Hello and welcome to the Local Government News Roundup. I’m Chris Eddy, and this is episode 14, recorded 21st April 2021
Coming up in this bulletin:
A multimillion-dollar fund for rapid response housing projects in Victoria;
A new initiative to support Aboriginal businesses and employment in central Victoria;
A councillor cleared of inappropriate conduct, while another is called on to resign;
And the Australian city to be immortalised in a board game.
Plus I preview my VLGA Connect interview with Julie Reid, the new Executive Director of Local Government Victoria, and lots more from around the big wide world of local government.
The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, . The VLGA is holding a councillor briefing on the Gender Equality Act very soon. More details on that later in the program.
We start with some of the stories making news in Victorian local government this week:
The Essential Services Commission has confirmed that for the second consecutive year, no Councils have applied to exceed the rate cap for the 2021-22 financial year. As a result, all 79 Councils in Victoria will be subject to the default rate cap for the first time since the system was introduced in 2015. Three Councils - Warrnambool, Towong, and West Wimmera - have higher caps currently in place, but these expire at the end of this financial year.
Cardinia Shire Council has paid tribute to Cr Ray Brown, who passed away last week after a prolonged illness. Cr Brown was first elected to the Council in 2016, and was re-elected at last October’s election. Cardinia Mayor, Cr Brett Owen said Cr Brown would be remembered for his significant contributions to the community through Council and as a volunteer. Cr Brown was awarded the Cardinia Shire Citizen of the Year in 2011.
Victoria’s Minister for Housing, Richard Wynne, has announced an injection of $80 million for rapid response housing projects to deliver at least 239 new homes across the State. The funding includes $20 million for 74 new social and affordable homes in Werribee -comprising 28 one-bedroom and 46 two-bedroom sustainable apartments to be built close to public transport and the Werribee Employment Precinct. Other projects to receive funding include a $6.5million autistic student residential care hub in Mansfield; and $3.5 million for safe and stable housing for young people across Victoria.
Four Victorian municipalities have combined to launch a new initiative to support Aboriginal businesses and economic development in central Victoria. The City of Greater Bendigo, Mount Alexander, Loddon, and Central Goldfields Shires have received funding support from Regional Development Victoria to bring together a range of programs aimed at maximising local spend in the region, and focusing on creating local jobs.
The Aboriginal Business Capability Initiative will include awareness and education activities, capacity-building workshops, and mentoring programs.
Greater Bendigo’s Director of Corporate Performance, Andrew Cooney, said the project will create an awareness of the many Aboriginal businesses in the region, and support opportunities to increase the employment of Aboriginal people across the region.
A new gravel sealing product is being trialled by Horsham Rural City Council, with hopes that it will lead to significant improvements in the condition of rural roads. The product, known as an Otta seal, is a cost-efficient road treatment suited to roads where traffic volumes are less than 200 vehicles per day. It is named for the Otta Valley in Norway, where the treatment was developed. The new treatment has been piloted successfully in Narrandera, New South Wales, and it is hoped it will provide a cost-effective solution for maintaining Horsham Rural City’s 1,830 kilometres of unsealed roads. The trial site will be monitored for a year to determine how it performs under Wimmera weather and traffic conditions.
The Australian Local Government Women’s Association Victorian Branch is expecting a record number of attendees at its upcoming conference on 30 April and 1 May.
The conference, Culture, Conduct and Retention - the next 100 Years of Women in Local Government, will provide insights and perspectives on current issues, including political culture, conduct, sexual harassment, and women’s political empowerment. Speakers will include the Public Sector Gender Equality Commissioner, Dr Niki Vincent; Winsome McCaughey; and the conference will be opened by the Local Government Minister Shaun Leane.
The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association. The VLGA is holding a Councillor Briefing on the Gender Equality Act 2020, which came into effect last month.
This is an opportunity to find out more about what changes you can expect to see in your council and community; and the resourcing implications of these changes for your council.
This briefing is the first of a series of training and development opportunities the VLGA is offering to support councils in their implementation of the Gender Equality Act in collaboration with Gender Equity Victoria (GEN VIC) and the Action for Gender Equality Partnership (AGEP).
This session is on Friday 30th April via Zoom from midday, and it’s free for councillors from VLGA member councils, $50 + GST for non-members. Find out more at www.vlga.org.au/events, or follow the link to the registration page in our show notes.
Now to some stories making news in local government around Australia.
In South Australia, the Mayor of Tea Tree Gully Mayor Kevin Knight has been called on to resign in response to behaviour and public comments in recent weeks. This follows the release of reports that found the Mayor engaged in inappropriate conduct and breached the council’s code of conduct.
