On the midweek update from the Local Government News Roundup, the state government set to reveal reforms to deal with a housing crisis, as councils hit back against claims they are to blame;
Council waste charges in the media spotlight this week;
A Melbourne council holding firm on Australia Day events;
The challenges faced by council-run regional airports;
A council to take on VicRoads maintenance responsibilities;
Local government funding highlights from the NSW state budget
A Lord Mayor’s call for pets on public transport criticised;
and commissioners to be installed at embattled Birmingham City Council.
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):
20th 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:
The state government set to reveal reforms to deal with a housing crisis, as councils hit back against claims they are to blame;
Council waste charges in the media spotlight this week;
A Melbourne council holding firm on Australia Day events;
The challenges faced by council-run regional airports;
A council to take on VicRoads maintenance responsibilities;
Local government funding highlights from the NSW state budget
A Lord Mayor’s call for pets on public transport criticised;
Commissioners to be installed at embattled Birmingham City Council
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:
The state government is expected to reveal major reforms of housing and planning processes today, after a cabinet meeting last night to finalise arrangements.
The Age reports this morning that the government will announce a new policy to include incentives for building social and affordable homes as part of major projects.
Incentives are predicted to include taller height limits and faster planning processes in priority precincts, with those precincts yet to be revealed.
Sources are suggesting that new state appointed metropolitan planning boards would be created to take over planning for developments of a certain value, or within those priority precincts.
As the sector awaits the detail, it has responded to claims that councils are holding back housing by releasing figures showing nearly 120,000 homes currently have planning approval yet construction has not commenced.
98 per cent of permits were granted under delegation, without interference from councillors, while builders and developers hold back on construction due to rising costs and labour shortages.
The analysis conflicts with the Premier’s repeated statements that faster planning decisions are needed to get homes built, blaming councils for blocking decisions on behalf of vocal communities.
MAV Deputy President Jennifer Anderson said the housing crisis would not be fixed by removing planning powers from councils, because the problem is not with the current planning system.
And Maribyrnong Mayor, Cr Sarah Carter, has called for the government to stop developers land-banking to maximise profits from housing.
Victorian councils are being accused of circumventing the rate cap through the application of waste charges.
The Herald Sun describes the charges as ‘sneaky’ and ‘stealthy’, but it does provide some insight into the challenges of dealing with a landfill crisis.
Waste charges have increased this year by up to 18 per cent, as councils look to recover some of the costs of an increasing landfill levy, which has nearly doubled in the past three years.
A proposal to operate a facility to wash contaminated soil is being opposed by residents of Brooklyn in Melbourne’s west, who say that for too long the area has been used as an industrial dumping ground.
The Age has the story on waste management company ResourceCo’s application to recycle waste materials for re-use in facility in an existing industrial estate that is just 400 metres from a residential area.
The company says its risk assessment shows a low level of risk from the proposed activity.
But residents and a community reference group are opposed as they continue to combat the worst air pollution in Melbourne, which they say is contributing to above average rates of asthma, heart disease and lung cancer.
The proposal is yet to be assessed by the EPA.
Bayside City Council has moved to clarify that it is not proposing to change the date of Australia Day.
The council has received a recommendation from its Reconciliation Action Plan Advisory Group calling for advocacy for the Federal Government to consider an alternative date for Australia Day.
However the council says its community consultation has shown that just 21 per cent of residents are opposed to holding events on 26th January, while 42 per cent are unsure.
The council says it still plans to hold citizenship ceremonies on the Australia Day public holiday.
The Peri Urban Councils Victoria (PUCV) group has been invited to join a new Federal Government roundtable tasked with shaping Australia’s new National Urban Policy.
PUCV Chair Cr Michael Leaney said the group had accepted the invitation, and will use the forum to advocate for key regional issues on behalf of peri-urban communities across the country.
These are expected to include ensuring peri-urban regions are included in policy and funding mechanisms, managing urban growth while protecting agricultural lands, and safeguarding the unique character and amenity of peri-urban towns.
The PUCV member regions are expected to grow by almost 50% or more than 100,000 people by 2036.
The Mayor of Greater Shepparton, Shane Sali, says a trip to Canberra last week was just the beginning of efforts to advocate for a better outcome for the region and other communities in the Murray Darling Basin.
The delegation was focussed on voicing concerns about proposed legislation that they say will have devastating impacts on the region’s agriculture and economy, and ultimately all Australians, as it would cause the price of fruit and vegetables to rise dramatically.
The group, including Mayor Sali, Cr Geoff Dobson, and a local dairy farmer and water advocate, emphasised the importance of protecting the region’s water resources and its role in supporting the nation.
Port Phillip City Council has taken over maintenance of grass median strips on main roads in its municipality under a new agreement with VicRoads.
The arrangement follows resident complaints about overgrown grass.
The council says bringing the VicRoads assets under the responsibilities of its parks maintenance contractor will bring much-improved service and amenity for its community.
Victorian Briefs:
Latrobe City Council has introduced textile disposal chutes at their transfer stations to encourage residents to recycle their pre-loved or unwanted clothing items.
