The latest episode of the Roundup for 30th September 2023 is now online, featuring:
A councillor suspended for three months for serious misconduct;
A Victorian council facing union claims of bullying leading to staff departures;
The only Australian local government to recognised on a most innovative company list;
A mayor concerned his council is about to disintegrate as it waits on a government demerger response;
A council and state government standoff over a major sporting event;
Councils act on multiple reports of marijuana poisonings in dogs in Queensland;
and a compromise on the use of a prayer at council meetings in Adelaide.
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Stories in this episode (with links where available)
Victorian Roundup:
A Frankston City councillor has been reprimanded and suspended for three months, after a being found to have engaged in serious misconduct by a Councillor Conduct Panel.
The application was brought by the Council against councillor Stephen Hughes, and related to statements made in social media posts.
Tony Raunic from Hunt & Hunt Lawyers told VLGA Connect that the panel decision and the penalty was significant, particularly in relation to the legitimate incurring of expenses by councillors.
(Interview grab)
The panel decision is discussed in detail on the latest edition of TGU, available now from VLGA Connect on YouTube and podcast..
The full panel decision has been published on the Local Government Victoria website, and you’ll find a link in the transcript for this episode.
There are claims that the culture at a regional Victorian council is leading to a high number of staff resignations.
The Australian Services Union has made the claims about Swan Hill Rural City Council, describing a culture of bullying and harassment and a lack of organisational support during a workplace restructure.
The ABC has reported the allegations this week that the culture at the council is having a detrimental impact on the mental health of employees.
CEO Scott Barber has responded to the allegations, and says they are being taken very seriously.
He confirmed there had been a recent period of proposed change during which staff were consulted, and acknowledged the changes may have been difficult for staff and the union to accept.
Advocacy group Regional Cities Victoria has welcomed the appointment of Jacinta Allan as the 49th Premier of Victoria, and the new Deputy Premier Ben Carroll.
RCV Chair Cr Andrea Metcalf said the appointment was good news for regional Victoria. She said, “As a regional Victorian, Ms Allan has represented the electorate of Bendigo East for 24 years and has an outstanding understanding of the issues faced by regional communities.”
She said RCV would continue to engage with her office on regional issues in her new position as Premier, and in particular in relation to the recently announced Housing Statement and the $2 Billion Regional investment package.”
The City of Greater Geelong has been recognised on the AFR BOSS Most Innovative Companies list for its use of smart technologies to make the region more resilient to climate change.
It is the only local government authority across Australia and New Zealand to be recognized on the list.
The recognition acknowledges how the city has embraced world-class technologies and created initiatives to proactively respond to the impacts of climate change – such as the sculptural Dell Eco Reef in Clifton Springs, creating a localised cooler microclimate in Eastern Park to safeguard Grey-headed flying foxes, the first Geelong Digital Twin, and the installation of weather recording devices.
This latest recognition comes after Geelong was last year named International Smart City of the Year alongside Barcelona at the World Smart City Expo.
Victorian Briefs:
Wyndham City Council has voted to sell a hotel property that it purchased in 2016.
The Star Weekly reports that the council will retain a car park that shares the site with the Bridge Hotel in Werribee.
Councillors argued that the sale would bolster city finances, and allow for reinjection of revenue into city enhancing activities.
A $5.2M deficit has raised concerns among councillors at Golden Plains Shire, who have resolved to look closely at the longer term implications on its financial plan and future budgets.
The Golden Plains Times reports that the deficit resulted from flood damage costs, reduced sales of council land and other factors.
Greater Bendigo City Council has adopted a 2030 zero emissions roadmap, with 35 priority projects and 50 advocacy positions on the topics of energy, transport, food and agriculture, nature and the circular economy.
Mayor Andrea Metcalf said over 1500 people have had input into the development of the roadmap.
Meanwhile, Hume City Council has endorsed a new five year climate action plan with a carbon neutral target for Council operations by 2030.
