On the 300th episode of the Local Government News Roundup:
Monitors appointed at another Victorian council;
A Darebin councillor ordered to apologise and suspended for misconduct;
Moyne Shire appoints an Acting CEO;
The local government funding model to be reviewed in NSW;
Parramatta Council revises its controversial sponsorship deal with a rugby league club;
Councils fight vandalism and illegal dumping;
A staff shortage crisis for NT councils;
And calls for a NZ council to be replaced with commissioners over a water crisis.
The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, the national broadcaster on all things local government; with support from Davidson, the nationally recognised executive recruitment service and business advisory practice.
Listen to this episode here, and find the link for your podcast player here.
Transcript for episode 300:
Municipal monitors are being appointed to work with the Moonee Valley City Council to improve its understanding of its role, performance, and service to its community.
The decision was detailed by the Minister for Local Government, Melissa Horne, on Monday, with Philip Carruthers appointed to start immediately and second monitor to be announced soon.
Mr Carruthers has governance and management experience in the private and public sectors. He has served in executive roles at the CSIRO, VicRoads, the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman and the Borough of Queenscliffe and is also an experienced board director and chair.
The appointment is for a six-month period until late July.
Moonee Valley Mayor Cr Pierce Tyson welcomed the appointment of the monitors and thanked the Minister and Local Government Victoria “for their support on this issue.”
He said ahead of government reforms regarding individual accountability for councillors, “I trust Moonee Valley will serve as an important case study in professional and positive practices.”
The monitors’ terms of reference direct them to advise and provide any relevant assistance and support to the council in relation to the improvement of the council’s governance processes and practices.
Matters to be monitored include councillor understanding and performance of their roles and responsibilities, with specific reference to confidentiality, conflicts of interest, relationships between councillors and Council staff, and CEO employment and remuneration policies and processes.
Ms Horne said, “Governance issues at Moonee Valley City Council must be addressed and the appointment of monitors for the next six months will help bring this about.”
“The council needs to improve and serve its community to the best of its ability – that is the purpose of local government and a role performed by scores of councils across the state.”
This latest development follows news last year that IBAC was looking into the relationship between the council and the Essendon Royals Soccer Club, searching the properties and seizing the phones of some councillors.
It was later reported that the search led to charges being brought against Cr Jacob Bettio alleging drug possession. He is due to face court in March.
Melbourne’s Darebin councillor, Emily Dimitriadis, will receive a one-month suspension following an arbitration process looking into six allegations about behaviour at a council meeting last July, and regarding some social media posts.
The Age has reported how Cr Dimitriadis had invited Aboriginal elders to the Council meeting, which allegedly led to a breach of conduct standards and a heated atmosphere.
The council was preparing to vote on whether to adopt a neutral stance on the Indigenous Voice, as advised by Darebin’s Aboriginal Advisory Committee (DAAC).
In a detailed report to be tabled at the Council’s meeting on Thursday evening, Arbiter Dr Meredith Gibbs made a finding of misconduct on all six allegations.
She said that Cr Dimitriadis had demonstrated a pattern of using public fora to criticise Council staff and the organisation contrary to the code; that considerable harm had been suffered as a result of her behaviour; and that she had shown little insight into the impact of the behaviour and little remorse for it.
The arbiter has directed Cr Dimitriadis to make verbal and written apologies to various parties, and imposed a one-month suspension. She has also been ordered to undergo coaching on workplace safety, respectful political debate and appropriate use of social media.
The arbiter recommended that Cr Dimitriadis remove the offending social media posts referred to in the allegations, but conceded that she had no power to order their removal.
The state government-appointed administrator at Strathbogie Shire Council is embarking on a series of one-on-one sessions for residents to discuss his appointment and any related concerns.
Peter Stephenson’s Stephenson’s interim appointment is set until March 6, and residents can register to meet with him for a maximum of 15 minutes per person on scheduled dates in locations across the shire.
