On the Roundup today… a controversial proposed ban on dogs and toy vehicles in Port Fairy will not proceed; a new affordable housing program bears fruit for Bayside Council; results from 12 more mayoral elections in Victoria; CEO movements in Queensland; an historic land transfer in NSW; and keep listening for a special offer for Roundup listeners just ahead.
All that and more coming up 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:
Port Fairy dog pan won't proceed
Bayside Affordable Housing Program
Ballarat awarded Australia's most 'Outstanding Council Animal Shelter 2021'
Rescue Award Winners List
Vic Tourism Investment Fund
Business Concierge Fund extended
List of Mayoral election results
LGPro Infrastructure and Transportation Summit
Charges dismissed against former Ipswich Mayor
Scenic Rim Regional Council CEO Jon Gibbons voted out by councillors
Aurukun CEO retiring
Women get set to take local government
Wingecarribee and Wollondilly online bushfire expo
Mayoral representation to remain after election Bland Shire Council
Historic land agreement to boost Orange - Orange City Council
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; with support from Davidson, the nationally recognised executive recruitment and business advisory service; and from Ventia, making infrastructure work sustainably for our communities.
Links for stories referenced in the podcast can be found in the transcript, or by visiting the Roundup website.
On the Roundup today… a controversial proposed ban on dogs and toy vehicles in Port Fairy will not proceed; a new affordable housing program bears fruit for Bayside Council; results from 12 more mayoral elections in Victoria; CEO movements in Queensland; an historic land transfer in NSW; and keep listening for a special offer for Roundup listeners just ahead.
All that and more coming up 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:
Port Fairy dog pan won't proceed
Bayside Affordable Housing Program
Ballarat awarded Australia's most 'Outstanding Council Animal Shelter 2021'
Rescue Award Winners List
Vic Tourism Investment Fund
Business Concierge Fund extended
List of Mayoral election results
LGPro Infrastructure and Transportation Summit
Charges dismissed against former Ipswich Mayor
Scenic Rim Regional Council CEO Jon Gibbons voted out by councillors
Aurukun CEO retiring
Women get set to take local government
Wingecarribee and Wollondilly online bushfire expo
Mayoral representation to remain after election Bland Shire Council
Historic land agreement to boost Orange - Orange City Council
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; with support from Davidson, the nationally recognised executive recruitment and business advisory service; and from Ventia, making infrastructure work sustainably for our communities.
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 14th November 2021. I’m Chris Eddy.
On the Roundup today… a controversial proposed ban on dogs and toy vehicles in Port Fairy will not proceed; a new affordable housing program bears fruit for Bayside Council; results from 12 more mayoral elections in Victoria; CEO movements in Queensland; an historic land transfer in NSW; and keep listening for a special offer for Roundup listeners just ahead.
All that and more coming up 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.
Moyne Shire Council in southwest Victoria will not proceed with changes to local laws to ban dogs and toy vehicles in the Port Fairy CBD, after receiving strong feedback from the local community.
Councillors have voted not to proceed with the changes, after community consultation show little support for the proposed ban over the busy tourist season.
CEO Bill Millard said the response was one of the largest ever received by the Council. More than 800 submissions were recorded, the majority opposing the proposed changes. A petition with 1455 signatures also opposed the changes, while a joint letter with 16 signatures was in support of the changes.
Mr Millard said that while the laws wouldn’t be changed, it was a timely reminder for people to be responsible when taking their pets out while enjoying all Port Fairy has to offer.
https://www.moyne.vic.gov.au/News-Media/Dogs-and-scooters-welcome-in-Port-Fairy
Bayside City Council has taken ownership of its first five affordable housing units in Pagewood, as part of a program to provide accommodation to working families on low incomes.
The Council has secured 45 properties as part of a voluntary planning agreement with Meriton at the Pagewood Green Complex.
The remaining 40 units will be transferred to the Council in groups of 10 as works progress.
The agreement includes dedication of land for open space, and an infrastructure cash contribution of $24 million.
The Council’s affordable housing portfolio will be managed by Evolve Housing Limited.
http://www.bayside.nsw.gov.au/news/affordable-housing-program
The Ballarat Animal Shelter has been named Australia’s most Outstanding Council Animal Shelter.
The Rescue Awards recognises achievements in the rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of companion animals across Australia.
Judges were impressed by the Ballarat shelter’s success in improving animal welfare of rescued, rehomed and abandoned animals, including poultry, goats, sheep and horses.
