Local Government News Roundup

31st October 2021 (#69)

October 31, 2021 Chris Eddy Season 1 Episode 69
Local Government News Roundup
🔒 31st October 2021 (#69)
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On the Roundup today… a report finds widespread noncompliance with Councillor personal interest return requirements; councils named as the most complained about public bodies by the Ombudsman; an olive branch extended at a troubled Sydney council, as the Minister threatens to step in; and Dubbo Council releases the results of its code of conduct complaints audit.

Just some of what’s ahead on the Roundup, which is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, an independent governance organisation supporting councils and councillors to achieve the highest standards of governance;

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

Links:
Personal interests returns: Encouraging disclosure and increasing transparency
Record demand for the Victorian Ombudsman's help
Recycling Victoria Leads The Way To A Sustainable Future
Wyndham wins prestigious UNESCO Learning Cities Award 2021
East Gippsland Mayor and Deputy Mayor elected
Cr Samantha Byrne elected as Moonee Valley Mayor
Ceasefire at dysfunctional north shore council ahead of elections
Outgoing Dubbo mayor demands greater transparency around code of conduct complaints
LGAQ Annual Conference - calls for Works for Qld funding boost
Norfolk Island joins LGAQ
LGNSW calls for more council heritage powers
Hilltops Council financial position concerns
New Deputy Mayor at City of Rockingham
Michigan official: Benton Harbor water woes 'inexcusable'

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 31st October 2021. I’m Chris Eddy.

On the Roundup today… a report finds widespread noncompliance with Councillor personal interest return requirements; councils named as the most complained about public bodies by the Ombudsman; an olive branch extended at a troubled Sydney council, as the Minister threatens to step in; and Dubbo Council releases the results of its code of conduct complaints audit.


Just some of what’s ahead on the Roundup, which is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, an independent governance organisation supporting councils and councillors to achieve the highest standards of governance;


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


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Victoria’s Local Government Inspectorate has released the results of an extensive review of personal interest declarations of Victorian Councillors.


The review sought to assess levels of compliance with legislative requirements, and to identify ways of improving compliance.


Chief Municipal Inspector, Michael Stefanovic, said half of 650 councillors assessed had failed to submit accurate records of their personal interests. 2 out of every 5 councillors failed to disclose interests in one or more of their returns, or failed to submit a return at all.


Mr Stefanovic told a VLGA Connect Live Panel on Friday that not all cases of non-compliance would lead to action being taken:


The report makes 14 recommendations to improve compliance through education and guidance, legislative change and oversight.


Mr Stefanovic said that while the focus is on councillors, the disclosure requirements also apply to nominated staff and they will also benefit from the recommendations.


Personal interests returns: Encouraging disclosure and increasing transparency



The Victorian Ombudsman, Deborah Glass, has tabled her annual report in Parliament this week, describing an unprecedented level of complaints about public organisations.


She said complaints to her office increased 12 per cent to more than 18,000, from almost half of all Victorian postcodes.


Ms Glass said the decision of public servants neglecting human rights in their decision-making led to many of the complaints.


Local councils topped the list of most complained about public bodies, with issues complained about similar to previous years. She said the area of biggest concern was how councils communicated with ratepayers, and how the complaint was handled.



Record demand for the Victorian Ombudsman's help


A new bill introduced into the Victorian Parliament this week will pave the way for a new oversight and regulatory regime for waste and recycling in Victoria.


From 1 July next year, Recycling Victoria will take on responsibility for waste and recycling, partnering with Sustainability Victoria and the Environment Protection Authority.


The bill supports Councils’ transition to a four-bin household recycling system, as well as the introduction of the new container deposit scheme.


Recycling Victoria will be part of the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.


Recycling Victoria Leads The Way To A Sustainable Future


The City of Wyndham has received a prestigious UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities Award.


The biennial awards recognise members of the network that have demonstrated significant progress in enhancing education and lifelong learning.


Wyndham is one of three councils in Australia that are members of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities. It is only the second Australian recipient of the award, after its neighbour the City of Melton was recognised in 2015.


The third Australian member council is Circular Head in Tasmania.


Wyndham wins prestigious UNESCO Learning Cities Award 2021



East Gippsland Shire Council has elected Cr Mark Reeves as Mayor, and Cr Arthur Allen was elected Deputy Mayor at a meeting held on Thursday evening. Cr Reeves is in his third term on the Council, while this is the first term for Cr Allen.


Councillors - East Gippsland Shire



At Moonee Valley City Council, Cr Samantha Byrne has been elected as Mayor for the second time. Cr Byrne previously served as mayor in 2019/20, and she takes over from outgoing mayor Cr Cam Nation.


Cr Jacob Bettio was elected as Deputy Mayor.

Cr Samantha Byrne elected as Mayor


 The Roundup continues in a moment with more news from around the country.


The Victorian Local Government Association will hold its Annual General Meeting on Thursday 18th November.


The AGM will be conducted via Zoom video conference, and will feature keynote speaker, Peggy O’Neal AO.


Peggy is President of the Richmond Football Club, a specialist in superannuation and financial services law, and has been announced as the incoming Chancellor of RMIT University.


She will speak on the topic of governance and leadership, and why culture matters.


The AGM will be held on Thursday 18th November from 4.30pm.


Registrations and further details are available on the VLGA website - link in the show notes.

https://www.vlga.org.au/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=394



At Ku-ring-gai Council in Sydney, the mayor has reportedly decided to withdraw consideration of the General Manager’s performance review from the agenda of its next meeting in a bid to break a stalemate that has seen eight meetings abandoned due to insufficient councillors in attendance.


