On the Roundup today:
More councils call for an end to aggressive behaviour toward council staff;
Councils defend their record on housing development approvals;
An inquiry hears about confusion and bureaucratic red tape in the wake of last year’s major floods;
A Gold Coast councillor remains in office for the moment despite being charged with murder;
A threatened legal challenge as Adelaide City Council drops the prayer from its meetings;
Claims that a trespass ban on a Darwin councillor may be unconstitutional;
And a no-confidence vote in a US mayor as tensions come to a head.
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.
Listen to this episode here, and find the link for your podcast player here. The last 20 episodes are available free. Subscribe here for back catalogue, breaking news updates and special bonus episodes.
Stories in this episode (with links where available):
Victorian Roundup:
Hepburn Shire Council is deeply concerned about an increasing trend of aggressive behaviour and lack of respect towards their staff.
Chief Executive Officer, Bradley Thomas, said there has been a significant rise in incidents of occupational violence directed at their staff.
This behaviour includes staff being verbally abused, shouted at, or sworn at in public places like the street or supermarket.
While acknowledging that mistakes can happen, the council emphasises that poor behaviour towards staff is not acceptable.
They encourage community members to address any concerns in a respectful manner through the available mechanisms.
Mayor Cr. Brian Hood also emphasised that council staff and councillors deserve a safe workplace and that verbal abuse and threatening behaviour, including online abuse, will not be tolerated.
Buloke Shire Council has also reported an increase in aggressive behaviour towards staff, saying it has reached unprecedented levels.
Acting CEO Hannah Yu said some staff members are being targeted with abuse outside their homes at night.
MAV President David Clark told the ABC that local government workers deserve to feel safe, and lamented a “general lower respect for authority and government” in today’s society.
Hepburn Shire Council; ABC News
As the state government prepares to release housing reforms that are widely expected to remove some planning and development powers from councils, the Age has reported on a last ditch defence from councils.
The Municipal Association of Victoria is gathering data to persuade the state and federal governments that councils should not be blamed for the housing crisis.
Despite complaints from the property industry, councils claim they process the majority of apartment building applications on time – and independent analysis supports that.
SGS Economics has found that almost 90% of approved applications are processed on time.
Councils, such as Whitehorse, Maribyrnong and Melbourne, say the bigger problem is that developers only act on their permits when it’s economically advantageous to do so.
There are 420 active permits that have not been acted on in Whitehorse; over 200 in Maribyrnong and more than 100 in the city of Melbourne.
The Age article also looks at the early track record of the city of Melbourne’s housing agency, Homes Melbourne, which is yet to build any homes on council land since its inception in 2021.
In related news, the city of Melbourne is reportedly looking at introducing a yearly fee and a 180 day rental cap on short-stay accommodation providers.
Lord Mayor Sally Capp has told the Australian Financial Review the moves were being considered due to a shortfall of around 5,500 affordable housing units in the city, with the rental vacancy rate sitting at just 0.8 per cent.
A $350 annual fee is being considered, along with a tax on hotel stays and short term rentals.
The council is set to vote next week on new local laws that are aimed at turning short-term accommodation into longer term rental options.
The mayor and CEO of Campaspe Shire Council have presented at a public hearing for an inquiry into the handling of the 2022 flood event in Victoria.
They highlighted several issues that hindered efforts to effectively respond to the disaster, described by Mayor Rob Amos as the most traumatic and devastating event of its kind in memory in the shire.
A major issue was a lack of role clarity and accountability among the Victorian Government’s Emergency Management Victoria, VICSES, and Council.
They said the lack of clarity led to confusion and misunderstanding in the community, which fuelled angst and directed blame for decisions towards the council, when the decisions had been made by other authorities.
Other highlighted issues included lack of resourcing for Council staff, data sharing concerns, and bureaucratic blockages and delays with funding.
Central Goldfields Shire Council has decided to transition away from delivering in-home aged care services starting from March 1, 2024. This decision was made after an extensive review process that involved both staff and community consultation.
The council currently provides aged care services to around 630 clients who receive the Commonwealth Home Support Program, which includes services such as domestic assistance, personal care, home maintenance, and social support.
The council’s review, conducted by an independent agency, identified difficulties in complying with the Commonwealth’s new model of aged care service delivery.
The financial viability of the council to deliver the services has also been affected by the shift to a competitive model and changes in the Commonwealth Government’s payment structure.
Central Goldfields Shire Mayor Cr Grace La Vella said it was without doubt the biggest decision Council had faced during its term to date.
Central Goldfields Shire Council
Now in today’s Victorian Briefs:
A rainbow ball in the northeast of the state is likely to go ahead, but no date has yet been confirmed.
The Rural City of Wangaratta has confirmed to the Border Mail that it remains committed to staging a ball, following the postponement in June of this year’s event for safety reasons.
Border Mail, 26/8/23
Frankston City Council and St. Kilda Football Club have joined together to launch a Healthy Futures Hub in Seaford this week.
Mayor Nathan Conroy said the hub brings together 12 organisations with services relating to learning, wellbeing and physical health, available to everyone regardless of age or ability.