The national awards also recognised the City of Launceston for its mobile companion animal shelter for emergency evacuation; and Cairns Regional Council for its West Cairns Animal Management Program.
Ballarat awarded Australia's most 'Outstanding Council Animal Shelter 2021'
https://rescueawards.com.au/winners-2021/
Councils are among those being encouraged to apply for funding from a new Regional Tourism Investment Fund.
The $100 million fund has been created to support new experiences and attractions, and to revitalise existing tourism experiences. It will focus on nature, epicurean, arts and culture, and First Peoples’ experiences.
Grants of up to $10 million are available, with a minimum funding amount of $150,000. Registrations of interest close on 7th January.
https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/backing-great-ideas-drive-regional-tourism-recovery
The Victorian State Government has extended the local government business concierge program into the new year.
Under the program, Councils have been able to employ over 200 COVID business support officers to work with local businesses on meeting COVIDsafe requirements.
An additional $3.5 million has been made available to employ the officers until next February, at all Councils outside the City of Melbourne.
https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/more-support-local-businesses-thrive
There have been 12 mayoral elections around Victoria since our last bulletin on Wednesday.
Here are the latest results:
At Bayside Council, Alex Del Porto is the Mayor for a fifth term; making him Bayside’s longest serving councillor and mayor; with Hanna El Mouallem elected deputy.
Benalla Rural City Council has elected Bernie Hearn as mayor, and Don Firth as deputy. Cr Hearn has previously served as deputy, but it is her first time as Mayor.
Buloke Council has reelected Cr Daryl Warren to a second consecutive mayoral term, with Alan Getley as deputy.
Colac Otway has gone for stability with Mayor Kate Hanson and Deputy Mayor Graham Costin both reelected to the positions.
It’s a record six term as Mayor for Cr Anita Rank at Glenelg Shire; and Cr Scott Martin has stepped into the deputy mayoral role.
Another record mayoral appointment for Greater Dandenong, with Jim Memeti elected to the role for the fifth time. He’ll be supported by deputy mayor Eden Foster.
At Hindmarsh Shire, the new mayor is Cr Melanie Albrecht; Brett Ireland is Deputy Mayor.
Hobsons Bay has elected Peter Hemphill to the mayoralty for the third time; Diana Grima is the newly elected Deputy Mayor.
Steve Staikos has been reelected Kingston Mayor for a second consecutive, and fourth overall term; Jenna Davey-Burns was elected Deputy.
Loddon Shire has elected Dan Straub as Mayor, and has chosen not to have a deputy.
At Maroondah, Mike Symons is mayor for the second time, supported by deputy Rob Steane
And another historic mayoral appointment at Moira Shire, where Libro Mustica has been chosen to lead for a fifth time; Peter Lawless was elected as Deputy Mayor for a second time.
Another big week of mayoral elections looms, with at least 26 scheduled, including a second attempt to elect a Mayor at Moyne Shire.
You can keep track of the results as they come in on the Local Government News Roundup website.
https://lgnewsroundup.com/?page_id=385
A new summit focussing on infrastructure and transport kicks off this week, with six sessions over three weeks set to explore big picture issues of relevance to local government.
The summit is being staged by LGPro Victoria to fill the space created by the cancellation of the national roads and transport congress.
LGPro CEO Jill Brown says the multi day format is a conscious decision to combat Zoom fatigue…
I asked Jill to nominate a couple of highlights from the program:
The summit runs from Tuesday 16th November, with 6 two hour sessions over three weeks. You can find out more about the program and register via the link in the show notes, and here’s an offer too good to refuse for Roundup listeners:
The Roundup continues in a moment with more news from around the country.
The Victorian Local Governance 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, is the incoming Chancellor of RMIT University, and has just been awarded the honour of Melburnian of the Year.
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
In Queensland, the Court of Appeal has upheld the District Court’s ruling to dismiss charges against former Ipswich Mayor Andrew Antoniolli.
Local Government Association of Queensland CEO, Alison Smith, welcomed the decision, and reiterated concerns about the reputational damage caused by the laying of charges that are ultimately found to be baseless.
She said it is undermining public confidence in the Crime and Corruption Commission and the local government sector as a whole, and the LGAQ is looking forward to the outcome of the current inquiry into the CCC which is expected to report back by the end of the month.
Scenic Rim Regional Council in Queensland has voted to not reappoint its CEO when his contract runs out next June.
The Council voted four votes to three to part ways with Jon Gibbons next year, and did not provide a reason for its decision not to reappoint.