Experienced local government CEO Peter Brown has been appointed as Acting CEO of Moyne Shire Council following the resignation last week of Brett Davis.
Mr Brown will be in the role for an initial three-month period from the 19th of February until the commencement of a new permanent CEO, with the option of an extension by agreement if the new CEO has not commenced within that time.
His extensive local government career has included CEO roles at Horsham and Colac Otway, and he has recently filled in an acting director position at Moyne.
Recruitment for the new CEO will get underway soon.
The City of Yarra is contemplating permanently removing a repeatedly vandalised Captain Cook memorial from Edinburgh Gardens.
The monument has been damaged multiple times in recent years, including graffiti coinciding with Australia Day, theft of plaques, and structural damage.
The Age has reported that the council will assess the damage to determine the next steps.
But some residents are already speaking out against the move, with one telling 3AW it would be giving in to the vandals and would encourage similar destructive behaviour.
Victorian Briefs:
Frankston Council officers have started using body-worn cameras to enhance community safety and transparency.
The Frankston Times reported that the cameras were turned on this month, and that footage will be stored securely and only for a short time unless needed as evidence in formal investigations.
The council says it will disclose the cost of the project on its online transparency hub.
Brimbank City Council is participating in the #OldisBeautiful campaign, a pilot project aimed at combating ageism.
The project will include workshops for older residents to explore ageism and their perceptions of beauty, and is in partnership with Elder Rights Advocacy, an organisation promoting the rights of older Victorians.
Central Goldfields Shire will be featured in the Nine Network Australia TV show, Country House Hunters.
The show will profile the Central Goldfields Art Gallery and other attractions in Maryborough, providing national exposure and promoting the region’s attractions and investment opportunities.
The episode will air at 5.30pm on Saturday 3 February on the Nine network.
The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) is reviewing the financial model for NSW local councils, focusing on financial and operational performance, value for money, and sustainable support for community needs.
They are also examining council capacity and the impact of planning and reporting systems on budget performance and transparency.
The government says it is delivering on an election commitment in implementing the review.
Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig said, “The financial sustainability of councils is one of the most significant issues facing local government in this state.”
Feedback is currently being sought on draft Terms of Reference for the review, which was a recommendation arising from IPART’s review of the rate peg methodology conducted last year.
The Mandarin has published an article looking at the review and the motivations behind it. It notes that IPART has been told by the government to look at improving the “visibility of councillors and the community over the financial and operational performance of their councils.”
LGNSW is encouraging councils to make submissions on the Terms of Reference, noting the opportunity to place the sector on a more sustainable financial footing given the impact of rat pegging and cost shifting.
Parramatta Council has revised its funding to the Eels rugby club to $1.1M over three years, down from the original $2.4m, following public backlash over the use of ratepayers’ funds.
The three-year strategic partnership was agreed in a confidential session in December, but was followed by a motion to rescind lodged by Cr Kellie Darley who told the Sydney Morning Herald the deal was pushed through as a late report without sufficient time for debate or to make an informed decision.
An extraordinary meeting was held on Monday night to consider the rescission motion, with opposition to the plan coming from four councillors and the United Services Union.
The Daily Telegraph reported that the funds will be used for scholarships for western Sydney women, children’s clinics and school holiday camps, and player appearances at events.
The council logo will also appear on the NRLW team’s jersey but will not be used on the men’s jersey as a result of the revised arrangement.
In a public forum before the decision in a closed session, some residents including former Parramatta Lord Mayor Phil Russo argued the funds could be better spent on community infrastructure and services.
ABC News reported that Mayor Pierre Esber was among a minority of councillors to vote against the deal.
The Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool in The Domain, Sydney, will close for 16 months starting May for retiling and conversion of the gas heating system to electricity.
The City of Sydney council asserts the extensive maintenance works are essential, but the lengthy closure has raised concerns among stakeholders according to a report today in the Sydney Morning Herald.
