Hello and welcome to the Local Government News Roundup. I’m Chris Eddy, and this is episode 13, recorded 18th April 2021
Coming up in this bulletin:
Local government reaction to the announcement of a container deposit scheme for Victoria;
Another council expresses disappointment with the state government over a potential West Gate Tunnel spoil disposal site;
The latest councils to declare a climate emergency;
Fraud charges against former councillors dropped;
And the recommendation to delay the return of elected Councillors to a troubled NSW Council.
Plus a preview of a new Roundup Extra, and lots more from around the big wide, wonderful world of local government.
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.
We start with some of the stories making news in Victoria local government this week:
The State Government has released the final design of a container deposit scheme for Victoria, following a process of options analysis and consultation with key stakeholders.
Under the new scheme, to start in 2023, people will be able to return cans, bottles and cartons at a range of locations including shopping centres and collection depots, and it is predicted to reduce Victoria’s litter by up to 50 per cent.
The final design has received the approval of the peak body for Victoria’s Councils, the MAV, saying the chosen scheme prioritises accessibility, simplicity and recycling outcomes. President Cr David Clark said there are still some details to come, such as which types of containers will be eligible for a refund, and that the MAV is looking forward to continued engagement on these details.
And in a major vote of confidence, packaging and recycling giant Visy announced a $35 million upgrade of its Laverton glass recycling centre in Melbourne’s west - an upgrade that will create 92 jobs during construction, and double the centre’s recycling capacity to 200,000 tonnes of glass each year.
Moorabool Shire Council is disappointed in a decision by the EPA to approve an environmental management plan for storing spoil from the West Gate Tunnel near Bacchus Marsh.
The Mayor, Tom Sullivan, said there had been a lack of proper consultation with the Council or the impacted community from the EPA and the Minister for Planning.
Cr Sullivan noted that the final decision on the site has yet to be made by Transurban, and that other sites at Ravenhall and Bulla were also under consideration.
The new Nepean Ward Councillor for Mornington Peninsula Shire has been confirmed as Susan Bissinger, following the completion of the necessary qualification declarations. Ms Bissinger will take the Oath of Office and be sworn-in on Tuesday 20th April.
The State Government has announced the latest projects to benefit from the Growing Suburbs Fund, with the City of Casey to receive $3.5 million for new and expanded facilities for families and sporting clubs.
The latest Casey projects to receive funding are the Pearcedale Recreation Reserve Pavilion redevelopment; an upgrade to the Littlecroft Family and Community Centre in Narre Warren South; and an upgrade of the Woodbine Children’s Centre.
Cardinia Shire Council has welcomed the announcement of $3.3 million to go towards a community pavilion at the Koo Wee Rup Bowling Club; a new family centre in Officer; and a new outdoor amphitheatre at Alma Treloar Reserve in Cockatoo.
Macedon Ranges Shire is the latest Victorian council to declare a climate emergency. In doing so, the Council is publicly acknowledging that action is urgently required to address the causes and impacts of climate change.
Mayor Jennifer Anderson says the declaration makes a strong statement about priorities, and brings all of the Council’s activities under a single policy umbrella.
86% of respondents to a 2019 shire survey indicated that urgent action was needed to respond to climate change.
Meanwhile, Strathbogie Shire Council residents are being encouraged to express their view on a proposal for that Council to declare a Climate Emergency. A notice of motion received at the March meeting was deferred until April to allow time for community views to be ascertained before the Council considers its formal position on the matter.
The newest electric vehicle charging hub in the City of Moreland is attracting the highest number of charge sessions per month of any charging station in the country.
Opened in May 2020, the station in Edward Street, Brunswick is the 16th public charging station to be installed in Moreland. In three years, the number of monthly charging sessions has grown from less than 10 to over 700.
The hubs are powered by renewable energy, sourced from the Crowlands Wind Farm.
Moreland has the highest number of free to use electric vehicle charging stations of any municipality in Victoria.
5G mobile services have arrived in Ararat Rural City Council, with the completion last week of a major mobile network update in the city.
Ararat joins Ballarat, Horsham and Hamilton in having access to Telstra’s next-generation 5G technology, helping to meet a top Council priority to improve connectivity.
Ararat CEO Dr Tim Harrison said the upgrade would help drive innovation and encourage investment, as well as make Ararat a prime location for people looking for a tree-change.
The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association,
With local government elections now six months behind us, the VLGA wants to hear from women candidates in an informal and candid discussion via Zoom. This includes successful and unsuccessful candidates, and those who decided not to run this time around.
They are seeking your insights on the challenges and barriers faced when putting your hand up to run, the rewards and learnings from candidacy and what future support might be useful to you and other candidates.
The Local Women Leading Change - 6 months On session is on Wednesday 28 April from 7.00pm. Registrations are essential, via vlga.org.au/events. There’s link to the registration page in our show notes.