The council says the initiative will provide a recycling solution for end-of-life clothing that may not be suitable for donation.
An audit of waste management practices conducted by Mansfield and Alpine Shire Councils, and the Mt Hotham Alpine Resort, has revealed approximately 400 kilograms of waste in public bins could have been recycled.
According to a report from the Mansfield Courier, the findings will help Mansfield Shire to change bin infrastructure and services, including increasing the number of recycling bins, changing the design of bins, and rolling out a new education campaign.
Ballarat City Council is seeking an architect to design a new state-of-the-art regional animal management facility.
The new facility is being funded through an $11.5M contribution from the state government, and $3M from the council, and mayor Des Hudson says it will be the biggest improvement in animal welfare in the region in more than 100 years.
The challenges faced by local government run airports around the country have been highlighted in a new report from ABC News.
The report reveals that many of the airports are running at a loss, and are being subsidised by ratepayers.
Ballarat airport is used as an example of the challenge. The airport runs at a loss, despite an annual council contribution of $200K.
Advocacy group Regional Capitals Australia says its research found 60 percent of 200 local government run airports around the country run at a loss, and are dealing with ageing infrastructure.
Its Chair Cr Kylie King, who is also the Mayor of Albury, says recurrent funding from the federal government is needed as well as more support for vital infrastructure upgrades.
You’ll find a link to that story from ABC News in our show notes.
National Roundup:
NSW:
The NSW state government budget this week includes an additional $4.5M to bolster the capacity of the Office of Local Government, develop a new code of conduct framework, and improve the fiscal responsibility of councils.
LG Minister Ron Hoenig said the budget also guarantees funding for next year’s council elections, with $102M approved for the NSW Electoral Commission.
Regional and rural councils will share in $390M for urgent road and pothole repairs; there’s $78.5M to fund council rate concessions; and funding to help councils improve education and care for registered dogs and cats.
A call from Sydney’s Lord Mayor for pets to be allowed on public transport has been criticised by animal behaviour experts and victims of dog attacks.
The Daily Telegraph says Clover Moore is expected to call for changes to address disadvantages for pet owners who don’t have car access, similar to other major international cities like Paris and San Francisco.
But concerns are already being raised by those who fear train carriages will be turned into litter boxes, and out of fear of a potential increase of vicious attacks.
Pets are currently banned on regional and city train services, but allowed on light rail, buses and ferries.
A sex education book written for children will remain in Wagga Wagga City Council library after a controversial vote this week.
The Region Riverina website has the details of a fiery community discussion and online debate leading up to the council meeting.
A notice of motion from Cr Michael Henderson called for the removal of the book, Welcome to Sex, from the library but the motion was withdrawn due to the absence of some councillors.
Cr Dan Hayes proposed an alternative motion to keep the book on the shelves, saying the lodging and withdrawal of Cr Henderson’s motion turned the ridiculous into the embarrassing and the absurd.
The motion was carried, but only after an amendment seeking to relocate the book to an older youth section of the library was defeated.
Shoalhaven City Council’s CEO Stephen Dunshea has announced that he will soon draw the curtain on a 40 year local government career.
Mr Dunshea has served as Shoalhaven CEO since early 2019.
He started his four decade local government career in 1983 at Campbelltown Council and later held positions at Blacktown, Wagga Wagga and Woollahra before arriving at Shoalhaven in a director position in 2018.
He is due to finish up in early February.
Here are some of the latest mayoral election updates from around NSW:
Campbelltown mayor George Greiss has been re-elected to the top position for the next year, with Muhamad Khalil elected as deputy mayor.
Ashleigh Cagney has been re-elected mayor of Camden Council, with former mayor Therese Fedeli staying on as deputy.
Kempsey Shire has elected a new deputy mayor this week. Kerri Riddington replaced Cr Anthony Patterson in the position for the final year of the current council term.
QLD:
LGAQ has this week called on the state government to help support the building sector to deliver almost 100,000 residential lots that are already approved across the state.
The peak body says that while councils have been processing development approvals in a timely way, many are lying dormant because of rising construction costs and labour shortages.
CEO Alison Smith says the state government needs to help with policy levers that can help developers start building through the creation of a new catalytic housing fund – one of nearly 40 proposals developed by councils along with a six point action plan.
Logan City Council is preparing a submission to a draft Southeast Queensland Regional Plan, which will call for critical infrastructure to maintain the region’s liveability.
The council will request access to government modelling to validate population targets which forecast an additional 311,000 residents in Logan by 2046 – nearly doubling the current population of 350,000.
The SEQ regional plan sets out a framework for land supply, housing, employment and other factors in anticipation of a regional population of six million by 2046.
WA:
The City of Perth has been given until today to comply with a request for information from the Department of Local Government, arising from an anonymous letter levelling a range of allegations against senior staff at the council.
WA Today has reported that the claims, described as incorrect and defamatory, related to the Lord Mayor and the CEO of the city.
This follows a report from Nine News that a letter making similar claims had been received by councillors and the Premier of WA Roger Cook.
