In the 9th January 2025 edition of the Local Government News Roundup:
- A new shadow local government minister in Victoria
- A councillor push to restore Australia Day activities on the Surf Coast
- Snowy Monaro councillors have questions for the local government minister
- Council alcohol policies in the news
- Renewed calls for a Tasmanian councillor’s resignation
- A panel of monitors on the way for Western Australia
- And councils consider their future under major reforms proposed in England
Plus special guest Brent McAlister, CEO of Northern Grampians Shire Council checks in after a recent bushfire emergency in the region.
The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, with support from Davidson recruitment and business advisory services.
Listen to this episode here, and find the link for your podcast player here.
Here is all the news from episode 415:
Victorian Roundup:
Victorian Opposition Leader Brad Battin has appointed a new shadow local government minister to his cabinet.
Bev McArthur, Member for Western Victoria, will take on the local government and scrutiny of government portfolios.
Victoria’s new opposition leader unveils shadow ministry
A Surf Coast councillor is pushing for the return of Australia Day celebrations and citizenship ceremonies, with a motion to be put forward at the council’s meeting in February.
The Geelong Advertiser reported that new councillor Rebecca Bourke’s motion is likely to receive opposition from other council members.
Surf Coast Shire made a decision to stop acknowledging Australia Day in 2021 as part of reconciliation efforts.
This new move follows Greater Geelong council’s recent steps towards reversing its earlier decision to stop commemorating January 26 as Australia Day.
Cardinia Shire Council has joined with local community groups in opposing the State Government’s proposed expansion of the Lang Lang sand mine over concerns about increased truck traffic through the town centre.
The Council is advocating for the construction of a Lang Lang Truck Bypass Road before any mine expansion, along with proper environmental impact assessments and government funding for the project.
Mayor Jack Kowarzik said the council had been disappointed by a lack of response from the Government to date about the need for a truck bypass.
A $75M state of the art redevelopment of the Carnegie Memorial Swimming Pool has been opened to the public this week.
The redevelopment is Glen Eira City Council’s largest capital works project to date, funded with the support of a $15M Australian Government grant and a $10M low interest Victorian Government loan.
CEO Rebecca McKenzie reported on LinkedIn that the cherished community asset reopened on Wednesday to a queue of eager swimmers, enthusiastic neighbours and residents.
Rebecca McKenzie on LinkedIn: #geproud
The City of Ballarat is hosting seven different sporting events this month, including cricket, lawn bowls, basketball, underwater hockey, canoe polo, and disc golf.
All events have council support and are expected to bring around 2000 competitors plus their supporters to the city.
Mayor Tracey Hargreaves said the city had invested heavily over many years to make its facilities attractive options for events and to provide a boost to many hospitality and accommodation businesses.
All sporting roads pointing to Ballarat this January | City of Ballarat
The Victorian Electoral Commission will hold a countback on Monday to fill an extraordinary vacancy on Golden Plains Shire Council following Cr Lachlan Glen’s resignation last month.
The countback will be streamed online and will include all remaining eligible candidates from last October’s election.
Golden Plains Shire Council countback
Local Government Victoria has published a series of fact sheets about the operation of the councillor conduct framework.
They’ve been developed in consultation with the Principal Councillor Conduct Registrar, and outline the roles and responsibilities of those who interact with the framework and detail the requirements for making applications for internal arbitration and councillor conduct panels
The fact sheets and application forms are available on the Local Government Victoria website.
Victorian Briefs:
Greater Shepparton City Council has warned its residents of a potential phone scam operating in the area.
It has received multiple reports of callers asking for details on behalf of the council, and says it will never seek personal information over the phone.
Potential phone scam operating in Greater Shepparton
Michael Courtney has taken over from former premier Jeff Kennett after 14 years as Chairman of local government professional services consultancy firm CT Management Group.
Mr Courtney will continue as Managing Director of the group.
City of Casey CEO Glenn Patterson has joined as a Non-Executive Director.