A joint council circular economy program has been shortlisted for a Tidy Towns Sustainability Award.
The Go Full Circle project supports local business owners in the cities of Stonnington, Boroondara and Melbourne to embed a circular economy approach into their business operations.
The state government has announced the latest round of the Growing Suburbs Fund, aimed at supporting critical community infrastructure in Melbourne’s 10 interface council areas.
Applications of up to $2M for the new round close on 20th October – there is a total of $10M available from the fund in the current financial year.
National Roundup
Now for some of the stories making local government news from around Australia this week.
The Federal Local Government Minister Kristy McBain is facing criticism after sending a letter to every mayor in the country urging them to back a YES vote for the Voice referendum.
The Daily Telegraph reported that the letter sent last month told mayors that a YES vote would help bring about practical change and would be legally sound.
The opposition has criticised the minister for using resources to advocate for one side of the debate, while Minister McBain’s office said she was responding to stakeholders who had been seeking information about the referendum.
QLD:
Gold Coast Councillor Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden has been arrested and charged with the murder of his stepfather.
The 30 year old councillor was charged after police were called to a disturbance at a house in Arundel this week, where they discovered the body of a 58 year old man.
Cr Bayldon-Lumsden was elected in 2020, becoming the youngest person ever elected to the council.
It’s understood he remains in his councillor position for the time being. Deputy Premier and Minister for Local Government Stephen Miles is believed to be seeking definitive legal advice about the impact of the murder charge on Cr Bayldon-Lumsden’s status as a councillor.
His lawyer entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf at a court hearing on Thursday, and is believed to have lodged an application for bail to be heard in the Supreme Court as soon as possible.
The City of Gold Coast is proposing a relocation of administration staff from the Nerang precinct to existing offices in Bundall..
CEO Tim Baker said that the relocation presents an opportunity to explore the development of a community hub at the Nerang site.
Additionally, the plan involves reducing the number of large depots from 5 to 3 across the city, while creating smaller satellite depots for increased efficiency and improved customer service.
The proposed changes are estimated to save approximately $93 million over 10 years.
Consultations with staff will begin soon, and a decision about the vacant assets resulting from the changes will be made next year.
26 candidates have nominated for the vacant position on Fraser Coast council, following the resignation of Darren Everard.
They have each been allocated 5 minutes to present at a special Council meeting on 6th September.
Councillors will select the replacement councillor by secret ballot, using an optional preferential voting system.
NSW:
The Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney has received unanimous council support for a motion to the Local Government NSW annual conference for statewide support for drag story time events.
Cr Sophie Ellsmore told news.com.au that the motion is on behalf of the community and local LGBTIQA+ activists who are concerned about recent organised attacks on Drag Story time events and incidents of hate speech.
The motion seeks to prioritise safety for performers and attendees, and to ensure that performers receive full payment for events that are cancelled.
A similar motion is expected to come before the Inner West Council soon.
Snowy Monaro Regional Council has voted to take action to protect councillors and staff from social media posts that threaten, intimidate, harass, humiliate, slander, defame, or troll them.
Mayor Narelle Davis said the new policy position was an occupational health and safety measure, and that without a policy in place, the police have limited options in addressing such matters.
The resolution means the Council could also take legal action where appropriate, and report incidents to the eSafety Commissioner.
About Regional has an account of the discussion and debate amongst councillors, as well as submissions made by members of the public who were not in favour of the introduction of the policy.
The Council will likely consult the NSW Attorney General and Minister for Local Government about the policy, and seek support from Local Government NSW about the lack of legislation covering social media activity.
Adelaide City Council has voted to change the prayer at council meetings to a “non-denominational pledge”, focusing on good governance and the wellbeing of those being served.
Indaily reported that the public gallery at this week’s Council meeting was full in anticipation of another protest by Cr Henry Davis, who has been reading the opening prayer aloud despite an order from the Lord Mayor to do it silently.
But instead of a protest, there was a legal debate over whether the prayer could be changed without a two-thirds majority voting in support.
Cr Davis was outraged after a procedural motion ended the debate and prevented the discussion of an alternative prayer.
He has now announced plans to issue legal proceedings against the City, despite the Lord Mayor and the CEO confirming legal advice that under local government regulations, non-discretionary procedures such as the prayer only require a majority vote.
TAS:
Hobart City Council’s Planning Committee has granted approval for the removal of the William Crowther statue and the installation of temporary signage in Franklin Square.
This decision was made as part of a development application filed by the City of Hobart, which is the land owner.
The removal is conditional on obtaining approval from the Tasmanian Heritage Council for the storage arrangements of the statue.
One of the councillors opposed to the statue’s removal was reported to be absent from the vote, choosing instead to go on Sky News to talk about “the statue’s disrespectful and nonsensical removal nationally.”
Hobart City Council; The Guardian
WA:
Two City of Vincent councillors have said they will contest the upcoming mayoral election, after incumbent mayor Emma Cole announced that she will not be seeking re-election after 6.5 years in the role.
Cr Ron Alexander, a former AFL footballer and inaugural coach of the West Coast Eagles, says he plans to return some council work to in-house divisions for better value for money, while Cr. Suzanne Worner will run as an independent candidate for the position.