The new plan has been informed by a community views survey which saw more than 1300 Hume residents provide input.
National Roundup:
NSW:
The mayor of Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council in the Riverina has expressed concerns over the potential disintegration of the council due to delays in the demerger process.
The council has this week called for an urgent meeting with the Minister for Local Government to discuss the delays and implications.
The Daily Advertiser reports that the mayor Charlie Sheahan believes the minister must take action before the council disintegrates.
He said that many of the council’s key personnel are in interim roles, and the uncertainty is causing a number of staff departures.
The demerger process has been delayed for over six months since Labor was elected to government.
Mayor Sheahan says his last three letters to the minister have gone unanswered, and the council feels it is being treated unfairly.
The Minister, Ron Hoenig, has responded blaming the previous government for the legislative challenges surrounding the demerger process.
He said resolving the issue is a legally complex task, and once a path through the legislative challenges is found, an announcement will be made. (Source: Daily Advertiser, 30/9/23)
A standoff over a major supercars event in Newcastle continued this week between the city council and the state government.
The Newcastle Herald reports that council has refused to support a one year extension of the Newcastle 500 event, over a preference to retain the event for five years – which it says is supported by community consultation.
Tourism Minister John Graham said the government was only offering a one year deal due to a $100M shortfall in the Destination NSW budget, which he has blamed on the previous government.
It is also waiting on an assessment report to be completed on the benefits of this year’s race, which is not expected to be completed before the end of the year.
(Source: Newcastle Herald, 28/9/23)
A survey of the Broken Hill community has found little support for a pay rise for councillors.
A three per cent increase, recommended by the remuneration tribunal, was put to the community for consideration by the council.
Less than 10 percent of respondents agreed that councillors should receive an increase, due to cost of living pressures and the belief that it would be passed on to ratepayers.
The council noted the survey results and voted to not receive an increase at its meeting this week.
Now for some of the latest mayoral, or deputy mayoral, election results from around NSW.
There’s a first time mayor at Penrith City Council, with Todd Carney elected to succeed Tricia Hitchen in the role for the last 12 months of the current term. Cr Mark Davies was elected as deputy mayor.
Griffith City Council has elected Cr Anne Napoli as deputy mayor this week.
Cr Sarkis Yedelian OAM has been re-elected as Mayor of Ryde City Council, in a two way contest with Cr Penny Pedersen. Cr Daniel Han defeated Cr Katie O’Reilly in a vote for the Deputy Mayor position.
Snowy Monaro Regional Council elected Cr Chris Hanna to the position of Mayor on 21 September from three nominated candidates. Cr Tanya Higgin was returned as deputy mayor.
Armidale Regional Council Mayor Sam Coupland has been re-elected for a second term. Cr Todd Redwood was also re-elected as deputy mayor.
A new mayor has been installed at Clarence Valley Council, with the election of Cr Peter Johnstone. The deputy mayor Cr Jeff Smith.
Councillor Tony Bleasdale OAM has been re-elected Mayor of Blacktown City at a meeting on Wednesday night.
Councillor Chris Quilkey was elected Deputy Mayor by his colleagues.
Councillor Claire Pontin returns to her role as Mayor of MidCoast Council after being voted back into the position for another year.
Councillor Alan Tickle was also re-elected to the role of Deputy Mayor.
Narrabri Shire Council as elected Cr Darrell Tiemens as mayor, succeeding Cr Ron Campbell who held the position since 2020. Cr Brett Dickinson was elected as deputy mayor.
Councillor Sarah Ndiaye was this week elected unopposed as the Deputy Mayor of Byron Shire Council for the next 12 months.
Cr Ndiaye is serving her second term on Council.
Councillor Charbel Saliba was elected as the new Fairfield City Deputy Mayor at Tuesday night’s Ordinary Meeting of Council.
He succeeds Cr Reni Barkho in the position.
Councillor Saliba is a third term Councillor, first elected in 2012.