This week the Council passed a resolution that included a vote of no-confidence in the Mayor; requested he make a public apology; and resign as mayor by the end of the week. The Council also requested its Deputy Mayor to write to virtually all formally known stakeholders in the municipality advising that the Mayor Knight is no longer the Council’s preferred representative for any community or Council functions. The ABC is reporting that Mayor Knight is denying all claims and refusing to step down.
A Councillor from South Burnett Regional Council has been cleared of an allegation of inappropriate conduct, following an independent investigation by the Councillor Conduct Tribunal. The Councillor was alleged to have inappropriately disclosed personal communications between a constituent and the councillor to a third party. With the delegated power to decide the matter, the Mayor decided to dismiss the allegation having regard to the recommendations of the external investigator and external legal advice.
Toowoomba Regional Council has welcomed a High Court decision which brings to an end a lengthy appeals process. The court refused to grant leave to appeal a decision of the Court of Appeal in relation to the Council’s levying of infrastructure charges for a number of developments. The Council’s CEO Brian Pidgeon said the decision that now stands will ensure developers will be responsible for payment of infrastructure charges for their developments, rather than the obligation falling to Councils to fund from their rate base. The High Court also awarded costs of the legal proceeding to the Council.
The Mayor of Townsville City Council, Jenny Hill, has welcomed the signing of an agreement that will contribute to Townsville becoming a leader in hydrogen production and export in Australia. The agreement between energy company Origin and the Port of Townsville will provide economic stimulus and jobs for Townsville and North Queensland. Origin plans to produce liquid hydrogen from renewable energy by 2025, and be exporting it by the following year.
The Shire President of Wongan-Ballidu Shire, Cr Jon Hasson, has resigned as a Council Member and Shire President to pursue new interests and focus on family commitments. Cr Hasson was first elected to the Council 2015 and served as Deputy Shire President, before stepping into the Shire President role in 2019. The appointment of a new Shire President will be considered by the Council at its upcoming meeting on 28th April.
Meanwhile in Tasmania, Huon Valley Council has engaged River Road Consulting to provide Acting General Manager services while a recruitment process is conducted to replace Emilio Reale, who finished up last week. Experienced local government professionals Paul West and Andrew Wardlaw are partners in River Road Consulting and both will provide expertise, while Mr Wardlaw will initially hold the statutory position of General Manager. The Council has appointed a recruitment panel, which is working with an external consultant on the recruitment process.
And in what could be my favourite story of the year so far, Tamworth Regional Council is in talks with the manufacturers of the board game Monopoly about immortalising Tamworth in its own official version of the game. There are plans to include a special guitar piece in addition to locally themed squares and cards. The special Tamworth edition of Monopoly is planned to be out in time for Christmas and the 50th anniversary of the Tamworth Country Music Festival in January 2022.
Now to some items of interest from beyond Australia:
In London, a council is reportedly set to scrap cycle lanes and low-traffic neighbourhood schemes after a review found an increase in traffic jams and pollution. Harrow Council’s traffic and road safety advisory council says a large number of residents supported the removal of the traffic schemes. While more than 60 miles of cycle lanes have been added across London in the past year, in response to the pandemic, Harrow would be the first council to remove sustainable traffic options.
New research published in the UK has revealed that top-tier Councils are facing a budget deficit of well over 1 billion pounds as a result of COVID-19. In addition, district and borough councils are expected to have a collective deficit of approx. 180 million pounds. There are concerns that funding gaps will increase in the coming years, and calls for more Government funding to protect the provision of services.
In Las Vegas, Nevada, water authorities are asking lawmakers to outlaw non-functional grass in the metropolitan area. It is estimated that there are approx 21 square kilometres of grass in the city that no one ever walks on or uses, and officials estimate it requires four times as much water as more drought-tolerant landscaping options. It is believed that no state or city has previously tried a permanent ban on certain grass types.
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.
The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, home of the VLGA Connect series of interviews and panel discussions about topics of interest to a local government audience. In episode 157, I speak with the new Executive Director of Local Government Victoria, Julie Reid - a former Council CEO with 32 years of experience in the sector in Australia and the UK. Ms Reid is 7 weeks in to the role and thinking about how she can best engage with Council leaders.
"I have been thinking about reaching a little bit more to the CEOs on a regular basis and talking through some of the things that they need support for in the future. I would like to have some regional catch-ups with the CEOS to be able to talk through what they’re facing as regions.
Ms Reid is also looking for feedback from the sector on the implementation of the 2020 Local Government Act
"It’d be really great to get some feedback from the sector once the last wave , or even throughout the process now, any feedback about the new legislation and about what Councils have gone through during that time, and then at the end just getting feedback about where have you landed in all of this. Are there some key learnings about what we would do different next time if there was a next time at some stage in the future?"
You can watch or listen to my full interview with Julie Reid on VLGA Connect, episode 157 available now.
That’s the program for today. Until next time, thanks for listening.