Local Government News Roundup

22nd September 2021 (#58)

September 22, 2021 Chris Eddy Season 1 Episode 58
Local Government News Roundup
🔒 22nd September 2021 (#58)
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On the Roundup today… nominations close for the South Gippsland council election; Loddon Shire appoints a new CEO; moves to strengthen NSW Councils against corruption; and a push to have the Shepparton Bypass listed as a national priority.

Just some of the stories ahead on the Roundup, which is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, home of the VLGA Connect series of YouTube panel discussions and podcasts.

And by Hunt & Hunt Lawyers - providing advice to help Councils achieve the best for their communities.

Links:
Loddon Shire CEO appointment
South Gippsland Shire election nominations close
Regional manufacturing innovation hub for Greater Bendigo
Port Phillip activation design competition
Greater Geelong major projects dashboard
Push for national priority listing for Shepparton Bypass
NSW plan to strengthen councils against corruption
Heavy Vehicle safety funding for three councils
Edward River Council to sell airport land
Wollondilly Shire welcomes rail line upgrade
Snowy Monaro Mayor and Deputy Mayor re-elected
MidCoast Council wins risk management award
UK LGA report on climate cost of ageing sporting facilities
US Ohio city law to control drone usage

Support the Roundup and get access to special episodes and regular breaking news updates by becoming a subscriber for around $5 per month. ($3 USD) Click here to subscribe now.

The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, the national broadcaster on all things local government; and supported by Davidson, the nationally recognised executive recruitment and business advisory service.

Links for stories referenced in the podcast can be found in the transcript, or by visiting the Roundup website.

Hello, and welcome to the Local Government News Roundup for 22nd September 2021. I’m Chris Eddy.


On the Roundup today… nominations close for the South Gippsland council election; Loddon Shire appoints a new CEO; moves to strengthen NSW Councils against corruption; and a push to have the Shepparton Bypass listed as a national priority;



Just some of the stories ahead on the Roundup, which is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, home of the VLGA Connect series of YouTube panel discussions and podcasts.


And by Hunt & Hunt Lawyers - providing advice to help Councils achieve the best for their communities.




Another week, another CEO appointment in Victoria! Loddon Shire Council has announced the appointment of Lincoln Fitzgerald to the CEO position, effective 1st November.


Mr Fitzgerald fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Phil Pinyon earlier this year.


He is currently Manager Active and Healthy Lifestyles at the City of Greater Bendigo, and has previously worked at Mt Alexander Shire. 


Jude Holt will remain in the Acting CEO position until 31st October.



Nominations have closed for the South Gippsland Shire Council general election, with a total of 24 candidates to appear on the ballot across three wards.


Six former councillors have nominated for the election, including four who served during the last term prior to the Council being dismissed in 2019.


Enrolled voters will start to receive ballot packs from Thursday 7th October, which must be completed and returned by post or hand delivered by the deadline of 6pm on Friday 22nd October.



An advanced regional manufacturing and innovation hub in Bendigo has received a $2 million commitment from the Australian Government.


LaTrobe University, in partnership with the City of Greater Bendigo and the Bendigo Manufacturing Group, will develop the hub as a one stop shop for regional industries seeking specialist advice and practical support for digital transformation.


While it will be based in Bendigo initially, the University has plans to extend the concept across its other regional campuses in Shepparton, Mildura and Albury-Wodonga.


Vice-Chancellor Professor John Dewar said the hub will connect regional manufacturing companies to global markets, building on the estimated output from the sector in Greater Bendigo alone of $2.25 billion.



Port Phillip City Council has launched a competition to aid the economic recovery of the municipality after lockdown. The Reimagine competition is open for applications for six $50,000 prizes to design and deliver amazing activations across the city.


Mayor Louise Crawford is calling on designers, artists, architects, sculptors and other creatives to think outside the box when submitting concepts.

She said it is about creating vibrancy and visitation through the creative use of public space.


The winning entries will be in place between six weeks and nine months. The Council has developed a preferred list of activation sites, but is open to considering suggestions for all public spaces. The six winners will be announced in November.




The City of Greater Geelong is making data and information available about public, private and joint-venture investment in major projects across the city.


A major projects dashboard has been created to showcase investment in the city, and enable users to explore details of major projects planned, approved, underway or recently completed.


There are currently 138 major projects in the pipeline, with $6.4 billion in projects in the planning stages. A major project is defined as having a value of more than $10 million.


You can find a link to the dashboard in the show notes for this episode.



A joint submission outlining the urgent need to fund and commence construction of stage one of the Shepparton Bypass has been lodged with Infrastructure Australia, seeking to have the project recognised on its priority list.


The submission has been prepared by Independent Member for Shepparton Suzanna Sheed, Greater Shepparton Council, the Committee for Greater Shepparton, and the Goulburn Valley Highway Shepparton Bypass Action Group.


It highlights the importance of getting the bypass underway, acknowledging the rapid development and expansion of Greater Shepparton, as well as addressing safety issues. 


The bypass would provide national highway connectivity as part of the greater road network between Melbourne and Brisbane.


The Australian Government has committed $208 million to deliver stage one over a number of years in conjunction with funding from the Victorian Government. The Infrastructure Australia Priority List is expected to be published in February next year.