Leadership Transition at CT Management Group: A New Era Begins
St John Ambulance Victoria and Brimbank Council are working to address Sunshine’s high rate of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests through CPR training and the Defib In Your Street Program.
The program offers free CPR training every week to Sunshine residents and people with a strong connection to the area through family, work, study or leisure.
Defib In Your Street is now in Sunshine thanks to residents like Ami – Brimbank News
Colac Otway Shire Council has secured $170,000 through the Victorian Government’s Engage! 2025-2027 program to support youth programs.
The funding will support various activities ranging from music and arts to job training and life skills for young people aged 12-25.
Council Secures Funding for Youth Engagement
Interview:
Brent McAlister, CEO Northern Grampians Shire Council
Parts of western Victoria have been dealing with another bushfire emergency in recent weeks – the second within a year to hit the region.
The massive Grampians fire is now contained.
You can catch Brent on another podcast talking about his leadership journey. He’s a guest on the Inspiring Leadership Podcast, episode 4, which was released this week. Watch now on YouTube or find it on all the major podcast platforms.
National Roundup:
NSW:
Snowy Monaro Regional Council will hold an extraordinary meeting this week to discuss a performance improvement order proposed by local government Minister Ron Hoenig.
Two councillors, Luke Williamson and Reuben Rose, have proposed a response to the Minister seeking answers to a number of questions about the proposed PIO.
They’d like to know why the Minister believes the council’s meetings are too long and question the rationale for the Minister’s views on Code of Conduct and financial matters.
The council will consider the proposed response on Friday afternoon.
A long running dispute between Kiama Council and a local tourism venue appears to have come to an end.
Regional Illawarra dot com has reported on a decision of the Land and Environment Court ordering the owner of Granties Maze at Foxground to demolish 27 attractions and remove unauthorised highway signage.
Some rides on the site will be allowed to remain.
The decision follows years of development disputes between the council and the site’s owner dating back to 1985.
The Tamworth Regional Residents and Ratepayers Association has launched an online petition seeking state heritage listing for the asbestos-laden Ray Walsh House.
The Northern Daily Leader (7th January 2025) reports that the group is attempting to bypass Tamworth Regional Council by seeking an interim heritage order from the state government.
The building’s future is under consideration by the council, with options including refurbishment, limited remediation for sale, or demolition, with a decision expected by the end of next month.
Independent councillor Michelle Pryse Jones has resigned from Blayney Shire Council, effective January 1st.
The resignation triggers a countback process, with two potential candidates in line to fill the vacancy according to the Central Western Daily (7th January 2025).
From the media, ABC News has analysed the policies of some NSW councils in relation to the provision of alcohol after meetings and events.
It found that a number of councils have continued the practice, despite a template policy issued by the Office of Local Government recommending against it.
The story makes particular note of expenditure on alcohol by Sutherland Shire and Blacktown City Councils, and refers to policy specifics at other councils including The Hills Shire and Wollongong.
Ratepayers slugged for NSW council alcohol purchases
Orange City Council has paid tribute to Richard ‘Dick’ Niven, a former Mayor who served on the City Council for 27 years and was awarded an Order of Australia Medal.
Mr Niven passed away on January 2, 2025, at the age of 86.
His legacy includes significant contributions to the Orange community, including the establishment of the Orange Botanic Gardens and involvement in securing gold from the Orange region for the 2000 Sydney Olympics medals.
QLD:
The Federal Government’s announcement of $7.2 billion in funding to improve the Bruce Highway has been welcomed by peak body, the Local Government Association of Queensland.
However, it has stressed that more funding is needed across Queensland’s road network, given its status as Australia’s most decentralised state.
LGAQ President and Gladstone mayor Matt Burnett said the peak body and Queensland mayors had been keeping up their push for a fairer infrastructure funding deal since a November 2023 two-level delegation to Canberra to lobby on the issue.