At Broken Hill City Council, Cr Jim Hickey was re-elected to the deputy mayor position this week.
At Dubbo Regional Council, Cr Matthew Dickerson was chosen to continue in the mayoral role, winning a vote against councillor Josh Black, seven votes to three.
Cr Richard Ivey was successful in a contest with Pam Wells for the deputy mayor position.
Pat Bourke and Shane Whitechurch have reportedly been returned as Mayor and Deputy Mayor respectively at Federation Council.
At Greater Hume Council, Cr Tony Quinn has been re-elected as Mayor and Cr Annette Schilg was also returned as Deputy Mayor.
In Lockhart Shire, mayor Greg Verdon and deputy Peter Sharpe were re-elected unopposed.
Hay Shire mayor Carol Oataway and deputy Lionel Garner were also re-elected.
No change also at Snowy Valleys, where mayor Ian Chaffey and deputy Trina Thomson were re-elected,
And at Temora, mayor Rick Firman and deputy Graham Sinclair were returned their roles for another 12 months.
QLD:
Multiple dog poisonings in southeast Queensland parks have led to councils installing security cameras to monitor the situation.
Several reports have been made, with dogs testing positive to the psychoactive compound found in marijuana.
Two incidents have occurred at a dog park in Chapel Hill, with similar incidents reported in Logan, Gold Coast and Ipswich, according to ABC News.
The incidents are being investigated by Queensland Police and the RSPCA.
Townsville City Council is considering repurposing vacant CBD commercial buildings into residential properties.
The Council has received a report highlighting the financial feasibility of converting unused or underutilized buildings into apartments, as part of a strategy to address a housing shortage in Townsville, especially near the CBD.
Townsville is experiencing rapid growth, the demand for housing is increasing, and rental vacancy rates are below one percent in much of the city.
Mayor Jenny Hill says the conversion of vacant buildings is one of a number of strategies to address demand, with major projects due to create thousands of jobs in the city in the coming years.
Queensland’s fastest growing city has reached a major population milestone.
Dave and Philisha Riddell have been identified as Ipswich city’s landmark 250,000th residents.
An average of six new homes are being added to Ipswich every day, underscoring the need for investment in infrastructure like roads and public transport.
The city’s population is projected to reach 535,000 by 2046.
SA:
An Adelaide City councillor says he will drop his legal action against the council, after it agreed to read a multi-faith prayer at the start of its meetings.
The legal threat from Cr Henry Davis after the opening prayer was changed to a non-denominational pledge in August.
Indaily.com reports that a compromise was put forward by Cr Carmel Noon this week to include a multi-faith prayer before the pledge, and that was supported by a majority vote of the Council, six votes to four.
Cr Noon said that councillors had received many letters in support of retaining the prayer, and just two supporting its removal.
South Australian councils are chasing more than $37M in unpaid rates, according to analysis published by the Adelaide Advertiser this week.
More than $10M of that figure is accounted for by the City of Onkaparinga.
As part of debt recovery measures, councils forcibly sold 32 properties last financial year, with that figure predicted to be more than 50 during this financial year.
Only 32 of the 68 of the state’s councils responded to a survey, and the statewide figure is therefore expected to be much higher. (Source; Adelaide Advertiser $)
WA:
Council candidates in the City of Stirling are frustrated by multiple instances of their election signs being stolen or vandalised.
At least 10 signs have been targeted in recent days in the city’s Osborne Ward, according to a report from PerthNow.
One candidate has video footage of signs being stolen and defaced with black ink, while other candidates have also reported signage incidents.
The reports follow a similar incident in the City of Canning, where the mayor Patrick Hall used a tracking device to track stolen signs, leading to two men being charged with theft – one of whom is sitting Canning councillor, Jesse Jacobs.
National Briefs:
Penrith City Council has been recognized as a finalist for the Keep Australia Beautiful Awards‘ Sustainable Cities award for the second year in a row.
It is one of six councils in the running for the Overall Sustainable Cities Award category.