Now for the national news roundup
The CEO of Gold Coast City Council has resigned just three weeks after taking up the position. Multiple media outlets have reported that David Edwards resigned last week due to a health issue that arose shortly after he commenced at the Council in late March.
Mr. Edwards was appointed earlier in the year from a field of 80 applicants. It has been suggested the Council may return to the candidate pool from that process, or possibly start a new recruitment process.
In more senior executive news, the CEO of the City of Fremantle, Philip St. John, will step down after five years in the role. Mr St. John is one year into his second contract with the Council, and told staff that recent health scares and loss of close friends and family have led to a need for better work/life balance.
The Council is expected to determine a timeframe and process for appointing a new CEO at a meeting in late April.
Fraud charges against a group of former Logan City Councillors were dropped this week in a sensational development in the long running saga. The charges were related to the employment of a former CEO, and the Council was subsequently dismissed by the State Government.
The Local Government Association of Queensland has welcomed this week’s developments and called for an independent inquiry into the matter.
LGAQ’s policy executive passed a resolution on Friday, noting the damage the case has caused to the livelihoods and reputations of the former councillors who were charged; the disenfranchisement of the Logan community; and the reputational damage to the local government sector. The group of 16 Queensland Mayors and Councillors have urged the Premier to conduct an independent inquiry, and provide assurances that the matter will not be swept under the carpet.
The interim administrator of Central Coast has reportedly recommended a delay in the return of elected Councillors until the end of 2022.
The ABC has reported that Dick Persson has delivered his final report in which he recommends the New South Wales Local Government minister take action to prevent the return of the currently suspended Councillors to allow the administration to continue to work on the financial state of the Council without distractions.
A postponement would also reportedly allow time for an inquiry into what is needed to ensure the merger of the former Gosford and Wyong Councils is successful.
A decision from the minister is expected before the end of the month.
Construction is set to commence on a new administration centre in Maitland, following the awarding of a $38 million contract by the Council last week.
The project will include upgrades to the Town Hall, parking and other site improvements, as well as the new administration centre. Once completed in late 2022, it is expected that around 360 Council staff will occupy the building.
Economic modelling forecasts the generation of $101 million in demand for local good and services, and the creation of 51 jobs during construction.
Dungog Shire Council has expressed its bitter disappointment at being funded for only one of eight priority road projects under the NSW Government’s Fixing Local Roads Program.
The Council applied for $6.8M in funding, but will receive just $924,000 towards the resealing and stabilisation of one 3km stretch of road.
Mayor John Connors said the Shire is the only one in the state without a state road and only 5,000 ratepayers, and is therefore extremely dependent on state and federal government assistance.
He said the upcoming state by-election for the seat of Upper Hunter would be used to lobby candidates to reconsider the need for critical funding in the region.
The Cancer Institute of NSW has commenced an ambitious research project to benchmark shade in NSW council and school playgrounds.
In an Australian first, the project will develop a comprehensive picture of the shade and sun-protection in playgrounds with the aim of identifying how sun safe they are; and explore if there are inequities across the state’s playgrounds.
The Cancer Institute is partnering with the Queensland University of Technology and the University of Southern Queensland on the project, with results expected to be delivered by late this year.
And finally, some international news items that you might find of interest:
In the US state of Indiana, new legislation has been passed to could see local governments penalised if they fail to protect monuments and memorials from vandalism.
The bill empowers state agencies to withhold certain funds from local governments, and will require state police to assist local governments with investigations of people who desecrate monuments and memorials.
In the UK, the government has extended a coronavirus grants scheme that allows English councils to provide support to families and individuals. The money helps councils to support vulnerable households at risk of poverty and financial hardship.
The COVID Local Support Grant had already been extended to 16th April, and will now run until 20th June in line with the road map for the lifting of lockdown restrictions on 21st June.
And in Canada this week, Mayors from some of the country’s largest cities converged on the city of Calgary for a round table on the role of cities in responding to COVID 19 and supporting mental health.
The forum was an opportunity to share experiences with community-led mental health responses and the importance of strengthening partnerships and developing solutions on a national scale.
The event was part of the Urban Project, a Federation of Canadian Municipalities initiative to explore urban challenges and scalable solutions to improve the lives of Canadians.
And that’s almost it for this roundup. You’ll find links to all of the stories referenced in today’s program in the show notes.
You can access episodes and related information on the web at www.lgnewsroundup.com, or you can subscribe to the show with your preferred podcast provider.
Before I go, I’d like to tell you about a new Roundup Extra feature on the website. I recently reported on a very exciting and innovative waste management system that is being implemented on the Sunshine Coast. During the week, I had the opportunity to find out more from Sunshine Coast Council’sJames Ruprai.
It might be the geek in me talking, but I find this project fascinating with such exciting potential for how we manage the collectiojn of waste in this country.
The full interview with James is available now on the LGNR website.
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.