On episode #312 of the Local Government News Roundup:
- Yarra takes the next step towards higher parking fees for large vehicles
- A dispute between a bayside council and a state MP aired in Parliament
- A rescission motion lodged after the adoption of a regional Australian first ‘place naming’ policy – we found out more from the Mayor of Baw Baw Shire
- 10 Victorian mayors appointed to a new mayoral advisory panel
- A NSW MP calls for a council CEO’s resignation
- A disendorsed council election candidate in Brisbane charged with fraud
- The mayor of one of Canada’s largest cities hits out at the hostile treatment of elected officials
- A deepening water crisis in Texas and Mexico
- A town in a flap over goose droppings
Plus more Council news from across Australia and beyond on the Local Government News Roundup, 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 312:
Victorian Roundup:
Yarra City Council will investigate the potential for higher parking fees for large vehicles like SUVs and pick-up trucks, following similar measures in Paris and other cities.
The proposal aims to discourage the use of large vehicles, which have been criticized for taking up excessive road and parking space.
The council plans to investigate ways to make travelling on Yarra’s streets more equitable and discourage large and heavy vehicles, including by considering proportionate parking fees based on a vehicle’s size.
News.com.au reports that the proposal has sparked a national conversation about the size and impact of vehicles.
The Council has also confirmed that it will transition its remaining home care services to a not-for-profit specialist provider over a 6-12 month period, in response to Federal Government aged care reforms.
The council said the change is expected to provide continuity of care and accommodate escalating needs of the clients, and that it will focus on enhancing community connections and promoting social inclusion through community-based services for older residents.
A dispute has arisen between Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke and Frankston Council over the redevelopment of the Frankston Basketball Stadium.
Bayside News reports that Mr Edbrooke has alleged that Mayor Nathan Conroy misled him about the inclusion of a gymnastics component in the project.
Mayor Conroy denies the allegations, attributing them to a misunderstanding, but Mr Edbrooke , who made his claims in Parliament, said that he has referred the matter to IBAC for investigation.
Last September, the council voted to retain the gymnastics component of the development, adding $15M to the $60 million project.
$30M is being contributed by the council, with the balance met between state and federal government grants.
Warrnambool Council is advocating for the best outcome regarding the offshore renewable energy zone declared by the Federal Government.
Despite having no statutory power over the decision, the Council will engage with the Australian Government to ensure the community’s interests are considered.
The Council has previously expressed concerns about the proposed offshore wind zone’s proximity to Warrnambool, citing potential impacts on the marine environment, tourism, and visual amenity.
Greater Dandenong City Council has been criticised by a local environment group for insufficient funding of climate change actions.
The Greater Dandenong Environment Group has argued that critical actions like tackling the urban heat island effect and extreme weather events are not adequately funded, and called for greater investment in environmental education and community support.
However, according to a report in the Dandenong Star Journal, CEO Jacqui Weatherill says the council is committed to addressing climate change, acknowledging the challenges posed by extreme weather events, and is open to community feedback on future budget allocations.
The City of Casey has launched the Future Mobility Living Lab (FMLL), a program aimed at enhancing community safety and eco-friendliness.
The FMLL will trial smart mobility technologies for data-driven insights into road safety and waste reduction. It will address concerns about children’s safety during school commute times at Narre Warren South P-12 College.
Data collected by installed sensors will be analyzed by Federation University and Swinburne University research teams to inform future decisions.
The FMLL will also collaborate with the research organization NTRO to explore the use of recycled waste in construction and urban development.
Carsharing in Manningham, facilitated by GoGet, has seen success in an 18-month trial, leading to an extension until July 2025.
The initiative aims to reduce car dependency, traffic congestion, parking demand, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Since the trial’s launch in November 2022, GoGet membership in Manningham has increased by 30%, freeing up over 200 metres of street parking and avoiding 118.25 tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2023.
Ten Victorian mayors have been tapped to join the 2024 Mayoral Advisory Panel.
