In the midweek update for 13th September 2023,
A top rating television program pulls out of Hepburn Shire… for now;
A Maroondah councillor resigns, citing workload pressures and a lack of diversity on councils;
Merri-bek set to vote on the removal of bike lanes after a challenging trial;
A second vote on the sacking of a general manager delayed after the council loses its quorum;
A change to bin collection schedules proves controversial in Sydney;
Plus a crack down on unleashed dogs; a call for better cat management; and a council candidate standing by his racist and anti-semitic views.
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):
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 top rating television program pulls out of Hepburn Shire… for now;
A Maroondah councillor resigns, citing workload pressures and a lack of diversity on councils;
Merri-bek set to vote on the removal of bike lanes after a challenging trial;
A second vote on the sacking of a general manager delayed after the council loses its quorum;
A change to bin collection schedules proves controversial in Sydney;
Plus a crack down on unleashed dogs; a call for better cat management; and a council candidate standing by his racist and anti-semitic views.
That’s all coming up along with much more from the world of local government on the your midweek update from the Local Government News Roundup
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:
Channel 9’s popular home renovation show The Block has reportedly pulled out of basing its 2024 season in Daylesford, due to delays in getting planning approval.
The Herald Sun has reported that objections from some local residents seeking to take the matter to VCAT have led to the production’s decision to withdraw.
Hepburn Shire Mayor, Brian Hood, told the Herald Sun that the council is scheduled to consider the application at its October meeting and that the application had not been withdrawn.
It’s unclear where the production will now be held, but Cr Hood said the shire is still interested in having discussions about the economic and social benefits that the show might bring to the area in future.
Maroondah councillor Marijke Graham has resigned her position, effective last Friday.
Ms Graham was serving her second term on the Council, after first being elected in 2016. She served as deputy mayor in 2020.
Maroondah Mayor Rob Steane said the vacancy would be filled through a by-election, with the VEC to announce timeframes in due course.
In announcing her resignation, Ms Graham said she needed to put her family, health and career first, and that she was no longer able to invest the time into the role that the community deserves.
She also lamented a lack of diversity amongst councillor groups, and said she did not believe that would change until either societal expectations of councillors change, or the role is remunerated in accordance with the hours required to be invested.
Merri-bek City Council will tonight consider a recommendation to remove separated bike lanes from Kent Road after the completion of a trial.
Officers have reported on a number of challenges with the trial, including conflicts between parking and through traffic, resident access, bin collection and some bike rider dissatisfaction with aspects of the lanes.
The Herald Sun has reported on differing councillor viewpoints on the recommendation, and some resident disappointment that lanes could be removed.
It is the lead item on the agenda for the Council’s meeting from 7 tonight.
Greater Geelong City Council has released the results of an economic analysis showing an 11 per cent increase in spending in the city over the last year.
It says $5.9B was spent in Greater Geelong during 2022-23, with $1.7B contributed by visitors to the region.
The top three spending categories were dining and entertainment; grocery stores and supermarkets; and transport.
Mayor Trent Sullivan said the figures show a thriving economy, despite the economic challenges facing the region, with a 15 per cent increase in tourism spending.
Mornington Peninsula Shire has welcomed confirmation of the Western Port Biosphere as part of a network of 748 biospheres around the world.
UNESCO has confirmed the biosphere’s status, and commended the effective actions and programs implemented to ensure the future of the protected area which includes the entire Mornington Peninsula Shire.
The biosphere is one of only five in Australia, and the only one in the southeast of the country.
Mayor Steve Holland said the UNESCO status confirms the unique nature of the peninsula, and the council was proud to play a part in protecting and advocating for the region.
New local laws regulating short stay accommodation have come into effect this week in Bass Coast Shire.
Short stay rental accommodation providers must now pay an annual fee of $300, and take responsibility for occupant behaviour – as well as have a designated contact person available at all times to attend the property within two hours if needed.
Mayor Michael Whelan said the new obligations were needed to ensure visitor enjoyment of the region is not to the detriment of the local community.
He said there are around 2500 short stay properties in the shire, which attracts nearly 2 million visitors per year, and projected to grow to over 4 million by 2035.
Victorian Briefs:
The state government has announced a new Building Blocks Partnership with Golden Plains Shire Council, which includes up to $5M for two modular kindergarten projects, creating up to 140 new kindergarten places.
The partnership includes an expansion to the Haddon Pre-school Centre, and to sessional kindergarten facilities at Bannockburn Family Services Centre.
Manningham Council has announced the appointment of new in-home aged care service providers by the Commonwealth Government.
Six new providers will deliver services from 1st November, after the council decided earlier this year to exit in-home aged care service delivery.
A new meals on wheels provider is yet to be announced.
Port Phillip council says its new FOGO recycling service has been enthusiastically adopted by the community, and an audit shows it is correctly using the service.
