help from the federal government in solving the problems created by a dearth of downtown office workers.
Bowser hopes to introduce 15,000 new housing units downtown by 2027.
NZ:
The Mayor of Wellington City Council, Tory Whanau, has issued a code of conduct complaint against five city councillors, accusing them of breaching confidentiality.
An independent review has been initiated to determine if any breaches occurred.
Four of the accused councillors issued a joint press release about the matter and said the complaint is an attempt to silence them and discredit their concerns about the city’s finances.
It’s believed a multi-million land purchase deal, and cost overruns with the city’s Town Hall project are at the heart of the issues between councillors.
The NZ Herald reports that the project budget started at an initial $43M, and was increased to $182M last year. It is now being suggested that the budget to resurrect the closed, earthquake-prone building may hit more than $300M.
UK:
Scotland’s First Minister has this week announced a freeze on council tax rates in the next financial year.
First Minister Humza Yousaf said the measure would support people struggling with the effects of high inflation.
The Scottish Government will fully fund the freeze to ensure councils can maintain their services.
The First Minister also said the government is continuing to work with the local government sector on a new fiscal framework, and longer term reforms to the council tax system.
A new poll reveals that local government has almost as much impact on people’s daily lives as national government, and is significantly more trusted.
The poll, commissioned by the Local Government Chronicle($), found that more than two-thirds of respondents trust local government more than central government, although only 37% trust local government to meet the needs of citizens in their area.
The majority of respondents believe that more should be spent on services like social care and libraries, with the NHS being the highest priority.
A Doncaster councillor has been asked to apologise after he was heard using his phone during a council meeting.
Cr Glenn Bluff asked for Cr Phil Cole to stop playing Angry Birds, as it was rude while the mayor and deputy mayor were speaking.
According to the Yorkshire Post, Councillor Cole claims the noise was not from Angry Birds but was from a WhatsApp message and video from another councillor, Majid Khan.
Cr Bluff wants both councillors to issue a public written apology and make a verbal statement at the next full council meeting.
While it has been suggested he lodge a code of conduct complaint about the incident, Cr Bluff says he prefers a more conciliatory approach to consuming valuable officer time and resources.