Hello and welcome to the Local Government News Roundup. I’m Chris Eddy, and this is episode 5, recorded 21st March 2021.
Coming up: -
The launch of an Australian first initiative for a Victorian region; a clampdown on out of control rubbish dumping; yet another Victorian Council CEO is moving on and a former returns; we look at some of the current advocacy asks from Councils around Victoria; plus items of interest from interstate and overseas including a court date for Toronto City Council.
The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, home of the VLGA Connect series of local government focussed interviews and podcasts.
First to the latest Victorian roundup:
An alliance of thirteen Councils in the Central Victorian Goldfields region has launched an Australian first on the International Day of Happiness this past weekend.
It is expected that the Happiness Index Survey, a global measurement tool about quality of life, will help position the region in tourism planning for the Central Victorian Goldfields World Heritage Bid.
The survey is a partnership between the thirteen councils, Planet Happiness, and the National Trust of Australia.
Community members are encouraged to take the survey over the next month to make sure investment priorities for the World Heritage Bid target the areas of greatest need.
In a story that gained mainstream media attention, Port Phillip City Council has voted to extend a trial allowing Albert Park College students to access a popular local park.
The Council considered concerns raised by residents about the level of supervision of students using the park, and resolved to increase the ratio of required teacher/student supervision by 50 percent.
Port Phillip Mayor Louise Crawford said the Council agreed with the Victorian Government’s view about the importance of open spaces being available to students, particularly those using vertical schools with little outdoor green space.
The trial has been extended through the end of 2021.
Hume City Council has launched a major effort to clamp down on rubbish dumping, after an escalation of dumped waste filling streets and vacant land in the city.
40 cubic meters of illegally dumped waste was recently removed from one location in Craigieburn.
The Mayor, Joseph Haweil says dealing with dumped rubbish costs ratepayers $2.8 million each year.
The Council is installing surveillance at dumping hot spots and encouraging community members to report rubbish dumping online.
The Chief Executive of Mildura City Council, Sarah Philpott, will leave the Council in May to take up the CEO position at Mt Gambier in South Australia, where she began her local government career.
Ms Philpott has held the Mildura CEO position since August 2019. The Council will announce interim arrangements in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, Kingston City Council has appointed experienced local government executive Tim Tamlin as its interim CEO until 31st October this year. Mr Tamlin was previously the CEO of South Gippsland Shire Council for 10 years.
He commences at Kingston on 29th March. The vacancy in the CEO position arose due to the recent appointment of Julie Reid as Executive Director of Local Government Victoria.
With last year’s Council elections behind us, and Councils across Victoria developing their new Council Plans, many are sharpening their advocacy messaging to other levels of government.
Here are some examples of what Councils around the state are asking for.
Central Goldfields Shire Council in Victoria is lobbying for improved rail services some ten years after passenger rail was reintroduced to Maryborough.
The Council wants to see weekend services introduced and services extended to Dunolly.
Mayor Cr Chris Meddows-Taylor says there should also be an additional weekday service leaving Maryborough late morning and returning from Melbourne later in the evening, which would provide a core service similar to the Ararat line.
Frankston City Council has written to its local members for help with bringing government departments to its city.
The Council’s investment prospectus has been successful in attracting new commercial businesses, but also aims to attract office-based businesses, and feels the attraction of additional Government tenants is needed for this to occur.
And the City of Greater Shepparton is advocating for major project funding in the next state budget, with stage 1 of the Goulburn Valley Highway Shepparton Bypass at the top of its list.
Other projects include the funding of key intersection upgrades, an early parenting centre, clinical health school, and upgrades to the Westside Performing Arts Centre.
Meanwhile, a La Trobe City Council delegation has been in Canberra advocating for a task force to help the city’s economic transition in light of the pending closure of the Yallourn power station in 2028. The delegation, led by the Mayor Sharon Gibson and Deputy Mayor Darren Howe, met with members from government and opposition.