The works include full replacement of tiles in the main 50-meter pool and the smaller program pool, concrete and steel maintenance of the pool structure, and installation of a new lift.
The project is expected to be completed by September 2025.
The Daily Telegraph today reports that Sutherland Shire Mayor Carmelo Pesce is the frontrunner for Liberal preselection in Scott Morrison’s federal seat of Cook.
Mayor Pesce is said to have the backing of party power brokers to replace Mr Morrison in the safe Liberal seat but that a number of other contenders are emerging.
A meeting of Shoalhaven Council on Monday failed to reach a position on the size of a rate rise after an increasing number of councillors announced ahead of the meeting that would oppose the proposed 44 per cent special rate variation.
The South Coast Register reported that after three hours of debate, councillors could not reach an agreement on a rate increase.
The Shoalhaven and Nowra News reported last week (26/1/24) that two Labor councillors had joined three independent councillors in opposing the proposal that was recommended by an independent report.
A series of vandalism incidents in Dungog, including hateful symbols spray-painted on monuments, is said to be damaging the town’s reputation as a tourism town.
The vandalism, which began in July 2022, has incurred ongoing clean-up costs for the council, and led to resident calls for more action, such as increased police presence and CCTV installation, but these are beyond the council’s current resourcing capabilities.
The Dungog Chronicle (25/1/24) reported that ongoing graffiti concerns have sparked outrage in the community, with calls for the perpetrators to be reported and dealt with by law.
A beautification project in a Campsie laneway in Canterbury-Bankstown is aiming to deter illegal dumping by transforming a hotspot for such activity into a welcoming space.
The project is being assisted by Council landscape construction worker Max Yusuf, who originally planted jacaranda and flame trees in the laneway thirty years ago.
The new effort involves planting philodendron xanadu plants and mulch under the mature trees.
Surveillance cameras have been installed, and local businesses are being educated on waste management.
The simple approach to combatting dumping will likely be replicated in other areas across the city.
Queensland’s Auditor General says seven of the state’s 77 councils have not yet completed last year’s financial statements, and as many as 17 are yet to conduct required cyber security training for their staff.
The Courier Mail has reported on report findings that have called into question the quality of financial reporting that Auditor General Brendan Worrall says is likely due to poor accounting practices and a shortage of skilled staff.
A further finding that 48 of Queensland’s 77 councils are financially unsustainable comes as no surprise to the Local Government Association of Queensland, which recently estimated the gap between what councils receive and what they spend on community needs to be $360M annually.
LGAQ CEO Alison Smith said Councils have reached “a tipping point where they and their communities cannot continue to fund the services and infrastructure that are properly the responsibility of State and Federal governments and the private sector.”
Mayor Stuart Mackenzie OAM of Quilpie Shire has decided not to stand for re-election in the upcoming local government election after 23 years on council, 12 of which were spent as Mayor.
He has reflected on the changes and achievements during his tenure, noting that the council is in a strong financial position with a fully funded work program for the next year.
Mayor Quilpie has expressed his gratitude to the community, councillors, staff, and his family for their support.
Meanwhile, his deputy Jennifer Hewson has announced she will also not be contesting the council elections after 27 years of service.
Cr Hewson plans to continue supporting the community through her business and local charity work.
Hobart City Council has voted this week to provide in-principle support for the Stadia Precinct Consortium Pty Ltd’s proposal for an AFL stadium at Regatta Point.
The council’s support, which is a condition for the State Government’s consideration of the proposal, allows the consortium to progress to a formal planning assessment phase.
The Council’s support does not exclude alternative proposals and is conditional upon a further report about the proposal and the potential disposal of public land.
Any disposal of public land will require a separate decision and follow the Council’s guidelines.
Staff attraction and retention is a significant issue for the City of Palmerston and other councils in the Northern Territory (NT), with nearly one in five vacancies remaining unfilled.
The NT News has reported this week on a PR campaign planned by the Local Government Association of the NT to address the issue.
