On the Roundup today… a name change on the cards for a Melbourne council; a requirement for equal prize money for professional sporting events in Bass Coast Shire; the final results from Victorian mayoral elections; the Queensland council losing its mayor and CEO in the same month; and the long serving mayor facing assault charges.
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.
Links:
Council asked to consider Moreland name change; ‘Shocked’ Melbourne council to change name after discovering slavery link
East Gippsland responds to Fingerboards decision
Equal prize money in Bass Coast
Kingston alternative designs for SRL
Baw Baw exiting aged and disability services
Complete list: Victorian Mayors/Deputy Mayors
North Burnett CEO following Mayor out
Queensland's longest-serving mayor to face court for allegedly assaulting two female security staff
Councils call for incentives to attract doctors to regions
Councillor misconduct review takes next step
Infrastructure Contributions Reforms Joint Media Release
Kimberley Shire to pay for extraordinary election after councillor quits citing concerns
Cyber Security in WA Local Government
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 name change on the cards for a Melbourne council; a requirement for equal prize money for professional sporting events in Bass Coast Shire; the final results from Victorian mayoral elections; the Queensland council losing its mayor and CEO in the same month; and the long serving mayor facing assault charges.
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.
Links:
Council asked to consider Moreland name change; ‘Shocked’ Melbourne council to change name after discovering slavery link
East Gippsland responds to Fingerboards decision
Equal prize money in Bass Coast
Kingston alternative designs for SRL
Baw Baw exiting aged and disability services
Complete list: Victorian Mayors/Deputy Mayors
North Burnett CEO following Mayor out
Queensland's longest-serving mayor to face court for allegedly assaulting two female security staff
Councils call for incentives to attract doctors to regions
Councillor misconduct review takes next step
Infrastructure Contributions Reforms Joint Media Release
Kimberley Shire to pay for extraordinary election after councillor quits citing concerns
Cyber Security in WA Local Government
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 28th November 2021. I’m Chris Eddy.
On the Roundup today… a name change on the cards for a Melbourne council; a requirement for equal prize money for professional sporting events in Bass Coast Shire; the final results from Victorian mayoral elections; the Queensland council losing its mayor and CEO in the same month; and the long serving mayor facing assault charges.
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;
Moreland City Council is set to consider undertaking a process that could ultimately lead to a change of name for the municipality.
The Council has received information from Elders from the Traditional Owner community and other community representatives about the Moreland name’s connection to a Jamaican slave estate, and the dispossession of traditional owners from their land.
Moreland Mayor Mark Riley said the council was shocked and saddened to learn of the history of the naming of the area, and that it needs to be addressed.
It is understood that the Council will consider a report at its December meeting, which is expected to set out a likely community engagement and decision making process.
Any decision to change a municipality’s name ultimately rests with the State Government. Local Government Minister Shaun Leane told the Age that the issue needs to be worked on by the council and the local community.
Council asked to consider Moreland name change
‘Shocked’ Melbourne council to change name after discovering slavery link
East Gippsland Shire Council has welcomed a decision from the state planning minister Richard Wynne to not approve a proposed Fingerboards Mineral Sands Project in the municipality.
Mayor Mark Reeves said the minister’s decision vindicates the council’s adopted position that the project would have unacceptable environmental effects, and gives the community clarity after a lengthy process.
The Council had previously confirmed it had spent more than $870,000 in legal fees and associated costs representing the community’s interests at hearings associated with the proposal.
https://www.eastgippsland.vic.gov.au/media-releases/minister-announces-fingerboards-decision
The push for gender equality in Bass Coast Shire has taken another step forward with the announcement that all professional sporting bodies holding events in the Shire must award equal prizemoney to men and women.
The new requirement is reflected in the decision to split $20,000 in prizemoney equally between the male and female competition winners at next month’s AMX Motocross Open in Wonthaggi.
It is believed to be the first time equal prizemoney has been awarded in Australian Motocross, and in world motocross competition.
Bass Coast Shire CEO Ali Wastie said the decision to negotiate equal prizemoney sends a powerful message about gender equality, and is simply the right thing to do.
Kingston City Council has developed its own designs for elements of the state government’s Suburban Rail Loop project that impact its community.
The council is attempting to demonstrate the potential for high-quality community and environmental outcomes that could be achieved by the project.
Mayor Steve Staikos said the council wants to create a constructive vision for how the Suburban Rail Loop project could be delivered while also securing local benefits for the community.