And Mornington Peninsula Shire Council has welcomed a successful Greens motion in the Australian Senate opposing plans to build a gas import jetty and pipeline at Cribbs Point. The Senate motion follows a community protest on the steps of Parliament House and opposition from the Victorian Nationals. State Planning Minister Richard Wynne is due to make a decision on the controversial proposal by the end of the month.
The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, which for the 8th year is partnering with Reconciliation Victoria to present the HART Awards - recognising Victorian initiatives and champions that contribute positively to local reconciliation outcomes.
Nominations from local governments and community groups are invited in three categories - School and Early Years, Community, and Local Government. Nominated projects should demonstrate how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island and non-Aboriginal people are working together to strengthen relationships, respect, and understanding while demonstrating a commitment to Aboriginal self-determination.
Nominations close soon via vlga.org.au where you can also find out more about the HART awards - Helping Achieve Reconciliation Together.
Now for the interstate roundup:
The Premier of Western Australia, Mark McGowan, this week announced the portfolio allocations for the re-elected Labor Government, and the local government sector has a new Minister. John Carey MLA takes on the portfolio along with housing. Alannah McTiernan MLC is Minister for Regional Development, along with Agriculture and Food, and the Hydrogen Industry. The former local government minister David Templeman now has tourism, culture, and the arts and heritage. The planning portfolio sits with Rita Saffioti. The swearing-in of the new McGowan Cabinet took place on Friday 19th March.
The city of Canterbury-Bankston in western Sydney has unveiled a billion-dollar vision to make the city the premier cultural, health, education, and lifestyle hub of Greater Sydney. The city is predicted to have 500,000 residents and 155,000 workers by 2036. The Council has also unveiled new draft master plans for the Campsie and Bankston town centres, a draft economic development strategy, and a draft nighttime economy action plan. Already Canterbury-Bankstown City is the eighth largest economy in NSW, with the fifth highest number of jobs in the state.
South Australia’s tourism regions have launched a new plan that aims to grow regional visitor expenditure to $4 billion by 2025. The new Regional Visitor Strategy includes priority actions for the state’s 11 tourism regions. Each region has regional response priorities that will guide the work of regional tourism organisations, local councils, and key stakeholders.
And the Local Government Association of Queensland has welcomed new funding certainty for councils and their vital feral pest control programs. Councils have been expressing concerns about the future of these programs including wild dog control, given their importance in protecting agricultural production, human health, and biodiversity. The Queensland government has this week announced funding that will cover 75 percent of the cost of 1080 supply for baiting programs over the next three years.
And finally to our overseas roundup:
AP News reports that the city of Boulder, Colorado has been blocked from enforcing a ban on assault weapons, with the District Court ruling that state law does not allow local governments to prohibit the possession or sale of firearms. The City is considering whether to appeal the decision, which could provide an opportunity for the state Supreme Court to review Colorado cities' ability to create gun ownership restrictions.
Local Government New Zealand has welcomed a government decision to allow continued testing and deployment of improved intensive winter grazing practices, ahead of new regulations on the way next year. Regional Councils have collaborated with farmers and environmental agencies to recommend to the government how to make the new regulations more practical. LGNZ Regional Sector Chair Doug Leeder said the group will work closely with farmers to meet expectations set by government ministers for addressing the worst impacts of winter grazing.
And finally, an appeal of the 2018 decision by the Ontario Province government in Canada to slash the Toronto City Council from 47 seats to 25 came to a virtual hearing in the Supreme Court of Canada this past week. CBC News reports that the city and other parties are challenging the decision on the basis that it violated the constitutional rights of Toronto’s electoral candidates and voters. Ontario Premier Doug Ford, the brother of former Toronto Mayor the late Rob Ford, stands by the decision as making the passing of bills through the Council more feasible. A decision from the Supreme Court is pending.
And that’s it for this edition of the local government news roundup. Links to all of the stories referenced can be found in the show notes. You can send feedback and news stories to lgweeklynews@gmail.com.
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The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association. Subscribe to the VLGA Connect series of interviews and panel discussions on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.
Until next time, thanks for listening.