The Roundup continues with stories from around Australia in a moment.


The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association.


The VLGA presents Fast Track 2021, The Journey Continues - the second part of its highly regarded Councillor Leadership Program - online, Friday 1st October.


The program will include a welcome and Q&A discussion with the Local Government Minister, the Hon. Shaun Leane, and three timely and topical moderated panel discussions.


Topics include the Council Term So Far; the Influence and Strategy Continuum, and When Conduct Disappoints - Individuals Working as a Team.


Registrations are open now on the VLGA website - vlga.org.au/events.





The NSW Government has released an action plan to strengthen councils against corruption, and safeguard against misuse of the planning system.


The plan acts on recommendations from the Independent Commission against Corruption following its investigation into the former Canterbury City Council.


Local Government Minister Shelley Hancock said the new action plan will bolster the defenses of Councils against corruption with increased monitoring of data and decisions, and stronger requirements around the ethical responsibilities of councillors and general managers.


Many of the actions are scheduled to be completed by the end of the year, with all to be undertaken by 30 June 2022. There is a link to the action plan in this episode’s show notes.




Round 6 funding from the Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative has been announced, with three councils receiving grants for road safety projects. 


Orange and Cabonne Shire councils in New South Wales will be funded for their joint Power Nap project, which is an intervention strategy to deliver a behavioural change program highlighting the early warning signs of driver fatigue.


And Flinders Ranges Council in South Australia will be funded to develop a route assessment and risk analysis of its local and heavy vehicle road network.


The HVSI fund is administered by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, and has distributed over $28 million over 6 years.




Edward River Council has decided to sell parts of the Deniliquin Airport precinct that are surplus to Council requirements.


The lots are currently vacant and zoned industrial.


In selling the land, the Council aims to support business expansion, job creation and economic development.


Mayor Norm Brennan said the council will undertake a subdivision to create new land parcels with all services provided. It has opened an Expressions of Interest process for a period of four weeks.




The NSW government has committed $9.1 million towards the upgrade of the historic Picton to Colo Vale rail line.


Wollondilly Mayor Robert Khan has welcomed the funding as a major boost to the shire’s tourism sector.


The cash injection will also assist the area’s recovery from the impacts of the Black Summer bushfires and COVID-19 lockdowns, and support the continued success of the NSW Rail Museum at Thirlmere.


Mayor Khan said the reopening of this section of the Loop Line will help bring visitors back to the area. Work on the 32 kilometre project is expected to commence soon.




Snowy Monaro Regional Council has re-elected Councillors Peter Beer and Lynley Miners as Mayor and Deputy Mayor, with no other candidates contesting the vote. Crs Beer and Miners will remain in the roles until the Council elections, which have been postponed to December this year.


MidCoast Council in New South Wales has been recognised with an award for risk management. Its innovative risk management roadmap was named winner of the Strategic Enterprise Risk category at the Statewide Mutual Risk Management Excellence awards. General Manager Adrian Panuccio said the award is an endorsement of the council’s best practice implementation of a single risk management vision and solution after the Council merger.





The Roundup continues in a moment with the international spotlight.


But first, a word about our valued sponsors, Hunt & Hunt Lawyers.


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The team at Hunt & Hunt have experience as councillors, officers and executives within councils across Victoria. They know that when things get tough, you roll up your sleeves and you do what needs to be done in the interests of your community. That’s the same energy they bring to their partnership with council clients.

 

With more than 80 years’ experience in the local government sector, there are few municipal law issues they haven’t seen and successfully resolved.  

 

To find out more about the Hunt and Hunt team, visit hunthunt.com.au.





Now some stories of interest under our  international spotlight….


A new report from the UK’s Local Government Association has warned that ageing sports and leisure facilities across the country are producing up to 40 percent of council’s direct carbon emissions - hampering their ability to meet emissions reduction targets.


In research conducted with over 250 councils and a wide range of stakeholders, nearly two thirds of the leisure estate was found to be ageing and past its replacement date.


The report also projects a revenue loss of £411M for district councils alone, rising to £600M when unitary councils and metropolitan boroughs are included. It also highlights major opportunities, including the integration of leisure provision within the health system.


You can find a link to the report in this episode’s show notes.



And from the US, Hamilton City Council in Ohio is considering a new law to prohibit the use of drones to commit voyeurism.


The ordinance has been prepared following complaints about an individual using a drong to harass individuals by recording images through private windows, above backyards, and even chasing a woman down a street.


Perhaps surprisingly, no law exists to prohibit such activity. The proposed law will make it illegal to use drones to invade privacy, to fly over properties without owner consent, as well as flying over crime scenes or emergency scenes.


The National Law Review says whether the new proposal is ultimately adopted, it serves as a reminder to check local laws and regulations before flying a drone.




And that’s it for this edition of the roundup.  Visit www.lgnewsroundup.com for more on each episode, including show notes, links to the stories referenced and extra features.


The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, the home of VLGA Connect - register now for a live panel event on Electing the Mayor, Thursday 23rd September;


And by Hunt and Hunt Lawyers - providing advice to help Councils achieve the best for their communities.


Join me next time for more local government news. Until then, thanks for listening and bye for now.