Alternative designs have been placed on display for community feedback before 14th December, and the Council intends to present them to Environmental Effects Statement hearings in early 2022. Public submissions to the formal EES process close on the 16th December through the Engage Victoria website.
Baw Baw Shire Council will transition out of all aged and disability services from the 1st July next year.
In a unanimous council decision, the services will be transferred to specialist providers, to be determined by the Commonwealth Government in the coming months.
The services to be transitioned include delivery of meals, home maintenance, home modifications, social support groups and volunteer programs. The council has previously decided to transition home and community care programs, and direct care services.
In a statement, the council said it will continue to support all staff impacted by the new arrangements, and impacted staff will receive their full entitlement under the enterprise agreement.
Mayoral election season has come to an end in Victoria, with the final 7 results since our last bulletin now known.
Most of them occurred on Wednesday, starting with a morning meeting in Yarriambiack Shire, where Kylie Zanker was elected to the mayoralty; and Karly Kirk was appointed Deputy Mayor
Towong Shire also held its mayoral election on Wednesday morning. Andrew Whitehead was elevated to the mayoralty, and former mayor David Wortmann is deputy for the coming year.
In other results, Tom Sullivan was re-elected as mayor at Moorabool Shire, and Tonia Dudzik is deputy;
Lina Messina was elected for another consecutive term as Mayor of Darebin City Council, and Trent McCarthy is the new deputy mayor.
At Queenscliffe, Ross Ebbels was re-elected for a third consecutive term as Mayor, while first term councillor Fleur Hewitt is the new deputy mayor.
Nillumbik Shire has elected Frances Eyre as its new mayor, and Ben Ramcharan as the shire’s youngest ever deputy mayor at age 25.
And the honour of the final mayoral decision in the state for this year goes to Yarra City Council.
It convened for the fourth time on Thursday evening, and elected Cr Sophie Wade as Mayor, and Cr Edward Crossland as Deputy Mayor.
With all elections now complete, the state has 44 male mayors, or 56%, and 35 female mayors, or 44%.
There are 37 female deputy mayors, compared to 35 male deputies. Five councils have chosen not to have a deputy mayor - they are Central Goldfields, Horsham, Loddon, Northern Grampians, and Pyrenees - and two councils, Casey and Whittlesea, are under administration.
The complete list of mayors and deputy mayors can found on the Local Government News Roundup website.
The Roundup continues in a moment with more news from around the country.
The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, the only independent governance organisation supporting councils and councillors in achieving the highest standards of governance on behalf of their communities.
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Now to some stories making news in local government around Australia this week.
The CEO of North Burnett Regional Council, Rachel Cooper, has resigned from her role and will finish up next month, one week after the council’s mayor also steps down.
In a statement, Ms Cooper said it was time to make way for a new CEO after the resignation of mayor Rachel Chambers. She has been in the role since 2019, and will finish with North Burnett on 16th December.
Mayor Chambers announced her intention to step down in September, for personal reasons, and her term will finish on 11th December. A by-election will be held to fill her position by 11th February, and Deputy Mayor Robbie Radel will hold the reins until then.
https://northburnett.qld.gov.au/north-burnett-regional-council-ceo-resigns/
The longest serving mayor in Queensland will face court this week, after being charged over allegations of common assault and creating a disturbance in a licensed premises.
The ABC has reported that John Wharton, mayor of Richmond Shire Council since 1997, has been charged over an incident that Police say occurred in August at the annual Richmond Bush Sprints horse racing carnival.
The 68 year old Mayor Wharton told the ABC that he would fight the charges and was not intending to step aside from his mayoral role in the interim.
Queensland's longest-serving mayor to face court for allegedly assaulting two female security staff
Queensland councils are calling for special incentive schemes to attract more GPs to rural and regional areas.
The Local Government Association of Queensland is advocating for measures to ensure a doctor-patient ratio in rural and regional areas to provide a local level of health care comparable to metropolitan areas.
Flinders Shire Council led the charge with a motion at the LGAQ annual conference last month, highlighting the long-term difficulty in recruiting doctors for local communities.. In its case, Flinders Shire has just one local GP available at any one time for more than 1500 residents.
Its Mayor, Jane McNamara, says the Queensland and Federal Governments should consider incentive schemes to encourage the recruitment of regional health service staff, particularly the relocation of GPs to regional and remote areas.