Bruce Highway safety funding welcome but more to do – LGAQ
More unrest in Townsville, according to the Bulletin this week, where former Townsville deputy mayor Paul Jacob has spoken out against the CEO appointment process.
He has reportedly claimed that he only voted in support of Joe McCabe’s appointment to the position due to his obligations as deputy mayor at the time.
After being replaced as deputy mayor by Ann Maree Greaney before completing his 12-month term, Cr Jacob is now said to be positioning himself as an unofficial council “opposition” and says he will now express his true feelings about council decisions.
National Briefs:
Ipswich City Council‘s Safe City program, which began in 1994 with nine cameras and has grown to nearly 400 cameras across 15 suburbs, is marking 30 years of improving public safety through 24/7 surveillance and cooperation with Queensland Police Service.
The program generates approximately 5,000 police reports annually, and has been recognised as one of Queensland’s premier public surveillance systems.
Thirty years of a safer Ipswich celebrated – Ipswich First
Tasmania’s Local Government Association is asking the state government for nearly $4M to expand security camera coverage and give better access to footage to police.
The Examiner reported (7th January, p.2) that the budget submission on behalf of the state’s councils would see 500 camera feeds added in regional towns, and give police access to 1,000 urban council camera feeds.
Blue Mountains City Council has reaffirmed a ban at its pools on thong and g-string swimwear, clarifying that while bikinis are acceptable, more revealing swimwear is not permitted for either males or females.
AusLeisure dot com reported that the clarification followed confusion over a poster showing examples of acceptable and inappropriate swimwear.
https://www.ausleisure.com.au/news/blue-mountains-council-reaffirms-inappropriate-swimwear-ban
TAS:
Launceston Mayor Matthew Garwood has renewed his call for Councillor Danny Gibson to resign following misconduct allegations and reports that the Department of Justice threatened to revoke his Working with Vulnerable People registration.
Cr Gibson stepped down as mayor in 2023 but remains as a sitting councillor and had not made a public comment on the allegations until yesterday.
ABC News reported that Cr Gibson has posted to his Facebook page, saying he had been subjected to a coordinated campaign of character assassination, and accusing the media of dredging up rumours and vile imputations.
He said he had stayed silent so as not to obstruct and believing in the legislative processes at play.
The renewed pressure on Cr Gibson to resign follows revelations late last year that the City of Launceston had paid out $15,000 on his behalf for legal and PR expenses.
ABC News also reported yesterday on calls for the state government to reconsider a decision not to mandate Working with Vulnerable People registration for all councillors and state MPs.
Launceston mayor Matthew Garwood renews call for councillor Danny Gibson’s resignation
Gibson speaks out amid push for mandatory checks for elected officials
Motions to introduce live streaming of council meetings, and audio recordings of confidential council sessions, were deferred at the last meeting of 2024 of West Tamar Council.
The councillor-submitted motions seek to introduce live streamed meetings by the new financial year; and to securely store audio recordings of confidential sessions and make them available on request by a councillor.
The Examiner reported that cost and privacy concerns led to the deferral.
WA:
WA’s Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley has made the call-out to establish a panel of monitors to work with councils on resolving emerging issues.
The panel and a new Local Government Inspector office are part of the latest reforms to the sector in Western Australia.
The Mandarin has reported on the new measures and the Minister’s aims to improve accountability and transparency in the sector.
WA local government reforms herald new era
Port Hedland is mourning the loss of a community advocate following the passing of former councillor Julie Arif over the weekend.
Mayor Peter Carter said Ms Arif was a dedicated community advocate, and leaves behind a legacy of service that included roles as a visitor centre manager, teacher’s aide, and local historian.
He said she was a true ambassador for Hedland and the Pilbara.
Town mourns loss of community advocate
NT:
The City of Palmerston in the NT is getting a new CEO.
Andrew Walsh will move from West Arnhem Council where he has been CEO since last March.
