Today on the Local Government News Roundup for 16th September 2023:
A new Victorian state wide levy on short stay accommodation under consideration, as the government continues to contemplate changes to council planning powers;
A council forced to refund domestic animal fines due to a technicality;
The Insurance Council calls on Campaspe Shire to reconsider a controversial planning decision;
A NSW council takes the next step towards deamalgamation;
Mayoral election results from across NSW; CEO appointment news; a by-election result from Darwin;
And a UK council defies a government call to end its four day work week trial.
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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Stories in this episode (with links where available):
16th September 2023
Intro/Headlines:
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 new Victorian state wide levy on short stay accommodation under consideration, as the government continues to contemplate changes to council planning powers;
A council forced to refund domestic animal fines due to a technicality;
The Insurance Council calls on Campaspe Shire to reconsider a controversial planning decision;
A NSW council takes the next step towards deamalgamation;
Mayoral election results from across NSW; CEO appointment news; a by-election result from Darwin;
And a UK council defies a government call to end its four day work week trial.
Just some of the many local government stories getting our attention today… let’s round ‘em up!
Sponsor Acknowledge:
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, in the business of keeping shared spaces safe, clean and great to be in.
Victorian Roundup:
A suite of state government housing reforms are expected to be unveiled next week, according to media reports.
The Age reported on Friday that the reforms are likely to include a new levy on short-term accommodation that would apply state-wide, and could be as high as 7.5 per cent.
The proposal, reported to be going before cabinet next week, would see the first such state wide levy in the country, ahead of NSW and Queensland which are also understood to be considering similar measures.
Airbnb is believed to have a preference for a statewide approach, rather than each council introducing its own regulations, which has started to occur around the state.
The Age report suggests that changes to planning role for councils might yet be some time off, as the government considers the role of new metropolitan planning boards in priority precincts to take on some of local government’s current planning powers.
The Mayor of Brimbank City Council has issued a strong statement rejecting potential changes to all councils as a result of one council’s conduct.
Cr Bruce Lancashire says his council strongly opposes any attempts to use the findings of IBAC’s Operation Sandon to water down the role of all councils in planning processes.
HE said he wholeheartedly agrees that the behaviour described in the report is absolutely unacceptable, the behaviour should not be seen as a reflection of the conduct of elected representatives as a whole.
In related news, Brimbank Council has endorsed three draft motions for the next MAV State Council meeting in October.
The motions relate to urgent matters of concern, including Melbourne Airport Rail, an upgrade of the Calder Freeway, and housing affordability and homelessness.
The Star Weekly reports that the council sees the State Council meeting as an opportunity to help influence state government investment and policy on its advocacy priorities.
Nearly $10,000 in fines issued by Hume City Council will be refunded after a discovery that they were invalidly issued due to an advertising oversight.
For the regulations under the Domestic Animals Act to be enforceable, a notice is required to be published in the government gazette and a local newspaper.
The Star Weekly has reported on the discovery that no corresponding notice was published, rendering the council’s enforcement actions invalid.
The issue was raised at this week’s Council meeting, with confirmation that fines will be refunded, and unpaid infringements cancelled.
An order to give effect to the regulations is expected to come before the Council for approval in October.
Campaspe Shire Council is under pressure to reconsider its approval of a townhouse development, which the local catchment management authority says is likely to result in danger to residents because it is located on flood-prone land.
ABC News has reported that the Insurance Council of Australia has written to Mayor Rob Amos raising concerns about the decision to approve construction of 16 townhouses on land that was inundated in last year’s major flood event.
The Insurance Council’s advocacy lends support to concerns expressed by some residents, and the leader of the Victorian Nationals, Peter Walsh, who has met with residents and passed their concerns onto the Victorian planning minister.
The council has issued a planning permit with conditions after a ruling in July by VCAT that went against residents and the catchment management authority.
CEO Pauline Gordon said the council had made its decision in full compliance with the Campaspe planning scheme.
Moonee Valley City Council has announced a new public private partnership agreement, which it says is unprecedented and will see nearly $11M of capital investment in the Riverside Golf and Sports Centre.