The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the move comes after the local government minister Shelley Hanock said she was preparing to intervene. 


It is understood that the Office of Local Government has asked the absent councillors to explain their actions. 


It has also been reported that the General Manager has barred the Mayor from having contact with Council staff, due to serious concerns arising from information received.

Ceasefire at dysfunctional north shore council ahead of elections




The report from an independent audit of past code of conduct complaints at Dubbo Regional Council has been released to the public, in redacted form.


The audit, conducted by Pinnacle Integrity, has led to eight recommendations, all of which have been accepted by the Council.


The actions arising from the recommendations include the development of a triage checklist for initial complaints; ensuring only authorised persons deal with complaints; external handling of assessments and investigations; and training and reinforcement of obligations for Councillors and Council staff in relation to the complaints process.


The Council says the reforms are either well under way or in the process of being implemented.


And the ABC reports that at the final meeting of the Council before the upcoming local government elections, the Council voted to give the chief executive discretion to release the full version of the report should it become necessary and possible to do so.


INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATOR'S REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Outgoing Dubbo mayor demands greater transparency around code of conduct complaints




In Queensland, the 125th LGAQ Annual Conference has been held in Mackay, with hundreds of delegates attending from across the state. 73 of the state’s 77 councils were represented at the event, which culminated on Wednesday with debate on motions for advocacy and action on issues of critical importance.


The conference called on the Federal Government to restore financial assistance grants to at least 1% of commonwealth taxation revenue, to address the serious financial sustainability issues experienced by all councils.


There was also a call for the restoration of funding for the Works for Queensland program, which is steadily dropping from the initial $100 million per year in 2016.


https://www.lgaq.asn.au/news/article/1230/councils-call-for-works-for-queensland-funding-to-go-backto100mill



In related news, Norfolk Island Regional Council has been granted associate membership of the Local Government Association of Queensland.


Under a heads of agreement, signed in June this year, Queensland is working with the NSW government to arrange school education and health services support for the territory.


It’s 9 member parliament was replaced with a local government administration in 2015, with NSW managing health and education services.


https://www.lgaq.asn.au/news/article/1226/norfolk-island-joins-lgaq




In NSW, a review of the state’s Heritage Act has led to recommendations for greater powers for councils to manage local heritage, and broader incentives for ownership of heritage property.


LGNSW President Linda Scott said the release of the parliamentary report into the review supported the sector's calls for local heritage grant programs, a state-led heritage tourism strategy, and a dedicated local government representative on the Heritage Council.


She has called on the state government to accept the recommendations as they consider their response to the report, due by April 2022.


https://www.lgnsw.org.au/Public/Public/News/2021-Media/1027_heritage.aspx



Hilltops Council in New South Wales has voted to implement an immediate recruitment freeze, to review the use of consultants and contractors, and to explore options for a reduction  in employment costs.


The council will also commence a discussion with the community about levels of service within policy and financial limitations, and is identifying assets suitable for divestment.


Cr Greg Armstrong commented on the Council’s financial position in a statement released last week, saying the depletion of internal cash reserves through operating deficits was the number one issue for the council, with drastic measures needed to be considered.


In A video message on Facebook on Thursday, General Manager Anthony Reilly said there would be ongoing consultation with staff and unions commencing immediately.


https://www.hilltops.nsw.gov.au/council-column-26-october-2021/?fbclid=IwAR0xD9ZWAEjs9QCIHLbBzgCa_E3shxLaJ6pDfhGbaeCZ5UnxO2Mbk3bJrc8


Draft Minutes Hilltops Council - 27 October 2021



At the City of Rockingham in Western Australia, a new deputy mayor has been elected at a special council meeting last week. Baldivis Ward Councillor Hayley Edwards has been chosen by fellow councillors for the position.


Cr Edwards was first elected in 2019, and will serve as deputy to Mayor Deb Hamblin for the next two years.

https://rockingham.wa.gov.au/your-city/news/2021/october/council-elects-new-deputy-mayor



The Roundup continues in a moment with the international spotlight falling on the US, Canada and New Zealand.


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


Hunt and Hunt do more than help councils with their legal issues. They build genuine partnerships to help you achieve the best for your community.


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….



In Michigan, residents of the small southwestern city of Benton Harbour are being provided with free bottled water for drinking and cooking in a situation that could last for many weeks to come.


The Associated Press reports that state officials have defended their response to a lead crisis, which was revealed in troubling test results in 2019.


6,000 old water lines need to be replaced - a project that will take as much as two years, within just two thirds of the required $30 million allocated by state and federal governments to date.

Michigan official: Benton Harbor water woes 'inexcusable'



To Canada, where the city of Vancouver has become the first municipal government in the country to issue a sustainability bond to help cover new environment-related infrastructure construction projects.


The $100 million bond offering is aimed at reducing pressure on the city’s user and utility fees and property taxes.


The dailyhive.com reports that the demand for the bond is nearly four times the issuance size. It pays a 2.3% coupon interest rate, and matures in 2031.


In 2018, the city issued $85 million in green bonds to fund environmentally sustainable projects.

City of Vancouver issues first sustainability bond of $100 million to fund infrastructure | Urbanized



New Zealand’s Wellington City Council has released a powerful and confronting video describing the impacts of personal confrontation on its frontline staff.


In just two years, the Council’s customer facing representatives have experienced over 950 instances of conflict.


Thanks to listener Matt for the tip on this video, which you can view via the link in the show notes for this episode.

News and information - Video: Facing conflict on the frontline



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 - an ever growing library of interviews, updates and panel discussions on YouTube and podcast


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.