As current CEO Amelia Vellar departs the organisation, Nadine Nikon will step up from GM Infrastructure as interim CEO this month, until Mr Walsh’s arrival in March.
CITY OF PALMERSTON APPOINTS NEW CEO
Global Roundup:
UK:
County councils across England face a crucial decision by the end of this week regarding whether to postpone May’s elections to pursue reorganisation into larger unitary authorities and gain devolved powers.
Local Gov dot co uk reports that local government minister Jim McMahon is willing to delay elections until 2026 for councils committing to the Government’s Devolution Priority Programme.
Several councils including Essex, Surrey and Norfolk are set to make their decisions this week.
The BBC reports that Thurrock Council has made its decision and will ask the government to cancel the May elections, allowing it join the devolution priority programme.
Thurrock Council asks Government to cancel local elections
Kent County Council members are due to decide on a plan that would replace all 14 local authorities in its region with a smaller number of unitary councils and introduce an elected mayor by 2026
Kent Live reported that council leadership is understood to be favouring the fastest option, which would see a mayor in place by next year and elections the year after.
Reforms that could see Kent councils axed and a new mayor move step closer
Meanwhile BBC News reports that district councils across Devon are united in opposition to plans to merge them into a single unitary council.
They argue it would reduce local representation and decision-making power for communities.
Devon’s various councils are holding extraordinary meetings ahead of Friday’s deadline for submitting proposals.
Councils unite to oppose devolution plans
Here’s an update on a story that long term listeners may recall from nearly two years ago.
East Renfrewshire Council has been trying to sell a rare ‘HS 0’ number plate for a six-figure sum since January 2023, hoping it would appeal to celebrities with matching initials like Harry Styles.
Despite expert predictions that the plate could fetch up to £250,000 at auction, there has been little interest from potential buyers, though the council told the BBC it remains confident it will eventually sell for the target price.
East Renfrewshire Council fails to sell number plate after two years
USA:
New Orleans City Council has announced it will conduct its own investigation into the New Year terror attack on the city, parallel to the state’s investigation.
The council’s investigation will focus specifically on the “contracting, spending and execution” of French Quarter security measures.
While the investigations have the support of Council members, Fox8 News reported that some have raised concerns about public disclosure of security vulnerabilities.
In response to the deadly New Orleans attack, City of Chicago officials are assessing and strengthening public safety measures for large gatherings, utilising concrete barriers, planters, bollards, and salt trucks to prevent vehicle attacks.
While Chicago has robust security measures for major events, ABC7 News reported on calls to enhance protection for smaller events like street festivals and farmers markets through mandatory vehicle barriers and improved permitting processes.
Chicago officials assess public safety measures in wake of deadly New Orleans attack
New York City has this week become the first in the US to implement a congestion pricing system, charging drivers up to $9 during peak hours to enter parts of Manhattan, south of 60th Street.
The Metropolitan Transit Authority is aiming to reduce traffic by 80,000 vehicles daily while using the collected funds for $15 billion worth of public transit improvements.
Car and Driver dot com reported that the program is facing opposition from commuters and lawmakers in neighbouring areas.
NYC Congestion Pricing Begins, Charging Drivers to Enter Lower Manhattan
NZ:
Auckland Council has confiscated over 100 recycling bins from households that have repeatedly contaminated their recycling with incorrect items.
Radio New Zealand reported the action is part of a trial to combat growing contamination issues that are costing the city $3.5 million annually.
The trial, which includes bin tagging and community education, is being expanded across the entire city.
Auckland Council confiscating recycling bins in bid to stop people throwing rubbish in wrong place
And finally today, Lime has been selected as the shared e-scooter provider for both Auckland and Christchurch, building on their presence in New Zealand since 2018 which has resulted in over 15 million trips and the prevention of 3.7 million car journeys.
The company is expanding its offerings with the introduction soon of new seated vehicles called LimeGlider and LimeBike, designed to be more inclusive and accessible to a wider range of users.