Factors affecting workforce attraction and retention include the transient nature of the NT, remoteness, cost of living, housing shortages, and burnout of frontline staff due to escalated juvenile crime.
However, Alice Springs Town Council and the City of Darwin reported their workforce was in a good place.
National Briefs:
CANEGROWERS, an agricultural advocacy group, is fighting for fair treatment ahead of local government elections, particularly regarding the increasing rates bills for farmers.
CANEGROWERS has joined with the Queensland Farmers’ Federation to raise concerns about equity and to call for transparency in local government rating practices.
A supplementary election at SA’s District Council of Mount Remarkable has resulted in the election of two new council members unopposed.
Jane Evans was the only nomination for Telowie Ward, to replace Phillip Heaslip who resigned in November after 9 years on the council.
while Roger Schultz has been elected to Willochra Ward as the only candidate after the resignation in November of deputy mayor Lesley Till.
Lockyer Valley Regional Council (QLD) has decided to initiate a tender process to test the market for the potential sale of the Gatton Child Care Centre.
The process aims to determine private sector interest in acquiring the Centre and will allow the Council to make an informed decision about the sale.
The Centre will continue to operate normally during this process.
International Spotlight:
Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has met with Local Government Minister Simeon Brown to discuss the city’s water crisis.
The meeting followed a letter from Brown criticizing Whanau’s failure to provide details on handling the crisis.
Mayor Whanau has acknowledged that the current investment won’t suffice to address the issues with the aged water network, and has called for a change in the funding and delivery model for water infrastructure.
She estimates it will take decades to fix Wellington’s pipes, with about 40% of the city’s water supply currently being wasted due to leaks.
The crisis has led to talk of appointing commissioners to run the city, but a local government legal expert who spoke to The Post says that is premature.
Dr Dean Knight doubts the situation meets the threshold for sacking elected officials.
The failure of the electronic poll register system during Hong Kong’s district council election was due to problems with computer programs that unnecessarily tied up server resources, not external attacks.
The system’s CPU utilization rate reached nearly 100% on election day due to design issues.
More than 2,000 voters were not included in the initial turnout rate, but the final results were not affected.
The investigation panel recommended improvements, but responsibility for the failure was not assigned, according to a report from the South China Morning Post.
Tanya Cloutier has resigned as mayor of Lakeland Ridges, New Brunswick, citing chronic infighting and division among councillors, according to a report from CBC News.
The provincial government had previously intervened in the running of the municipality due to these divisions.
Cloutier criticized the intervention as superficial and ineffective, with no real change forthcoming.
The municipality, home to 2,600 residents, was formed as part of a province wide local government reform in 2023.
In Bulgaria, the Sofia Municipal Council has failed for the seventh time to elect a chairman.
In the run-off vote, Tsvetomir Petrov from the “We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria” coalition secured 26 votes, while Bulgarian Socialist Party candidate Diana Tonova received only 9 votes.
Despite Mayor Vasil Terziev’s call for an immediate meeting to resolve the issue, no consensus was reached and the election was postponed until February 8, 2024.
In a story from New Statesman, UK Councils are facing low staff morale and recruitment struggles due to financial pressures, according to a report by the Social Market Foundation and Chartered Management Institute.
The report highlights management challenges within councils, with over half of surveyed leaders stating their workplaces do not hold people accountable for failures.
The report suggests that inadequate training of managers may be a contributing factor.
The authors have recommended a comprehensive 10-year workforce strategy for local government, increased funding for councils, and the creation of a leadership academy to improve leadership and management training.
Dacorum borough council in Hertfordshire, England, has been fining people for urinating in the countryside, a policy that has sparked controversy over whether such an act constitutes littering.
Despite legal advice suggesting this interpretation of littering may not be fully supported, the council has defended its stance.
The Guardian reported that the fines have been criticised by lawyers, and one was rescinded after the recipient argued that the enforcers had not actually witnessed the act.