The council says the partnership with BlueFit, a leisure facility management company, will resolve long standing infrastructure issues, and realise a major activation of the Riverside Sport and Recreation Precinct.
Mayor Pierce Tyson said the deal would allow the resolution of operational issues that currently restrict usage, due to the proximity of a golf driving range alongside netball and tennis courts.
He said the partnership is underpinned by a 20 year management contract, which enables the Council to oversee operations and ensure the community’s needs are met.
Victorian Briefs:
Applications are open for the CEO position at Greater Shepparton City Council.
It follows a decision of the council to advertise the position prior to the expiry of current CEO Peter Harriot’s contract in January after more than 8 years in the role.
McArthur is handling the recruitment, with applications to close on the 4th October.
Bass Coast Shire has won an award for excellence in sustainable pavement innovation.
The council’s “Recycling Island Resources” project has been recognised with the top prize at the AustStab Awards, which recognise excellence in pavement recycling and stabilisation.
Acting CEO Greg Box said it was recognition that Bass Coast is a statewide leader in innovation in waste management and the circular economy.
The state government has announced a $10.7M contribution to 11 new and expanded kindergarten services in Merri-Bek.
The Building Blocks partnership with the council will include expansion of the Derby Street Children’s Centre in Pascoe Vale to provide up to 22 new kindergarten places.
Roundup Unfiltered Preview
National Roundup:
NSW:
A council meeting at Narrabri Shire has come to an abrupt end this week, after three councillors left the chamber in protest over the mayor’s refusal to allow another councillor from joining the meeting online.
The Country Leader (14/9/23) reports that the walkout meant the council did not have the quorum required to continue with the meeting, which was due to discuss concerns with the shire’s financial statements.
Independent auditors have been unable to certify the statements due to identified non-compliance with legislative requirements.
Mayor Ron Campbell said it was “a glitch” and a comprehensive project would be undertaken to rectify insufficiencies with the council’s underlying books and records, which could take 12 months.
Cr Greg Lamont said the report is a “smoking gun” and is calling for an investigation. He also said the abrupt end to this week’s meeting over the audio-visual link dispute is a demonstration of the five-four nature of the council, and how it is not getting on with business.
A de-amalgamation business case has been submitted to the local government minister by Snowy Valleys Council.
Mayor Ian Chaffey said the submission was necessary to provide certainty for the community and council staff.
It includes a copy of a report prepared by the University of Newcastle on the advantages and disadvantages of de-amalgamation, which Mayor Chaffey says articulates the views and concerns of a significant number of residents and ratepayers.
Snowy Monaro Regional Council has announced the appointment of David Hogan as its new CEO.
Mr Hogan extensive experience in the corporate and government sectors, and previously spent 15 years with Snowy Hydro.
He takes over from outgoing CEO Peter Bascomb in November.
There are concerns that a delay in securing state government support to fix a local swimming pool in Walgett Shire will lead to a spike in river drownings this year.
The outback shire experiences an average summer temperature of 35 degrees, and mayor Jane Keir regards the matter as an emergency situation.
ABC News reports that the shire’s only pool was closed earlier this year, and at least $2M is needed to repair the 61 year old facility.
Discussions with the state are ongoing, but no funding has yet been allocated for pool repairs.
Cr Keir is worried that residents will choose to cool off in local rivers, which she says are not safe, expecially for children.
Local community members are backing calls for urgent support and funding from the government.
NSW Mayoral Elections Update
Tamworth Regional Council has re-elected Russell Webb as its mayor. Cr Webb was the only candidate for the position.
Cr Judy Coates was elected deputy mayor through a written ballot process.
Paula Masselos has been re-elected as the mayor of Waverley Council, her third term in the role since 2019.
Cr Ludovico Fabiano was elected as deputy mayor for the first time.
At Canterbury Bankstown, Cr Bilal El-Hayek has been re-elected during an extraordinary meeting this week. He and new deputy mayor Rachelle Harika were elected unopposed to the positions.