The council commissioned an audit of 200 FOGO bins and more than 200 garbage bins, and found very low FOGO contamination at just 1.5 per cent.
And the introduction of the service has led to a 58 per cent reduction in FOGO materials inside garbage bins; and a 34 per cent average reduction in garbage bin weight.
National Roundup:
NSW:
An extraordinary meeting of Kur-ring-gai Council held last night to consider a motion to overturn the sacking of its general manager was adjourned after failing to maintain a quorum.
The rescission motion was lodged by the mayor Jeff Pettett and two other councillors after the council voted last month without notice to terminate the employment of general manager John McKee.
Last night’s extraordinary meeting was adjourned for about an hour to hold a public forum, after which the mayor and three other councillors left the meeting.
Mr McKee was not at the meeting last night due to a conflict of interest, and one councillor was absent due to work commitments.
The rescission motion will now be held over to the ordinary Council meeting on 19th September.
It’s been suggested that the attempts to remove Mr McKee from his position have been politically motivated, with revelations that a local MP sent texts about the termination decision to councillors the morning after the confidential vote.
The Sydney Morning Herald has revealed that Wahroonga Liberal MP Alister Henskens sent a message congratulating councillors on the vote, and advising on the qualities they should be looking for in their next general manager.
Mr Henskens has been a past critic of the council, calling it dysfunctional in Parliament in 2021. He denies having prior knowledge of the resolution.
Three former mayors of the council have expressed support for McKee, and suggested the sacking is due to a lack of experience amongst councillors, six of whom are serving their first term.
As Inner West Council prepares to roll out a new food recycling service, its change to a fortnightly collection of red lid garbage bins is not going down well with some residents.
The Daily Mail has reported that some residents are concerned about the potential smell issues due to less regular collection, especially in hot weather.
Some residents of Balmain complain that there has been a lack of consultation and a disregard for community feedback.
The council is standing by the changes as crucial for combating climate change, by offsetting landfill fees and household electricity emissions.
It says the new configuration is based on best practice identified by the EPA.
Mayor Darcy Byrne said diverting food and organics from landfill is the single biggest thing that can be done to reduce the community’s carbon footprint, and contribute directly to combating climate change.
A Wagga Wagga councillor has been suspended for one month, after being found to have breached the councillor code of conduct in failing to declare a conflict of interest in relation to a development application.
An enquiry found that Cr Rod Kendall had a working relationship with the applicant that was not declared before moving and voting on a motion to approve a development for a proposed church meeting hall.
When the conflict came to light, the motion was rescinded but ultimately approved again by the remaining councillors.
According to the Daily Advertiser ($), Cr Kendall claimed he overlooked the name of the applicant and the breach was a mistake.
The Office of Local Government said the councillor would be counselled and suspended from civic office for one month, effective from the 16th September.
QLD:
Concerns about a steep rise in dog attacks in Gympie have resulted in a crack down on unleashed dogs, and enforcement with fines of up to $3,000.
Mayor Glen Hartwig has told the Courier Mail that a four fold increase in attacks has been reported recently, with 16 attacks in the past month alone.
Many of the attacks have occurred in public spaces, leading to some serious injuries.
Mayor Hartwig has warned owners to control their dogs as the council is implementing a ‘no patience policy’ which would be fully enforced.
Hinchinbrook Shire Council has announced the appointment of Mary-Anne Uren as its new chief executive officer.
Ms Uren will make the move from Isaac Regional Council, where she is currently the Head of Advocacy and External Affairs.
She succeeds Kelvin Tytherleigh, who resigned in May to move to the general manager position at Moree Plains in NSW.
Ms Uren will commence on 13th November.
Three term Townsville councillor Sue Blom has announced this week that she will not contest the next elections, due in March.
Cr Blom said in a social media post that she would be stepping away after 16 years for health reasons, and to pursue personal dreams and hopes.
She said she wanted to give the candidates for next year’s elections a clear 6 months to campaign and “show us what we may get if they are elected.”
TAS:
A first term councillor at Tasmania’s Clarence City Council has used her first motion to focus on cat management.
Cr Emma Goyne has told ABC News that she tested positive to toxoplasmosis while pregnant, which she believes was the result of cleaning out a horse stable which had been used as a litter box by a neighbourhood cat.
She is now working to raise awareness of the state’s cat management laws, saying they don’t go far enough and should be more in line with laws relating to dogs.
Thankfully, Cr Goyne experienced no complications from the infection, and became the first sitting councillor to give birth while serving on the Clarence council
WA:
A council candidate at Busselton in Western Australia is standing by comments regarded as racist and anti-semitic, that he says are his Christian views.
According to a report from the ABC, Stephen Wells says he will hide his agenda until after the election in October.
The comments are made in a video and an article for an extremist website, and included offensive slurs against women and the LGBTIQ community among others.