This year’s panel members are:
- Cr Clare Le Serve, Bass Coast Shire, representing Peri Urban Councils Victoria
- Cr Fiona Stitfold, Bayside City Council, representing the Inner South Metropolitan Mayor’s Forum
- Cr Naim Kurt, Hume City Council, representing Interface Councils
- Cr Jenna Davey-Burns, Kingston City Council, representing the Association of Bayside Municipalities
- Cr Cuc Lam PSM, Maribyrnong City Council
- Cr Damien Gallagher, Murrindindi Shire
- Cr Robert Vance, Pyrenees Shire, representing Rural Councils Victoria
- Cr Shane Sali, Greater Shepparton City Council, representing Regional Cities Victoria
- Cr Ian Bye, Wellington Shire, representing One Gippsland, and
- Cr Denise Massoud, Whitehorse City Council, representing the Eastern Region Group of Councils
The panel is expected to focus its work this year on governance, representation and inclusion.
Victorian Briefs:
Applications are open for the CEO position at the Shire of Moyne in south western Victoria.
The position became vacant due to the resignation of Brett Davis, who recently took up the position of Victorian Cross Border Commissioner.
Davidson is handling applications for the role.
The former Rushworth Railway Station has been placed on the Victorian Heritage Inventory by Heritage Victoria, protecting its archaeological features from development.
Campaspe Shire Council, which has been working on the new Rail Trail project in Rushworth, received approval to begin construction in February.
Latrobe City Council has unanimously voted to request a state government review of coal-related planning provisions in the Latrobe Planning Scheme, to remove obsolete provisions.
The council believes the review is crucial for the city’s economic growth and transition.
The planning controls, which are at least 40 years old, are said to inhibit further expansion of Traralgon and Morwell and prevent the development of areas due to state planning overlays.
The local government sector in Victoria has continued to experience staff turnover at levels higher than before the pandemic.
Auditor General Andrew Greaves has released an outcomes report from the 2022/23 audits, finding an average staff turnover of 18 per cent compared to 14 per cent in the 2018/19 year.
Last week at a meeting of Baw Baw Shire Council, a new place and feature naming policy was adopted by a margin of one vote.
The policy aligns with a state government strategy that sets a level of 70 per cent of options put forward for new naming of roads, placenames and landmarks to recognise women.
Debate about the proposed policy centred on whether that aim was a target or a quota, and when the policy was part of 21st-century wokeism.
While the policy was adopted by the council, a rescission motion has since been lodged, to be considered at the Council’s April meeting.
To find out more about this issue, I caught up with Baw Baw Shire Council Mayor Annemarie McCabe and asked her to explain what the policy was aiming to achieve.
(Interview)
National Roundup:
NSW:
NSW MP Sonia Hornery has tabled a petition in Parliament calling for the City of Newcastle CEO’s resignation.
The Newcastle Herald reports this morning (14th March 2024) that Ms Hornery, the member for Wallsend, told Parliament there was deep frustration in the community about CEO Jeremy Bath.
She alleged that the community had suffered “maladministration from a petty man.”
In response, Mr Bath said the 600 signatories to the petition represented less than one-third of one per cent of Newcastle’s population, and that Ms Hornery’s obsession with council issues was a ploy to distract from her inability to protect services or deliver for Wallsend.
The controversy stems from accusations that Mr Bath was linked to a series of letters to the local paper targeting critics of him and the council.
An investigation found insufficient evidence that Mr Bath had any involvement in the writing of the letters.
The NSW Audit Office has supported the City of Ryde’s actions to rectify a previous improper transfer of $95 million in funds, particularly related to the Ryde Central Project.
The improper transfer was identified by the new CEO, Wayne Rylands, who reported it to several authorities.
An Action Plan was developed and successfully implemented, resulting in the return of unspent funds to their correct accounts.
The Audit Office has now cleared the City of Ryde’s Financial Statements for FY 22/23 and supports the transfers of the funds back to externally restricted reserves.