And the West Australian reports today that former leader of the WA Greens Alison Xamon will announce her candidacy for the position as a self-described “independent progressive candidate.”
Nominations for council vacancies open next Thursday, with election day set for October 21. This year’s council elections will be the first to offer preferential voting under new reforms to the sector.
WA’s Town of Bassendean is expected to increase its use of chemicals for weed control, due to the cost of alternatives.
Chemical controls will be used on local roads, while a steam method will be retained for use on sensitive areas.
PerthNow reports that the council has budgeted $136K for weed control, on the assumption that chemical controls would be extended.
Officers say if the council doesn’t support the recommended direction, more money will need to be found in the budget.
The town has tested other control methods, and is part of a WALGA working group that is exploring new methods of weed control – but for now, it’s expected that current methods will continue.
NT:
A leading law and politics academic has said that Darwin Council’s ban on councillor Amye Un may be unconstitutional.
The NT Independent has reported the views of Prof Graeme Orr of the University of Queensland Law, who said the council may have failed to follow proper process for dealing with a simple code of conduct complaint, leading to the councillor being barred from attending meetings.
Prof Orr has cautioned that codes of conduct can only result in reprimand or counseling, and hard sanctions for offensive political speech are not constitutional.
The report also raised questions about the appropriateness of a complaint by Mayor Kon Vatskalis to the Local Government Association of NT, of which he is President, and given the trespass order was issued before the complaint has been dealt with.
Briefly:
Independent councillor Brendan Christie has resigned from Blue Mountains City Council this week for health reasons, after 11 years on the council.
The Blue Mountains Gazette reports that the council is expected to ask the state government to dispense with a by-election, as the next elections are just over 12 months away.
Blue Mountains Gazette, 26/8/23
Meanwhile at Lake Macquarie City Council, independent councillor Luke Cubis has resigned.
The Newcastle Herald reports that the council will consider on Monday whether to request keeping the position vacant and skip a by-election, estimated to cost around half a million dollars.
Newcastle Herald, 26/8/23
The general manager of Uralla Shire Council, Kate Jessep, has resigned after 3 and a half years in the position, and is taking up an executive director role at Shellharbour City Council.
Toni Averay has been appointed interim general manager at Uralla for up to 12 months until the commencement of a contracted general manager. The council is inviting proposals from consultants to manage the recruitment process.
Uralla Shire Council; Kate Jessep LinkedIn; Council Meeting Minutes
The Facebook page of Goulburn Mulwaree Council has been compromised through a cyber attack.
The council says it is working with Facebook’s parent company and Cyber New South Wales, but warned the page may not be recoverable.
It confirmed that no other Council platforms have been impacted.
Now for today’s International Spotlight:
UK:
Research conducted by the BBC has revealed a combined shortfall of at least £394.8m over the next two years at councils in Wales.
The councils say they have balanced the books by spending money set aside for unexpected costs, but that is not sustainable, with the school budgets stretched and the cost of providing social care soaring.
One council leader has said they are getting to a point where his council will only do what it legally has to.
The Welsh government blamed inflation and ‘economic mismanagement’ by successive UK governments for the difficult financial situation.
A UK government spokesperson responded, saying it had provided record levels of funding to the Welsh government, resulting in 20% more per head than in England.
The UK’s leading union, Unite, has this week announced strike action at an initial 23 local authorities over a pay dispute.
Workers at Chesterfield Council will be the first to take strike action this coming week, with others to follow during September.
The union says the action has been prompted by a “dismissive and patronising letter” from employers, who have offered a “full and final” pay offer that they’ve described as “fair in the circumstances.”
A mix of Welsh and English councils are among those to have secured mandates for strike action.
US:
A council in Missouri has passed a vote of no confidence in its mayor this week.
Five of eight members of Jennings City Council signed a letter criticising Mayor Gary Johnson for pursuing personal vendettas, dismantling city government, sowing chaos and inviting litigation against the city.
The St Louis Post Dispatch has reported on the resignations of a number of city employees due to a hostile work environment they say has been created by the mayor, with a number of other resignations said to have been forced by the mayor.
Tensions have been rising for some time, and came to a head when the mayor issued a stop work order on a new city centre construction project.
Efforts have reportedly commenced to have the mayor recalled.
In the Texas city of Amarillo this week, the council has voted unanimously to fire its city manager without cause.
Jared Miller has been removed from his position and granted a $767K severance package.
According to the local ABC news station, the council has not given any specific reasons for the termination.
It has installed an interim city manager, and the mayor says he is determined to get the next appointment right, and that it may take six to 12 months.
NZ:
An Auckland Council committee charged with finding budget savings says it has reached its $5M target.
The Revenue, Expenditure and Value Committee reached the target through line-by-line reviews, interest cost savings, and insurance premiums.
But it has acknowledged that the one-off nature of the savings and the ongoing financial challenges will require further investigation.
They will continue working with council staff to identify savings opportunities for the next financial year and beyond.
That’s the latest from the Roundup for 26th 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.