On the midweek Roundup available now,
A councillor’s bid for unfettered council question time fails to launch;
The local council response to Victoria’s first sobering up centre;
A community mobilises against a state government housing development;
The biggest management shakeup in 30 years on the Gold Coast;
An investigation into a suspended council labelled as a joke;
Another council de-amalgamation being explored;
And a UK mayor launches court action against an asylum seeker barge.
The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, the national broadcaster on all things local government; and by Snap Send Solve, helping keep shared spaces safe, clean and great to be in.
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Transcript (with story links where available):
Hi, this is Chris Eddy, coming to you from the land of the Wadawurrung People with the latest from the Local Government News Roundup.
On the podcast today:
A councillor’s bid for unfettered council question time fails to launch;
The local council response to Victoria’s first sobering up centre;
A community mobilises against a state government housing development;
The biggest management shakeup in 30 years on the Gold Coast;
An investigation into a suspended council labelled as a joke;
Another council de-amalgamation being explored;
And a UK mayor launches court action against an asylum seeker barge.
Just some of the local government stories making news this week… let’s round ‘em up now!
Thanks for joining me for today’s podcast – brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association – the national broadcaster on all things local government;
And by Snap Send Solve, which is excited this week to announce its first Oracle integration with Queensland’s Ipswich City Council.
Let’s get into the Victorian Roundup.
A Hobsons Bay councillor’s call for residents to have the ability to ask live, unscripted questions at council meetings failed to get off the ground at the Council’s meeting last night.
Cr Daria Kellander’s Notice of Motion was seeking a way for people to be able to question the mayor and councillors, and was inspired by similar motions passed by Brimbank and Stonnington councils.
The move was characterised in a report from The Age earlier this week as pushback against recent security measures, including the introduction of a ticketing system that limits attendance to 40 pre-booked seats, and a requirement for photo ID.
However, at last night’s meeting, which ironically was moved to an online format without a public gallery, the motion moved by Cr Kellandar failed to receive a seconder… and it therefore lapsed.
The announcement of a new sobering up centre to be located in Collingwood has been welcomed by Yarra City Council.
In a statement, the council said it hoped the new service would help reduce the negative impacts of alcohol use.
It acknowledged the positive impact that access to health and well-being supports can have for people experiencing social or economic disadvantage, or who have chronic issues.
The Victorian Government announced the establishment of the centre last week, to keep people who are intoxicated in public safe by treating public drunkenness as a health issue, and not as a crime.
Construction on the 20 bed centre is expected to commence soon.
Yarra City Council; Victorian Government
In Knox, nearly 40,000 people have signed a petition to preserve an old dam site, known as Lake Knox, which is targeted for a housing development by an arm of the state government.
Knox City Council has denied two planning permit applications from Development Victoria, which is appealing the refusals at VCAT.
News.com.au reports that parts of the community have been fighting the proposal for five years, over concerns of the impact of development on local wildlife, including the threatened blue-billed duck.
The council cited the biological significance of the site and proposed extensive removal of native vegetation as some of the reasons for refusal.
The case is due to be heard by VCAT later this month.
A review panel has been told that a proposal to split Greater Geelong’s Bellarine Ward into three separate wards doesn’t make sense, and would split towns in half.
The Geelong Advertiser reports that the views were expressed by an academic from Deakin University as part of hearings into proposed models for the city’s electoral structure to apply from the next election.
It’s the latest in a number of reports from around the state where councils, residents and experts have argued against a move to single member wards, a default position required under the Local Government Act 2020 for most councils.
The current four ward, mixed multi member structure in Greater Geelong is expected to make way for a return to single member wards following the review process.
Monash City Council has launched a new textile recycling program for old uniforms.
Staff members can drop their old uniforms at a designated drop-off box, after which Upparel will shred them for use by manufacturers in products like carpet underlay and pet beds.
The scheme aims to reduce textiles going to landfill – with an estimated 6,000kg of clothes being sent to landfill every 10 minutes across Australia.
Now in today’s Victorian Briefs:
There’s a new councillor at Glenelg Shire Council, after a second countback was required to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of former mayor Anita Rank.
The successful candidate in the first countback did not return the required written declaration of eligibility.
After the second countback, John Northcott was declared elected to the council.
Source: Victorian Electoral Commission
Bass Coast councillor Bruce Kent has resigned after nearly seven years of service.
A return to full time work was given as the reason for the resignation, and difficulty committing the time that the role deserves.
News on a process to replace Cr Kent in Western Port Ward is pending.
A new news and social media policy has been adopted by Warrnambool City Council this week, providing guidance for councillors and staff on the use of social media.
The policy received unanimous support of councillors, who are confident the new policy won’t hamper robust debate on political issues.