Voters are being urged to do their research on candidates, and concerns are being expressed about a lack of background checks and candidate vetting at the local government level.
National Briefs:
Albury City Council has maintained the status quo, re-electing Kylie King and Steve Bowen to the mayor and deputy mayor positions this week.
Crs King and Bowen will now hold the roles through to local government elections in September of next year.
Toowoomba Region Council has filled its vacant position this week, appointing Edwina Farquhar at a special council meeting.
Ms Farquhar is expected to be sworn in today, before attending her first council meeting next week.
There was no requirement to hold a by-election as the next full round of elections is due in March next year.
The Shire of Katanning has welcomed Dale Putland as its interim Chief Executive Officer, while a recruitment process is conducted for a permanent CEO.
Mr Putland is a former CEO of the Shire of Boyup Brook.
Shire President Liz Guidera said applications for the new CEO are currently being considered.
The much hyped 3D printed toilet block in Dubbo has been officially opened.
The $300K project was hailed as revolutionary and has been held up as an example of a change across government.
The council says it is exploring using the technology to help solve its current housing issues.
International Spotlight:
NZ:
Dunedin City Council has a new deputy mayor, following the sensational resignation of Sophie Barker from the role over difficulties working with the city’s mayor.
Cherry Lucas, a first term councillor has been appointed by Mayor Jules Radich as his new deputy.
Cr Barker will continue as a councillor, but said she could not continue as deputy mayor due to what she considered a breach of confidentiality by Mayor Radich.
According to the Otago Daily Times, Cr Barker said the mayor’s comments in minimising racial abuse from community board chairman against a member of the public had undermined the integrity of the council.
A preliminary assessment is being conducted to consider whether the mayor has materially breached the councillor code of conduct, and if a formal investigation is required.
At Gore District Council, a independent review into its dysfunction has been scrapped, following the resignation of long time CEO Stephen Parry.
The council agreed to the review in April after months of dysfunction between the CEO and Mayor Ben Bell which spilled into the public arena, and led to the designation of an intermediary between the two men.
Mayor Bell resisted calls for his resignation and survived an attempted vote of no-confidence.
Radio New Zealand reports that the council now feels a review would be counter-productive, and could re-ignite the events and experiences it is looking to move on from.
EUROPE:
A new report from the Council of Europe raises concerns about the state of local democracy in Ireland.
The report highlights complaints about local authorities and their councillors, and says too much power has shifted back to central government, violating the Principle of Subsidiarity.
It also criticises the amount of power held by Chief Executives of councils.
The report concludes that local government in Ireland is weaker compared to other European countries.
As reported by the Irish Independent, several recommendations are made to improve Irish local government, such as increasing local democratic control and introducing directly elected mayors.
CANADA:
Toronto’s new Mayor Olivia Chow has reversed a policy enacted in June that turned asylum seekers and refugees away from the city’s main shelter system.
Mayor Chow has instructed city staff to ensure that refugees and asylum seekers have access to beds in the system when spaces become available.
Despite this change, CBC News reports that Toronto’s emergency homeless shelter system is currently at full capacity, with over 3,400 refugees already in the system and that number is expected to increase.
Mayor Chow is calling for more assistance from the federal government in finding a sustainable, long-term solution to address this issue.
USA:
Meanwhile in Chicago, the Mayor of that city has revealed details of a plan to move from migrants from police stations to giant tents, called ‘base camps.’
The base camps would provide food, cots, and health services and would be the first stop for incoming migrants.
As ABC news reports, there have been mixed reviews of the plan, with critics saying its not feasible, particularly with the onset of winter; while others believe it could work as long as the tents have heating, HVAC units, and access to medical care.
Suitable locations are being identified around the city, with Mayor Brandon Johnson tasking alderpersons to find two or three locations in each of their wards.
As in Canada, there a calls for more federal government support to deal with the migrant crisis, which is projected to cost $300M by the end of this year in Chicago alone.
And in Los Angeles, the former home of actress Marilyn Monroe has been temporarily saved from demolition, after the city council voted to start a process to designate the building as a historic and cultural monument.
The council move follows an outcry on social media, and hundreds of calls to city council members.
Reuters news agency reports the decision blocks plans to demolish the property and prohibits major alterations while its status as a landmark is being reviewed.
Monroe bought the house in the early 1960s for $75,000 after her third marriage ended.
It was the only residence she ever independently owned.
She was found dead from acute barbiturate poisoning in a bedroom of the home in August 1962, aged 36.
The property was purchased in 2017 for $7.25 million and sold earlier this year for $8.35 million. It is unclear why the owners want to demolish the property.
Close:
That’s the latest from the Roundup for 13th 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](https://www.geelongaustralia.com.au/rap/article/item/8d87039c8c758ca.aspx#:~:text=Wadawurrung People are the Traditional,intangible heritage of their land.) 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.