On the Local Government News Roundup for 4th October 2023,
the new Premier announces a cabinet reshuffle, with little change for local government;
The councillor refusing to vote in the Voice referendum;
Residents protest a council land sale;
Councils band together to tackle housing needs;
A council de-merger looks to be back on track after a six month delay;
A Tasmanian deputy mayor announces a run for State Parliament;
Plus Councillors resign and a GM departs.
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Stories in this episode (with links where available)
Victorian Roundup:
Victoria’s new Premier Jacinta Allan has announced her cabinet.
The main portfolio areas that intersect with councils are unchanged, with Melissa Horne retaining Local Government, along with Roads and Road Safety, Ports and Freight, and Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation.
Sonia Kilkenny retains Planning, and takes on responsibility for driving housing and planning reforms as the Minister for the Suburbs.
Harriet Shing becomes Minister for Housing, while retaining Water and Equality.
In other portfolios of interest to the local government sector, Colin Brooks takes on Minister for Development Victoria and Minister for Precincts; Danny Pearson is Minister for Transport Infrastructure; Gabrielle Williams becomes Minister for Government Services; Ros Spence becomes Minister for Agriculture.
Lily D’Ambrosio retains Climate Action, Energy and Resources, and the State Electricity Commission.
A Greater Geelong councillor says she will not be voting in the Voice referendum as she will not engage with what she describes as a “fraudulent shadow government.”
A survey of community leaders conducted by the Geelong Advertiser about voting intentions has revealed the position of Belinda Moloney, a first term councillor.
She said to vote would insinuate permission for someone else to govern her.
Five of her council colleagues revealed they would vote yes, while others either did not respond or declined to disclose their intention, as in the case of Mayor Trent Sullivan.
The mayor of Golden Plains Shire Brett Cunningham did not disclose his voting intention, while the mayor of Queenscliffe Isabelle Tolhurst, and Surf Coast Mayor Liz Pattison are believed to support a Yes vote.
Residents in Apollo Bay are protesting the auction of a prime block of land that was formerly a kindergarten site.
ABC News reports that nearly 1,000 people have signed a petition calling for Colac Otway Shire Council to instead ensure the land is used for social and affordable housing.
The Council voted to sell the former preschool site to recoup funds invested in the maternal and child health component of a new kindergarten site, and to go towards other childcare services for the town.
Mayor Chris Potter said the petition would be considered by the council this month, and no action on the sale of the land would occur until after that time.
A report from The Age this week highlights the ongoing tension between providing cycling infrastructure and the impact on parking and road space.
The joy of cycling advocates from a recent decision of Maribyrnong City Council to trial a 3.5k bike lane was short lived, when a rescission motion was lodged the next morning over concerns about adequate community consultation.
It follows recent examples of differing views on bike lanes in Merri-bek, Port Phillip and Melbourne council areas.
A plan to install speed cushions and road marking by Stonnington Council is also being opposed through a community petition.
Cycling advocates think councils are taking too much notice of loud minority groups.
Ten councils in Victoria’s Loddon Mallee region are addressing a lack of skilled staff to deal with the housing crisis by banding together to appoint a shared resource.
ABC News reports that the joint funding of a regional housing officer is a key initiative in a region-wide housing action plan.
The ten councils cover an area with a population of 340,000, stretching from Macedon Ranges in the south, to Mildura in the north.
The position will be funded for 12 months initially by the councils, with the hope of attracting government support to continue.
Rural Councils Victoria estimates that more than 85,000 homes will be needed in regional Victoria over the next 15 years.
It has conducted a survey of mayors, CEOs, councillors and council staff to identify the biggest blockers to housing in rural Victoria.
It found the top three issues are availability and preparation of land; a lack of skilled people, such as planners and tradespeople; and state policy and regulation.
RCV Chair Mary-Ann Brown said the survey paints a stark picture of what is happening in the rural housing crisis, and points to possible solutions for which government help is needed.
East Gippsland Shire Council has adopted a position paper on extractive industries.
It aims to provide clarity and set expectations for future resource-extraction projects in the region.
The position paper emphasizes the importance of well-managed projects that benefit local communities and involve community input in the decision-making process.
The council is also advocating for an overhaul of the environmental effects statement (EES) process and wants the government or proponents to fund an independent expert group to ensure the technical integrity of any EES.
Victorian Briefs:
An increase in illegal spraying incidents in Greater Shepparton has prompted a council warning to residents.
It has observed the use of herbicides to spray vegetation on Council land without permission, including roadsides and along the banks of local lakes.
The council says anyone who has issues with vegetation on roadsides or council land can contact them for information, and is encouraging the reporting of any observed instances of illegal spraying or vegetation removal.
Weekly FOGO collections commenced in Yarra Ranges this week.
The lime-green bins will be collected weekly while yellow-lidded recyclables and red-lidded rubbish bins will be collected fortnightly on alternating weeks.
Mayor Jim Child said it was one of the largest changes in the community since the introduction of recycling 30 years ago, with tens of thousands of green bins and kitchen caddies delivered to households over recent months.
Merri-Bek City Council has been awarded a $200,000 grant as part of the state government’s Victorian Neighbourhood Battery Initiative.