Four of Council’s innovative programs were recognized across three award categories: Circular Economy, Resource Recovery and Waste Management, and Communication and Engagement.
Townsville City Council is holding a free tipping weekend next month, encouraging residents to get ready for the storm season by doing clean-ups around their properties.
Mayor Jenny Hill said the opportunity to dispose of domestic waste is also a good reminder for people to think about what can be recycled, repurposed or reused to try and limit what ends up in landfill.
Candidate training is now available for people who want to put their hand up for council elections in Queensland next year.
The training must be completed within six months of the elections, and is mandatory for all candidates including current and former mayors and councillors.
International Spotlight:
UK:
The UK Prime Minister says the city of Birmingham has massively mismanaged its finances, and expects the people of the city to hold the council to account.
Rishi Sunak told BBC Radio that the government had repeatedly expressed concern over the governance arrangements at Birmingham, but that as local councils are devolved they are responsible for managing their own finances.
The situation at Birmingham has turned into a political football, with Conservatives blaming the councils Labour leadership; while the council leadership says the national government’s policies are responsible for a growing crisis across the local government sector.
At least one UK council has started providing counselling to its elected members to deal with rising cases of abuse from the public.
Kent County Council has started providing the option, as a national survey from the Local Government Association shows 82 percent of elected members feel vulnerable to harm in their roles.
According to a report from BBC News, 54 percent of councillors have seen an increase in abuse since being elected; and 81 percent have experienced intimidation or abuse in their role in the past 12 months.
The increasing exposure to abusive behaviour is said to be severely hindering representation, and discouraging people from standing for an elected role.
USA:
While on the subject of abuse of elected members, video has emerged this week of a mayor of a town in Utah being spat on and hit after a city council meeting.
News outlet KSTU reported that a woman has been arrested on multiple charges, including one count of assault and one of threatening elected officials.
The attack came after the mayor of Orem, David Young, spoke critically in the council meeting about reports in a local newspaper that had been written by the alleged attacker’s mother.
The newspaper and the reporter have made no comment to date, and the City of Orem says it will continue to promote civility at all times and has asked the public to join in that effort.
A city in Oregon has come to a standstill after the three remaining council members resigned this week.
The resignations of the Mayor and two other councillors at Baker City came after a court ruling that a quorum of four members was required to fill vacancies on the council.
The right of the remaining three councillors to fill vacant positions was challenged, and upheld on the basis that vacancies could only be filled by the council if it could achieve a quorum.
The resignations now trigger a state law, which means county commissioners will appoint four councillors to constitute a quorum.
The latest development also halted a campaign that was underway to recall the Mayor Beverly Calder. (Source: Elkhorn Media Group)
CANADA:
In the Canadian city of Kamloops, the council has decided to engage an external investigator to probe its mayor’s alleged practice of secretly recording conversations with staff members.
The council has called on the mayor to hand over recordings, transcripts and notes of conversations, and called for a policy prohibiting such practices in future.
Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson has publicly disclosed that some conversations with the city’s chief administrative officer and others had occurred in the presence of his wife, who had taken notes or recorded discussions without the other party’s knowledge or consent.
The Armchair Mayor website has more details, including the text of the council’s resolution calling for an impartial and objective fact-finding investigation of the matter.
A town in California has a dog for its new mayor…. literally and again.
Idyllwild is an unincorporated community which for some time has run a canine government as a way of raising funds for a local rescue organisation.
The mayoralty has been handed down through family succession since the initial election of Mayor Max I in 2012 from a field of 16 candidates – 14 dogs and two cats.
Votes cost $1 and were unlimited, and raised over $30,000 for the town.
The Washington Post reported on the recent sad passing of Mayor Max II, and the elevation of 1 year old golden retriever Max III to the position.
He has taken on the duties of representing the town at community events, and helping to promote the town to the wider world.
Mayor Max III has his own website and an annual calendar, and by all accounts brings much joy to the community of Idyllwild.