Councils call for incentives to attract doctors to regions – LGAQ
The independent review of the councillor misconduct framework in NSW has progressed to the next step, with the release of a detailed consultation paper on which feedback is invited from councils and communities.
The paper includes statistics, information and questions to assist council staff, councillors, peak bodies and the general public to make submissions to the review.
The review is being conducted by Gary Kellar, a former General Manager of Logan City Council, and member of the expert panel which examined the local government misconduct framework in Queensland.
Submissions on the consultation paper are due by 28th March next year.
Councillor misconduct review takes next step - Office of Local Government NSW
Agreement has been reached on improvements to reforms of the infrastructure contributions system in New South Wales.
The government and LGNSW issued a joint media release this week confirming that the concerns of local government have been addressed.
LGNSW President Linda Scott said she was confident that the modifications would improve the infrastructure contributions system.
Councils will now be able to continue funding community infrastructure from developer contributions; state contributions will be spent in the region where they are collected; and the maximum amount councils can charge for solar and wind farm infrastructure will be increased.
Councils will have until after their first ordinary meeting in February to make submissions on the policy package that is now on exhibition.
Infrastructure Contributions Reforms Joint Media Release
An extraordinary election has been set for next March in Wyndham East Kimberley Shire, after the resignation of Alma Petherick with two years to run on her term.
The ABC reports that Ms Petherick was displeased with the success of a group of five candidates, who were elected last month on a group ticket, attracting almost 75 per cent of the vote.
The council chose to conduct an extraordinary election, rather than leave the council with an even number of councillors.
Meanwhile, in Broome Shire, a vacancy created by the resignation of Cr Fiona West following last month’s election will not be filled after the Council voted not to incur the cost of an additional poll.
Kimberley Shire to pay for extraordinary election after councillor quits citing concerns
Western Australia’s auditor general has released the results of an audit of councils’ management of cyber security risks.
15 local government entities were subject to a cyber security audit, finding that most did not have current and complete cyber security policies and processes.
Staff at 8 of the 15 entities accessed links, and in some cases, provided username and password credentials in response to test phishing emails.
The report makes 7 recommendations for all local government entities in Western Australia to improve policies, processes, technical controls and to raise awareness of risks.
Cyber Security in Local Government
A Tasmanian councillor has been issued with a performance improvement direction from the local government minister for failing to comply with their council’s code of conduct.
Cr Paul Belcher, of Derwent Valley Council, was found by the Minister to have failed to observe the legislated requirements of food business operations in the municipality by operating a pizza business without the necessary approvals.
Under the direction, Cr Belcher is required to undertake ethics training, cease bringing the council into disrepute in the manner identified by the Code of COnduct Panel; and refrain from breaching the Council’s Code of Conduct. He is also required to provide a written progress report within 60 days.
Now some stories of interest under our international spotlight….
In South Africa, the ruling party has lost control of a number of major cities after local government elections earlier this month.
The African National Congress won less than 50% of votes and lost the mayoralties of Johannesburg and other metropolitan cities.
The Democratic Alliance opposition party has successfully formed coalitions where the ANC could not.
AP reports that the weak showing of the ANC in the elections, which take place every five years, is an indication of voter disillusionment over poor delivery of basic services, crippling power cuts, and numerous allegations of corruption.
South Africa's ANC loses mayors in Johannesburg and Pretoria
In the UK, new research shows that public trust in local government was maintained at strong levels while confidence in the national government was crumbling as the COVID-19 pandemic played out last year.
Localgov.co.uk reports that trust in Westminster fell from 51% to as low as 21% over the course of 5 months in 2020. At the same time, trust in local government held firm at 41% throughout the same period.
The research, from the University of Kent, found that the pandemic has led to a greater sense of national division, but the sense of local unity has strengthened.
Trust in local government stayed strong during pandemic, researchers find
Covid-19 pandemic has increased national division but bolstered local unity – School of Psychology
In Scotland, the town of Greenock will launch a formal bid to become the country’s eight city.
The Greenock Telegraph reports that despite a survey showing local residents were not in favour, the Council has voted unanimously to proceed with the bid for city status as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
61 per cent of respondents to an online survey were against the idea and don’t believe city status will help with aims to boost the town’s population.
At least six other towns are believed to be considering a bid. The deadline for applications is next month.
Greenock will bid to become the eighth city in Scotland
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.