Sarah McMahon has been re-elected as mayor of Hawkesbury City Council for the remainder of the current council term. Deputy Mayor Barry Calvert was also re-elected.
Port Stephens Council has elected a new deputy mayor this week. Cr Leah Anderson is taking over the role from Cr Giacomo Arnott who spent the past 12 months in the role.
At Bega Valley Shire, Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick has been re-elected for the final year of the council term. From next year, the Bega Valley Mayor will be directly elected for a four year term.
Cr Cathy Griff succeeds Cr Liz Seckold as the council’s new deputy mayor.
Murrumbidgee Mayor Ruth McRae OAM has been reelected unopposed this week, extending her time in the role to 7 years.
Cr Robert Black was re-elected unopposed as Deputy Mayor.
Earlier this month, Strathfield Council re-elected Cr Karen Pensabene as its mayor.
Cr Sandy Reddy was elected to the deputy mayor position, taking over from Cr Benjamin Cai.
A number of councils will hold their mayoral elections this coming week, including Kiama, Blayney, Bathurst, Snowy Monaro and Sutherland Shire.
QLD:
Claims from Brisbane City Council that the Queensland government is conspiring to keep land valuations high for land-tax benefits have been disputed by the government and the state’s valuer general.
According to a report in the Brisbane Times, Valuer General Laura Dietrich says she met with council representatives, who agreed to the exclusion of Brisbane from the 2023/24 valuation program.
The council’s Finance Chair, Cr Fiona Cunningham has suggested that the government didn’t want a valuation conducted this year because house prices have fallen, allowing land taxes to be levied on existing higher valuation figures.
Ms Dietrich said local government areas to undergo the valuation process in a given year were selected based on a range of factors, and only after consultation with those councils.
Resources Minister Scott Stewart said it was concerning that the council disagreed with the principle that decisions on revaluations are appropriately made separate from politicians.
New legislative reforms to overhaul Queensland’s councillor complaints system have been introduced to Parliament this week.
Among the reforms are a new statutory preliminary assessment process; ability to declare a person a vexatious complainant; updates to natural justice requirements; and changes to the details that need to be published in a councillor conduct register.
LGAQ CEO Alison Smith welcomed this week’s development, and thanked the government for listening to the concerns of the local government sector, and for introducing the reforms ahead of the next round of local government elections in March.
She said that for too long the current system has been more focussed on generating complaints, rather than regulating conduct.
SA:
Kangaroo Island council has secured the services of Daryl Buckingham as its next CEO.
Mr Buckingham will make the move from Tenterfield Council in NSW where he has been CEO since mid 2021.
He has also previously held the CEO position at Flinders Shire in Queensland and the Mildura Regional Development Corporation.
TAS:
Tasmania’s Civil and Administrative Tribunal has allowed a controversial unit development in Battery Point, after it was rejected multiple times by Hobart City Council.
The council ruled against initial designs in 2016, and again in 2022 due to overshadowing concerns and heritage conflicts.
Pulse Hobart has reported that the developer’s appeal to the tribunal has been accepted, and a planning permit will now be issued.
NT:
The result of the Darwin City Council by-election in Lyons Ward is in.
Last night the NT Electoral Commission finalised the distribution of preferences, resulting in Sam Weston being elected at count number 11 in a tight race with Greens candidate Suki Dorras-Walker.
The NT News reported that the local business owner has pledged to focus on support for small businesses, greening the city and community consultation.
National Briefs:
A new bill introduced by the NSW Government seeks to bring voting rules for no-residential electors in the City of Sydney in line with other LGAs in the state.
The government says the City of Sydney Amendment Bill will remove rules that favour businesses over residents in local government elections.
It overturns a 2014 change that gave eligible businesses two votes, compared to one each for residents.
A new councillor was sworn in last week at Fraser Coast Regional Council.
Jan Hegge was appointed by the council after it considered 26 nominations for the vacancy that was created by the resignation of Darren Everard last month.
Cr Hegge is a former local small business owner who previously served for three years as an Alderman on the Maryborough City Council.