Councillors at Murray River Shire have passed a motion calling on one of their colleagues to apologise or resign from the Council for his behaviour.
Mayor Frank Crawley used a mayoral minute to assert that councillors had little confidence in the ability of Cr Thomas Weyrich to abide by the councillor code of conduct.
In a unanimous vote, the council called for Cr Weyrich to apologise, undergo training and commit to adhering to the code or resign his position immediately.
QLD:
Disendorsed Brisbane City Council candidate Brock Alexander has been charged with attempted fraud after a police investigation into allegations of fraudulent conduct.
He is scheduled to appear in court in late March, according to a report from the Courier Mail (13 March 2024).
Alexander was disendorsed last month by the LNP over online comments.
He denies authoring controversial Facebook comments that have been circulating within political circles.
A vital wildlife corridor in Peregian Springs, Sunshine Coast, has been damaged by vandals, with dozens of trees and plants destroyed over a 320m2 area.
Sunshine Coast Council is investigating the incident and has installed a large warning sign at the site.
The council is urging the community to help identify the culprits, with penalties for environmental vandalism reaching up to $131,580.
Logan City Council plans to install additional safety cameras, expanding its network to nearly 1400 cameras, one of the largest local government-operated networks in Australia.
The council says the cameras, which are monitored 24/7, will help improve community safety, detect and reduce anti-social and unlawful behaviour, and support the police in identifying and prosecuting offenders.
The new cameras are funded by an $800,000 grant from the Australian Government, and will be installed at eight locations across the city.
TAS:
The Local Government Association Tasmania (LGAT) has provided feedback on the 37 recommendations from the Local Government Board’s final report on the Future of Local Government Review.
While many recommendations are supported, LGAT seeks further clarification on several items, including mandatory shared services and the review of strategic financial and asset management planning documentation.
LGAT supports the implementation of a Local Government Charter, but does not support the development of a formal amalgamation proposal.
The association has highlighted the need for additional resources and more realistic timelines for implementing the recommendations.
SA:
Naracoorte Lucindale Council has decided to replace its prayer and Acknowledgment of Country with a simpler welcome at meetings.
Mayor Patrick Ross suggested the changes, arguing for a more inclusive statement.
However, as Border Watch reported, the decision was met with opposition from some council members who felt the new wording did not reflect the council’s values or its rich history.
The new welcome will be: “We acknowledge and respect our complex history. We welcome everyone to build our future together.”
The Hawker Entranceway project, featuring 2m high ‘HAWKER’ signage, has won top honours at the 2023 Australian Street Art Awards, recognized for its cultural preservation and community rejuvenation narrative.
Flinders Ranges Council, which collaborated with the community on the project, also received a Silver award for the Flinders Ranges Self Drive Loop in the 2023 Grey Nomad Award for Best Trail.
WA:
The City of Mandurah will begin livestreaming council meetings by mid-year to increase transparency and accessibility.
Despite some debate about the timing and implementation, PerthNow reports that the council backed a proposal for livestreaming and recording to be in place by July.
The move aligns with new local government regulations requiring large local governments to livestream and publish recordings of their meetings online by 2025.
National Briefs:
An extraordinary election will be conducted this week in the Shire of Morawa (WA) to fill a vacancy due to a lack of nominations at last year’s general elections.
Two candidates have put their names forward for the election which will be determined by in-person voting, with the count to commence after the poll closes at 6pm this Friday.
Coffs Harbour Council will tonight consider a proposal to make buses in the region free on weekends.
NBN News has reported on the suggestion from Mayor Paul Amos of a four-month trial as a way of better connecting people with the city, and encouraging more visitors.
Approval has been granted for the construction of a new Tweed Shire Council Works Depot at South Murwillumbah’s new industrial estate, funded by the Australian and NSW governments’ Infrastructure Betterment Fund.
The project is part of the Council’s Land Swap Program, aimed at protecting major employers and service providers from natural disasters and emergencies.
Banana Shire Council has installed timed automatic locking doors at public amenities in Moura and Biloela to combat vandalism and enhance safety.