Mayor Greg Christensen said further announcements would be made in due course about the recruitment process for a new Chief Executive Officer.
Scenic Rim Regional Council CEO Jon Gibbons voted out by councillors
The CEO of Aurukun (Ara-koon) Shire Council in Queensland will retire this month, after 50 years in the local government sector.
Bernie McCarthy has been CEO for nine years, and received a public service medal in 2017 for his service to local government.
An announcement on a new CEO is expected soon.
With voting about to commence in the NSW Council elections, the electoral commission has confirmed an increase in the number of women standing for council.
Women represent 41.7 percent of candidates, an increase of more than 4 percent on the last round of elections.
Currently, women represent just 31 percent of councillors in NSW. The government has announced an investment of $2.3 million to support all elected female councillors after the elections through leadership modules, toolkits and workshops.
Women get set to take local government
Wingecarribee and Wollondilly Shire Councils will host a joint online bushfire expo to help residents prepare, recover and re-build in the face of natural disasters.
The Response, Recovery and Resilience Expo will be held over three days from Friday 19th November, and will cover issues such as disaster preparedness, recovery assistance and rebuilding advice.
Speakers will include Head of Resilience NSW, Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons, and Disaster Recovery Expert Anne Leadbeater.
https://media.wsc.nsw.gov.au/wingecarribee-and-wollondilly-councils-to-host-online-bushfire-expo/
A NSW Council has passed a resolution to delegate powers of the mayor to the outgoing mayor, for the period between Council elections on 4th December and the 11th January.
Bland Shire Council was concerned that the shire would be without elected representation for more than a month, as under the Local Government Act, the mayor’s authority would cease on the day of the election.
The Council’s resolution restores the authority of current Mayor Brian Monaghan to make decisions on behalf of the Council, along with the General Manager, up until a new Council is sworn in and a mayor is elected in January.
Mayoral representation to remain after election Bland Shire Council
The largest land transfer in NSW history is expected to deliver major benefits for the city of Orange, and the wider central west region.
More than 390 hectares of land will be transferred from the Government to Orange City Council, and the Orange Local Aboriginal Land Council.
Government Minister Melinda Pavey said the Australian first agreement will be a model for future Aboriginal Land Agreements and transfers, balancing the rights of Aboriginal people and essential community infrastructure.
The Council will take ownership of 312 hectares for management of parks, sporting facilities and other recreational and cultural activities, while 86 hectares will be transferred to the Aboriginal Land Council.
Historic land agreement to boost Orange - Orange City Council
Launceston and Northern Tasmania have achieved a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy designation, joining 48 other cities in the network.
The network, launched in 2004, aims to strengthen cooperation among cities and help guide economic, social, cultural and environmentally sustainable development.
Launceston Mayor Albert Van Zetten said the project would cement Launceston’s identity as an internationally recognised region for food and beverage production.
Along with the City of Launceston, six other northern councils have committed to creative city projects - they include Break O’Day, Dorset, George Town, Meander Valley, Northern Midlands and West Tamar.
Launceston designated a UNESCO City of Gastronomy
The Roundup continues in a moment with the international spotlight falling on Glasgow, California and Mexico.
But first, a word about our valued sponsors, Hunt & Hunt Lawyers.
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Now some stories of interest under our international spotlight….
Glasgow in Scotland is the latest city to announce a new car free zone in its centre, under a long term strategy designed to give public spaces back to the people.
HeraldScotland.com reports that a core area restricted to public transport will be created in the next five years, and £30 billion will be spent over ten years to achieve a net zero living target by 2030.
The core of the historic Glasgow city centre will be designated as a space entirely free of private cars over the next five years.
Glasgow city centre new 'car free' zone announced by council leader
In California, the West Hollywood City Council has voted to provide the highest minimum wage in the US.
The Guardian reports that wages will increase every six months until mid 2023, when they are expected to surpass the state’s minimum wage, which is already the highest of any state.
Councillors voted unanimously to approve the increase, despite opposition from some local business owners. The new minimum wage rate has been set at $17.64 per hour, starting from January.
West Hollywood votes to set highest minimum wage in US
And to Mexico now, where a new world record has been set for the number of free wifi hotspots in a single urban network.
Guinness World Records announced this week that Mexico City has set a new record with its 21,500 public internet access points across the capital.
France24.com reports that the access points are spread across the city of 9 million people, especially in public transport. Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said the aim was to make internet access a right for all, and particularly for disadvantaged families with no home connection.
Mexico City sets world record for free Wi-Fi hotspots
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.