The grant will fund a project led by Merri-Bek, in conjunction with the City of Yarra, to understand the potential value of using Council assets for future neighborhood battery sites.
A councillor at West Wimmera Shire has resigned after seven years on the council.
Trevor Domaschenz notified the council last week of his resignation, shortly after returning from a period of leave.
He was first elected in 2016 and had served almost two terms.
The Council says it is awaiting advice on whether a countback or by-election would be required.
National Roundup:
NSW:
The NSW Government has announced a new plan to de-amalgamate the Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council (CGRC).
The minister for local government Ron Hoenig said the previous plan, under the former Liberal-National government, did not provide a statutory mechanism to create two independent councils.
Mr Hoenig has met this week with the council to outline a new pathway that empowers the council to develop a detailed implementation plan.
This plan will address various aspects such as boundaries, electoral matters, division of assets and liabilities, staff allocation, rate levels, and service standards, and will then be assessed by a public inquiry led by the Boundaries Commission to determine if the two new councils can operate in a financially sustainable way and provide necessary infrastructure and services to their communities.
If the NSW Government is satisfied with the plan and the public inquiry process, CGRC will be dissolved and two new council areas will be proclaimed.
The existing council will continue its operations under the current mayor, Charlie Sheahan, until the demerger process is finalised.
The Daily Advertiser reports this morning that the councillors are disappointed with a lack of support from the government.
Cr Sheahan said while they are happy with the structure they’ve been asked to implement, it’s not what councillors really wanted.
He said they were seeking support with resources and even costs to meet the Minister’s aim of having plans presented early next year, with a view to creating two new individual councils before elections in September 2024. (Source: Daily Advertiser, 4/10/23)
Canterbury Bankstown Mayor Bilal El-Hayek has accused building commissioner David Chandler of pressuring the council to fix a defective block of flats.
Cr El-Hayek has called for new powers to be granted to the building commissioner to fix properties identified as defective after a builder goes bust, according to a report from the Daily Telegraph.
The development in question was built by property developer Jean Nassif’s Toplace. Its building arm went into administration in July.
Cr El-Hayek told the Telegraph that the commissioner should be focused on restoring trust in the building industry, and not leave it all for councils to do.
New Bayside Mayor Bill Saravinovski has used a Mayoral Minute at his first Council meeting to reinforce the Council’s commitment to tackling hooning.
He is calling on the NSW state government to expedite the installation of noise activated cameras, after two boys were killed in a recent car crash due to hooning.
Mayor Saravinovski said the community has had enough of irresponsible people threatening the safety of the streets.
The council has recently met with the anti-hooning task force to implement further deterrents, with further street closures under investigation.
The introduction of noise activated cameras is currently awaiting technical assessment by the Environmental Protection Authority.
Northern Beaches Council is urging the NSW Minister for Roads, and Transport for NSW, to initiate a statewide education campaign on e-bike safety, and a review of relevant road rules.
The call follows an audit of e-bikes and scooters on local paths which has confirmed a number of safety issues, including speed, lack of helmet usage, and limited knowledge of road rules among young riders.
The council also says it will explore ways to accommodate e-bikes, while encouraging residents to familiarise themselves with current road rules.
At Coonamble Shire, a recent meeting saw the election of the mayor for the coming 12 months as well as the resignation of two councillors.
The council says the resignations of Crs Al Karanouh and Karen Churchill were unrelated, and that the positions will not be filled before next year’s elections.
With a reduced number of 7 serving councillors, the shire will have two deputy mayors for the next year, with Crs Bill Fisher and Adam Cohen elected accordingly.
TAS:
A Tasmanian deputy mayor has announced a run at the state parliament seat of Franklin.
The Mercury reports that Clare Glade-Wright, a councillor on Kingborough Council, is preparing for the possibility of an early election and will run as an independent.
While the election is not due before 2025, Cr Glade-Wright says she has been softly campaigning for some time, and wants to focus on issues like housing, public transport and urgent care centres if elected.
As the Tasmanian Liberal government deals with its current crisis, Cr Glade-Wright says it feels like an early election may be on the cards, and that there is an appetite for more independent candidates. (Source: The Mercury, 3/10/23)
Huon Valley General Manager Jason Browne has departed the organisation after two years in the position.
He finished officially yesterday, 3rd October, the same day his departure was officially announced.
Mr Browne’s appointment in 2021 attracted controversy when it was revealed he was in a relationship with the head of the recruitment company employed to fill the position.
Two councillors were later found in breach of the code of conduct over a failure to manage the conflict of interest in the appointment process.
The council’s director of infrastructure, climate and environment Lachlan Kranz has been announced as acting GM while a national recruitment process is undertaken.
A Tasmanian distillery is facing eviction and the potential loss of a government grant over unpaid rent.
Derwent Valley Council has reportedly voted to terminate the distillery’s lease, and is seeking to recover more than $100K in unpaid rent.
Pulse Hobart has reported that the distillery is now at risk of losing a $1.2M state government grant if they can’t meet the condition that it becomes the owner of the buildings.