According to a council spokesperson, the letter lacked specifics and contained factually incorrect and defamatory assertions.
The letter was forwarded to the department and the Corruption and Crime Commission.
Campaigning is under way across WA for council elections which occur next month.
One of a number of elections getting the media’s attention is the City of Joondalup, where it’s predicted as many as six new faces could end up on the council.
Four current councillors are retiring, paving the way for a fresh leadership group in the city regarded as the regional capital for the northern suburbs of Perth.
For more on that and other elections of interest over the coming weeks, keep an eye on the PerthNow website.
SA:
Mt Gambier City Council has renewed its partnership with a dog rescue organisation for the rehoming of unclaimed stray dogs.
It’s the second agreement between the council and Dusty Paws Dog Rescue, which provides a safe and secure temporary home with foster carers until a forever home is found.
The council has a similar agreement in place with Wet Noses Animal Rescue.
Of the five dogs that have been impounded since 1st July, two have been reunited with their owners, two have been adopted and one is in foster care.
National Briefs:
As many as 6,000 residents face being fined for failing to vote in the recent by-election for Darwin City Council.
Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis has told ABC Radio of his disappointment with voter apathy, as the electoral commission said those enrolled people who didn’t vote would be asked whether they had a valid reason or face a $25 fine.
Wingecarribee Shire Council is holding sessions to prepare candidates for next year’s council elections, when it will come out of a period of administration.
The sessions will facilitated by John Rayner, a former council general manager, in partnership with the Office of Local Government and other councils that have undergone administration.
The first of four sessions will be held on 11th October.
The City of Fremantle’s Recycling Centre has been recognised as the waste champions in the Metro Local Government category at this year’s WasteSorted Awards.
The award acknowledges the centre’s continuous improvement in resource recovery – with a recovery rate of 77% from 750 tonnes of waste received in 2021/22.
Bega Valley Shire Council, a member of the Canberra Region Joint Organisation (CRJO), has secured funding to train 10 female employees in planning.
The funding, provided by the CRJO through the Training Services NSW Innovation Fund, will allow the employees to undertake four training modules to obtain planning qualifications.
The City of Busselton in WA is expected look into how it can officially recognise local pole vaulter Nina Kennedy, who won joint gold at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest last month.
Mayor Grant Henley has given notice of a motion for this week’s council meeting calling on the CEO to come up with a way of recognising Kennedy’s success at a global level.
International Spotlight:
UK:
The UK government will appoint commissioners to embattled Birmingham City Council, which effectively declared itself bankrupt recently.
The responsible minister Michael Gove has today announced a series of emergency measures, which are also expected to include the selling off of assets, job cuts and a rise in council tax.
The Guardian reports that the minister has addressed the House of Commons on the matter, saying that commissioners will be given extensive powers over the council’s governance, financial decision-making and senior appointments – and that an inquiry into the council’s financial situation would be launched.
The latest six monthly report by government appointed commissioners at Slough Borough Council has been released to the public, noting some progress with more sustained improvement needed.
The report finds that scrutiny of decisions has improved, with a stable top team at the corporate leadership level.
The council has delivered a slight underspend for the last full financial year. It has appointed an internal audit manager, and conducted resident and staff surveys to rebuild trust.
However, the commissioners say the council’s IT infrastructure remains poor, and that the intervention is at a pivot point after 18 months.
The mayor of a London council has resigned following his association with a former councillor who was arrested on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children.
Philip Glanville was suspended after being pictured with Tom Dewey at a Eurovision party, but he claimed that he was unaware of Dewey’s arrest at the time.
Dewey later received a one-year suspended sentence for possessing indecent images of children.
According to the BBC, around 50 local residents protested last week and the Hackney Green Party tabled a motion of no confidence in Glanville.
In his resignation letter, Glanville took responsibility for his error in judgment and lack of transparency. The resignation will trigger a mayoral election.
CANADA:
Municipal politicians in Canada are gathering for a major conference this week, at which they are expected to call for more help from provincial government to deal with natural disasters.
The Globe and Mail has a report on the major topics for discussion at the conference, which include major concerns about housing – with hundreds of homes damaged or destroyed by wildfires.
Towns and cities says they lack the funds to address the problem.
Mental health, drug use, women in politics, and a call for a provincial ethics commissioner are also topics on the conference agenda.
USA:
A former mayor of Anaheim in California has pleaded guilty to federal charges, and faces up to 14 months in prison.
TV station KESQ reports that Harry Sidhu resigned his position in May last year in the midst of an ongoing federal investigation.
The charges included obstruction of justice, wire fraud and lying to federal investigators.
He has admitted to destroying emails, avoiding sales taxes on a helicopter, and funnelling inside information to the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce and a consultant for the Anaheim Angels baseball team.
Mr Sidhu has said that he regrets the violations and has paid back the taxes he owed.
Close:
That’s the latest from the Roundup for 20th 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.
While you’re there, check out the latest breaking news updates and learn how you can support the Roundup by becoming a subscriber through a small monthly contribution, which you can cancel at any time.
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.