The measure is in response to increased vandalism incidents costing over $100,000 annually.
Karting NSW (KNSW) has partnered with Griffith City Council to host the KNSW Kart Masters, a premier karting event, at the Griffith Kart Racing Club this weekend.
The event will feature racing across the 40+ age categories and aims to promote grassroots motorsport and community engagement.
International Spotlight:
The Mayor of Ottawa, Canada’s fourth largest city, has hit out at an increasingly hostile online culture for elected officials and municipal employees.
Mark Sutcliffe told CBC Radio that he was speaking out after the recent resignation of Gatineau mayor France Belisle, conversations with other big city mayors, and after an intruder broke into his office.
He said politicians shouldn’t have to put up with the current environment of toxicity that is often personal rather than political and has led to many potential leaders choosing not to run for office.
The ongoing issue of toxicity and incivility is explored in a special edition of Roundup Unfiltered with guest Diane Kalen-Sukra, which you can listen to anytime.
Texas is facing a water crisis as 30% of its historic springs have dried up, nearly triple the number from the 1970s, due to overpumping and climate change.
The hill dot com reports that it is posing a risk to the state’s water supplies, as these springs create reservoirs that feed into creeks, rivers, and swimming holes.
Overpumping, largely for agriculture and new suburban developments, is the main contributor to the spring decline.
The situation is exacerbated by climate change, which is reducing rainfall and causing more sporadic, heavy downpours that don’t seep into the aquifers.
The state’s water development board does not factor climate effects into its long-term plans, raising concerns about the sustainability of the water supply.
Further south, Mexico City is facing a severe water crisis due to climate change, mismanagement, and aging infrastructure.
The reservoirs supplying water to the city are drying up, with some reaching historic lows.
The situation is worsened by inequality in water access, with wealthier residents and industries consuming large amounts of water while others struggle with limited or no access.
NPR has reported that while government officials are downplaying the crisis, residents are increasingly concerned and protests have occurred.
Dunedin City Council has voted to propose a 17.5% rate increase for the upcoming year and will seek public opinion on the matter.
The hike, driven by three waters spending, a new rubbish collection service, and increasing depreciation, is nearly three times what was predicted in the council’s 2021 long-term plan.
The council has deferred its 10-year budget to next year due to the government’s cancellation of Labour’s three waters reforms.
Mayor Jules Radich is pushing the need for investment in the city and its future amid uncertain times.
Deborah Cadman OBE will step down as Chief Executive of Birmingham City Council on 22nd March after nearly three years in the role.
Cadman joined the council in 2021 after a period of instability with four chief executives in the previous two years.
She said she was incredibly disappointed with the council’s current financial position and challenges arising from Equal Pay issues and the failed implementation of Oracle software – leading to a declaration of effective bankruptcy and the appointment of commissioners last year.
Deputy Chief Executive Professor Graeme Betts CBE will assume the role of Chief Executive until a permanent replacement is found.
A council in Suffolk is planning to downsize its headquarters as post-pandemic working-from-home practices have reduced the need for office space from 90% to 52%.
Ipswich Borough Council will move to a smaller building in the town centre and is looking at the potential to convert its current building into flats and shops.
BBC News reported that the while cost of making energy efficiency improvements to the building would be around 3M pounds, the preferred conversion scenario would help deal with a current waitlist for social housing of 3,000 households.
The BBC also has a story today on mental health workers in Cumbria who are set take strike action over a dispute about how Cumberland Council has classified their roles.
The urgent care team will strike for 48 hours from this Friday.
Earley Town Council is seeking expert advice on how to manage an increase in goose droppings from Canada geese straying from a local nature reserve.
The BBC reported that residents have raised concerns about the health risks posed by the droppings, especially to children.
The council has suggested that residents could put up temporary fences and emphasised that cleaning the streets is the responsibility of Wokingham Borough Council.
Previous solutions, such as preventing eggs from hatching, were rejected, and there is no support for a cull among residents.