National Roundup
Now for some of the stories making local government news from around Australia this week.
QLD:
Gold Coast City Council is recruiting for four senior executives in what has been described as the biggest management shake-up in the city in nearly 30 years.
The Gold Coast Bulletin says it’s part of an organisation restructure that commenced last year under CEO Tim Baker, and will see the creation of ‘super departments’ to come into effect in November.
Three current directors have been appointed to lead new departments, with a global recruitment campaign under way to fill four other senior roles.
Noosa mayor Clare Stewart has expressed concern over the state government’s draft south-east regional plan, which predicts a population increase from the current number of 56,000 to approximately 75,000 in the council area by 2046.
The mayor has emphasised the long-standing belief in Noosa that population growth should be limited, with an informal cap of 60,000 in place since the 1990s. However, no such cap has ever been legislated.
The New Daily reports Mayor Stewart’s concerns that this growth could lead to a doubling of building heights in some areas, and that there has been a lack of collaboration. She said that the voices of local governments have not been heard in the planning process.
Ipswich City Council will develop a new hotel and short-term accommodation action plan aimed at attracting greater hotel investment ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The plan will address the shortage of hotel and short-stay accommodation in Ipswich and identify suitable locations to fill this gap. It will also ensure that the necessary regulatory and planning measures are in place to encourage hotel investment.
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding emphasised the importance of having adequate accommodation to maximise the opportunities presented by the Games.
The council will receive a report with an action plan by November this year.
Ipswich First
TAS:
The suspended mayor of Dorset Council says the investigation into his council is a joke, and the claims of misconduct are unsubstantiated.
Greg Howard told the Launceston Examiner he was shocked at the suspension of the council, saying nearly every complaint against councillors has been refuted.
He also says the councillors have lost their access to computers and email, which means they won’t be able to comprehensively contribute to the inquiry as they will need to rely on memory alone.
The Board of Inquiry is expected to submit a report on its investigation on or before 28th February next year, and the council has been replaced with a commissioner for the duration of the inquiry process.
Launceston Examiner, 9-8-23
NSW
The community of Upper Hunter Shire Council is being asked for their thoughts on a potential de-amalgamation of the former Merriwa local government area from the shire.
The consultation is in response to a resolution initiated by the shire’s Deputy Mayor, James Burns, referring to the sentiments of some residents that believe they would be better off on their own.
The Council’s general manager, Greg McDonald, said the council’s role is to facilitate the process – not steer the outcome – and if community members support a de-amalgamation, the findings will be forwarded to the minister for local government and the local member.
The Council has published financial implications of a potential de-amalgamation on its website.
While as many 54 councils in Victoria have introduced or are considering introducing cat containment rules, there is no such movement in NSW due to state laws.
In the New England region, councils are being challenged to take more control of domestic and feral cats, but their powers are limited unless the animal is being a nuisance.
The Country Leader has reported on the concerns of a former RSPCA branch president who wants councils in the region to be able to use traps to catch roaming cats.
Inverell Shire mayor Paul Harmon said there was no easy fix, but that discussions would be held at state and federal level about the issue.
Country Leader, 9-8-23
Lithgow Council says it is frustrated with the length of time it is taking to get approval for works to repair damage to local infrastructure from a series of natural disasters last year.
The council is required to get approval from Resilience NSW before works commence to be eligible to claim the funds back.
It is currently awaiting approval for $19M of rural road works, creating inconvenience and frustration for motorists and the community.
The council says it will continue to advocate for a more streamlined process to avoid lengthy delays with future works.
WA
WA’s Local Government Minister is calling for a more diverse range of candidates for this year’s council elections in October.
Nominations open on 31st August, and Minister David Michael says he wants to see more women, under 25s, people of Aboriginal or multicultural backgrounds and people with a disability putting their hands up.
PerthNow reports on a specific effort to attract younger people, with a number of youth forums being held to encourage interest.
NT:
Nominations open this week for a by-election to fill a vacant seat on Darwin City Council, following the resignation in May of Paul Arnold.
The NT News reports that at least two contenders have emerged for the seat – previous candidate Adam Troyn and comedian Leah Potter.
Mr Troyn missed being elected by just 12 votes in 2021, while Ms Potter has been a vocal critic of the council’s policy of fining rough sleepers.
The election result is expected to be known mid-September.
Briefly:
The Mayors of Townsville in Queensland and Suwon City, Korea, have jointly opened a photographic exhibition highlighting the significance of the Korean War.
Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill said the exhibition pays tribute to the lasting impact of the war on the sister cities.
The city formally welcomed the Korean delegation last Friday before the official opening of the exhibition on Sunday.
Katherine Town Council in the NT has welcomed two new councillors, following a by-election last month.