The council says four years of rent have gone unpaid and no capital works undertaken by the business, while its owners claim the council has failed to fulfill its lease obligations.
WA:
A city of Melville mayoral candidate claims a new draft council policy could be used to take control of sporting clubs away from members and limit their ability to raise funds.
PerthNow reports that Cr Clive Ross has emailed sporting groups about the policy, claiming it could also give council officers the authority to terminate club leases at will.
CEO Martin Tieleman confirmed the policy was under review, but denied there was any intention to take power away from clubs.
He said that council members have been involved in the review of the policy, which aims to ensure good and fair governance.
National Briefs:
Nambucca Valley Council in NSW has appointed Mr Bede Spannagle as the Acting General Manager, following the resignation of Chris Thompson last month.
Mr Thompson held the position for 18 months.
Meanwhile at Uralla Shire Council, Capstone Recruitment has been engaged to support the recruitment process for a new General Manager ahead of the departure of incumbent Kate Jessup.
The council this week welcomes two new directors to the executive team, Christine Valencius as ED Corporate and Community; and Paul Gallagher overseeing Infrastructure and Development.
The City of Darwin has opened nominations for the annual Lord Mayoral Awards – an opportunity to recognise people with a disability who make workplaces, community groups and friendship groups great places to be.
The winners of the two award categories will be announced at a Carnival of Fun coinciding with International Day of People With Disability on the 1st December.
International Spotlight:
ISRAEL:
In Israel, Arab Israeli candidates for the upcoming municipal elections in October are withdrawing from the race due to fear for their lives and their families’ safety.
An increase in organized crime in Arab Israeli towns has led to an unprecedented number of threats and attacks against Arab politicians and officials.
Prominent victims of the crime wave include mayoral candidates and serving officials in the country’s 85 local Arab councils.
Murders have risen by a staggering 71 percent, with 192 murders reported this year so far, compared to 112 in all of 2022.
A committee of government ministers has proposed postponing or even canceling the elections in some Arab councils to prevent the penetration of organized crime syndicates.
Read more on that disturbing story from the Al-Monitor.
UK:
Sheffield City Council in the Uk has issued personal apologies to campaigners who fought a council tree-felling programme, acknowledging that protesters suffered physical, emotional, and financial stress, and damage to the city’s reputation.
BBC News reports on an inquiry, which found that the council exceeded its authority, had serious failures in leadership, and misled the public and courts.
The inquiry stemmed from a plan to fell 17,500 trees which started in 2012, prompting a long-running dispute with members of the community who branded the program the Sheffield Chainsaw Massacre.
The loss of more than 800 voting slips in a council election earlier this year has been put down to human error, rather than fraud.
An independent review was commissioned to look into how the postal ballots from the North Lincolnshire Council election disappeared, later turning up in a wheelie bin.
BBC News reports that the review found there was no single point of failure in the process, and that human error and tiredness contributed to the mistake – and no electoral fraud had occurred.
The result of the election was declared without the 864 ballots being counted, and remains legally binding.
In other UK news this week, the PM Rishi Sunak has announced £1.1bn of funding aimed at regenerating high streets and tackling anti-social behaviour.
The money will be shared between 55 towns – including Torquay, Rotherham and Kilmarnock – with each getting £20m over a decade.
And councils say they are in limbo after the PM ruled out plans to introduce seven separate household rubbish and recycling bins.
Under a new plan, councils will make their own decisions on bin collections, but they say more detail is needed from the government on what they are expected to deliver.
Read more on those breaking stories from BBC News.
CANADA:
In Canada, a costly problem for municipalities in the province of Alberta has been revealed in a new report showing the average term of a chief administrative officer has been declining for 20 years, and is now less than one council term.
CBC News has the details of a peer-reviewed report which found the struggle to retain the top executive at municipalities is disproportionately affecting smaller communities.
The research shows that the media tenure of a CAO is 60 per cent longer in cities than in towns.
Current and former CAOs say one of the biggest factors behind the turnover is a lack of definition between the roles of council and administration, and communication between the two.
USA:
A planned change in the form of government at Portland City Council is becoming problematic, as disagreements are emerging between the Mayor and the council over how a transition would work.
Portland voters last year approved changes to the governance structure and the way members are elected, which are due to come into effect on 1 January 2025.
The website Willamette Week.com reports that there have been a few hiccups already, and now disagreements about transitional arrangements.
Mayor Ted Wheeler wants a new city administrator in place six months early, and renovations to City Hall to start next year to accommodate a future 12 member council. He says that would save around $1.3M.
But the three City Commissioners say they don’t agree with the mayor’s process, and are proposing alternative structural and staffing arrangements.
The parties will reportedly come together this week to work on the transition plan.
In Texas, a new state law has come into effect and will limit city councils’ ability to raise fees from developers to fund parks.
The law also prohibits cities from imposing any fees on commercial developments.
The law applies to cities of 800,000 or more, such as Austin, San Antonio, Dallas and Houston.
The Austin Monitor has more on the impacts of the new law, which experts say leaves very little room for city discretion.
They predict the level of park service in these cities will decline as the population grows, leading to a decrease in quality of life and need for existing residents to pay a higher subsidy for parkland.