Applications have been called for the GM position at Inverell Shire in NSW. Leading Roles is handling the recruitment, with applications closing 9th October.
Hornsby Shire Council has been named the top mobile phone recycler in the country for the fifth consecutive year.
Its residents deposited more than 750kgs of mobile phones, chargers and accessories as part of the MobileMuster recycling drive over the 12 months to March this year.
International Spotlight:
UK:
A UK council is defying the local government minister’s call for a four day work week experiment to end, declaring that the trial will continue.
South Cambridgeshire district council says the trial, involving office workers and bin collectors has delivered positive outcomes, including improved job recruitment and retention, cost savings and increased productivity.
The Guardian reports that the council will ignore government objections and the threat of court action and has declared that the trial will continue through next March, so that more data can be gathered to help assess the impact.
The local government minister, Lee Rowley, has strengthened his language in communications to the council – going from expressing opposition to the trial in June, to last week saying that the experiment should end.
The minister may be swimming against the tide however.
The council’s stand comes as the Scottish Government announced it will start a four day working week trial for public sector employees by the end of this year to assess potential benefits.
At Birmingham, with its well documented financial issues, it has been revealed that the council has serious IT issues which mean staff cannot even produce accounts to show its true financial status.
BBC News reports that external auditors have been unable to sign off on end of year financial statements.
The auditors also say the city’s massive equal pay claims mean the statements are “materially misstated”.
It has a £760M equal pay claim bill, on top of £1B in compensation already paid, and faces an immediate budget shortfall this year of £87M.
All non-essential spending at the city has been suspended following the filing of a S114 notice.
USA:
Controversial developments in New Orleans, where the city council has made moves to terminate the mayor’s communications director for alleged incompetence, neglect of duty and gross misconduct.
It’s the first time the council has attempted to fire an unclassified employee.
Council members have accused Gregory Joseph of lying under oath about alleged use of public funds for political reasons.
WGNO reports that the council gave the mayor, LaToya Cantrell, until the end of the week to terminate Mr Joseph, otherwise it will proceed with a hearing to proceed with his termination on the 3rd October.
There’ll be a new mayor in Music City, after a landslide win for former council member Freddie O’Connell.
According to The Tennessean, Mr O’Connell has secured 64 per cent of the vote and will become the city’s 10th mayor, on a platform of making it easier for people to stay in Nashville starting with investments in schools, parks and libraries.
The election has also resulted in 22 women on the metro council, which for the first time in the city’s history means women make up the majority, including the council’s first openly transgender person.
NZ:
Marlborough District Council mayor Nadine Taylor has criticised a fellow councillor for refusing to step away from a discussion about funding for the Marlborough Research Centre, where he is the chief executive.
According to the website Stuff, Cr Gerald Hope did not declare a conflict of interest and justified the center’s funding requests.
The Council’s code of conduct requires councillors to maintain a clear separation between personal interests and their duties as councillors to prevent bias.
The center plans to spend $305,650 on 16 projects in the 2023-24 financial year, including meteorological services, experimental vineyard phenotyping, and pine nuts research.
Mayor Taylor has expressed concern that some projects seemed more focused on the private sector than research activities, and she has suggested aligning funding with the council’s desired outcomes in future.
With the departure of the CEO at Gore District Council, and the scrapping of an independent review, you’d be forgiven for thinking the council would get a rest from the headlines for a while. Not so it seems….
The media is attempting to get access to details of any payout for departing CEO Stephen Parry, supported by calls from a former CFO now living in the UK.
Stuff has made an official request for the information, but the council is refusing to comply on the grounds of privacy.
Former employee Doug Walker says the information should be public, and that any payout would be unbudgeted and unfunded expenditure that would require the raising of additional debt.
Mr Walker has alleged that his issues with Mr Parry affected his mental health and led to him leaving the country.
Stuff has now lodged a complaint with the NZ Office of the Ombudsman about the council’s refusal to provide details or even confirm whether there is a payout for the departing CEO.
Close:
That’s the latest from the Roundup for 16th September 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
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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.