Peter Dougall and Kerrie Mott were declared elected at a ceremony last week, and will sit at their first council meeting later this month.
They will serve for two years until the next elections in 2025.
Elections of NSW Mayors that are not directly elected are due next month.
Councils that elect their mayors are required to hold an election in September, with mayors to hold office until council elections in September next year.
While mayors would normally be elected for two years, the shorter term is due to the postponement of the 2020 elections by one year due to the Covid pandemic.
Office of Local Government NSW
Now for today’s International Spotlight:
UK:
A serving mayor has launched court action against the Home Office over the placement of an asylum seeker barge at Portland in Dorset.
Carralyn Parkes is the mayor of Portland but says she’s taking the action in a personal capacity, and is attempting to pay for it through crowd funding.
The Dorset Echo reports that Cr Parkes believes the Home Office exceeded its powers by using the barge to accommodate asylum seekers without seeking or receiving planning permission from the council.
She is seeking a court order that planning permission is required, so that local consultation can take place.
The first asylum seekers have moved onto the Bibby Stockholm barge at Portland Port this week.
A city councillor in Hull has been removed from her position for failing to attend a council meeting in the last six months.
But some are crying foul over the issue, as the councillor claims she had no advance notice of the disqualification.
The BBC reports that Sarah Harper-Riches was a Labour councillor on a Liberal-Democrat controlled council.
She is described as a new mother who suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome, reasons for which she says she didn’t make a request to be absent from meetings.
She says she is baffled by the situation, and has been active in her ward.
The case reignited calls from the Local Government Association for a change to out of date rules restricting the ability of councils to hold remote meetings.
Staff working in education and early years in 10 Scottish councils have voted for strike action over pay.
Unite the union has confirmed that its council members will take targeted industrial action when schools resume after the summer break. The strike will involve janitors, cleaners, caterers, classroom assistants, and admin staff.
The decision to strike comes after talks with the council body Cosla last week where no improved pay offer was made.
Sutton Council in south London has faced criticism for implementing higher parking charges for drivers who pay with cash instead of using a mobile app.
In a report from the Evening Standard, the council’s decision has been labeled as “unfair” and “discriminatory” by various groups, including the RAC and Age UK.
The council increased car park prices for cash payments in response to the rising cost of maintaining the machines.
Drivers paying at machines now have to pay £3 for an hour of parking, while those using the app or phone service only pay £2.
US:
An update on the story we brought you last episode from the city of Wyoming in the state of Michigan…
The mayor of the city Kent Vanderwood, has endured an uncomfortable council meeting this week where dozens of people spoke out on his alleged involvement in attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 Presidential election… many of them calling for his resignation.
Mayor Vanderwood is facing charges of forgery and violations of election law.
PBS radio station WKAR reported that he appeared to chew gum while sitting silently through the stream of public comments, and offered no response to the comments.
The city says he was not acting in an official capacity when the alleged offences took place.
NZ:
A New Zealand council’s plan to turn cemetery land into housing has been labelled “silly” and “unbelievable”.
The comments came from a Bay of Plenty Regional Councillor as that council approved a submission opposing a plan by Rotorua Lakes Council.
The NZ Herald reports that a plan to rezone 3.5 hectares of cemetery land for housing development is being opposed on air quality grounds and the risk of geothermal, flooding and liquefaction issues.
The land is adjacent to the existing Rotorua Crematorium and Cemetery, but has been deemed unsuitable for burials.
A hearing on the matter is under way, and if approved it could take up to five years for the current reserve status to be revoked.
That’s the latest from the Roundup for 9th August 2023.
Brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, with support from Snap Send Solve.
You can find links to the stories referenced in this episode and a full transcript at www.lgnewsroundup.com.
While you’re there, check out the latest breaking news updates and learn how you can support the Roundup by becoming a subscriber through a small monthly contribution, which you can cancel at any time.
The Local Government News Roundup is recorded in the city of Greater Geelong, Victoria, on the land of the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation.
More of the latest local government news coming your way next week. Until then, thanks for listening, and bye for now.
On your latest subscriber only episode – there was absolutely never any arrangement for a “march on the council chamber”. Your description implies a dangerous, violent mob. Any suggestion that this is the case is entirely fabricated.
Attendance at HBCC council meetings has for the past months been ticketed. The 40 available seats had all been allocated – some of them to the Techno Park residents who had submitted public questions.
For the last few months multiple security guards have been placed at the entrance of the Civic Centre. The peaceful march was always very very clearly planned to be peaceful, family friendly and out the front of the civic centre.
All that moving the meeting online did was lock out the few (very polite and peaceful) Techno Park residents and family who had a ticket.
The only real risk was that councillors might need to look them in the eyes.