9th September 2023
Intro/Headlines:
Hi, this is Chris Eddy, coming to you from the land of the Wadawurrung People with the latest from the Local Government News Roundup.
On the podcast today:
The state opposition on a collision course with the government over plans to strip councils of planning powers;
A new council alliance launched;
A peak body responds to the concerns of a metropolitan mayor;
Proposed new water legislation rings alarm bells for the food bowl regions;
A new report says regional councils can do more to promote their affordability advantage to attract staff;
Mayoral election season begins in NSW;
Apple targets councils in a bid to increase smartwatch market share;
and the financial crisis for UK councils deepens.
Just some of the many local government stories getting our attention today… let’s round ‘em up!
Sponsor Acknowledge:
Thanks for joining me for today’s podcast - brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association - the national broadcaster on all things local government;
And by Snap Send Solve, in the business of keeping shared spaces safe, clean and great to be in.
Victorian Roundup:
The Victorian Government is facing a battle to get its mooted housing reforms through the upper house, after the opposition declared its preferred approach to the housing crisis this week.
Shadow Minister for Home Ownership and Housing Affordability Jess Wilson announced a Coalition wishlist, which includes protecting the voice of local residents in planning decisions while speeding up approval processes.
The coalition joins the Greens in saying the housing supply issue can be achieved without stripping powers from councils, at odds with Premier Daniel Andrews’s view that council planning powers should be reduced.
It also wants to see property taxes reduced, additional land supply unlocked across the state, and common sense and achievable housing targets, including incentives, for all local government areas.
A newly formed alliance of councils has been launched this week.
The Greater Ballarat Alliance of Councils brings together Ballarat, Pyrenees, Golden Plains, Moorabool and Central Goldfields as a collective voice for the region.
The group’s key issues for advocacy include roads, transport and housing.
Federal Minister Catherine King launched the alliance on Friday, and Ballarat Mayor Des Hudson is its inaugural chair.
The group replaces a previous alliance that included Ararat and Northern Grampians councils.
Concerns are being expressed about a state government decision to exclude peri-urban councils from the Growing Suburbs Fund.
Bass Coast Shire said it has been informed that it is no longer eligible to apply for the funding stream, which opened for applications last week.
The fund has been reduced this year by $40M to $10M,
Bass Coast had hoped to apply to the program for support for its Bass Coast Dinosaur Trail.
Latrobe City Council has confirmed that it has followed the correct process in tabling an independent arbiter’s findings into a Councillor Conduct matter at its September meeting this week.
As reported in our last episode, Cr Melissa Ferguson was found to be in breach of the Councillor Code of Conduct in relation to social media activity, and ordered to apologise.
Mayor Kellie O’Callaghan said that the council understood the conduct matter had been upsetting for many in the community, particularly the LGBTIQA+ community, and recognised that transgender and gender diverse people continue to face significant barriers and challenges.
CEO Steven Piasente said the council would support the appropriate implementation of the outcomes of the conduct process.
There’s been debate about whether Cr Ferguson response at this week’s Council meeting constituted the required apology.
Prior to the meeting, former Melton councillor and upper house MP Moira Deeming said on social media that Cr Ferguson had refused to degrade herself by apologising for what she describes as ‘reasonable beliefs.’
Ms Deeming has slammed the arbitration outcome, describing it as a kangaroo court, and an outrageous assault on a constitutional right to political communication and freedom of speech.
Peak body LGPro has responded to concerns raised by the Mayor of Hume, Joseph Haweil, about its response to culture and conduct issues at Victorian Councils.
Cr Haweil said at a recent Council meeting that he was disturbed at the language used in the LGPro submission, as reported in the media.
An LGPro spokesperson told the Star Weekly that it had apologised for any offence caused, and offered Cr Haweil an opportunity to discuss his concerns.
It said some of the commentary was not an accurate representation of the sensible reforms it was calling for in good faith.
A new water bill proposed by the Federal Government would have detrimental effects on the horticulture industry and the wider Greater Shepparton region, according to the Council.
Mayor Shane Sali said this week that the bill, which could see 450GL of water taken from local irrigators through buybacks, would have a significant impact on regional communities.
He said if the bill is passed, the price of fruit and vegetables will rise, adding to pressure already being felt from a cost-of-living crisis.
The Water Amendment Bill was introduced to Parliament this week, and would see legislative changes made to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
Cr Sali said the region would fight for a better outcome to protect the region from job losses and economic uncertainty.
Monash Council has introduced new gambling harm reduction measures that will see Council’s community spaces free from gambling advertising and sponsorship.
The measures will apply to sporting pavilions, club rooms and recreation centres, as well as traditional Council spaces like libraries, offices and maternal and child centres.
Mayor Tina Samardzija said Monash is one of the top 10 local government areas in the state for electronic gaming machine losses, and the new bans on advertising and sponsorship are part of a broader approach to reducing the harms caused by gambling in Monash.
Victorian Briefs:
A proposal to build community batteries in 18 council areas across regional Victoria has received funding from the state government.
The Regional Greenhouse Alliance project will develop a business case for neighbourhood batteries at sites servicing a high value community need, such as emergency shelters and other critical community facilities.
Work on the project will continue through August next year.
Strathbogie Shire Council is calling on its community to help name its new magpie sculpture.
The recently unveiled 3.5m installation is already drawing crowds from across the region and beyond.
The name will be selected from a list of entries and announced at the Euroa Agricultural Show on the 28th October.
Wellington Shire is urging property owners in its municipality to take advantage of its No Fee Green Waste initiative in November to prepare for the bushfire season.
Mayor Ian Bye says its important to recognise an elevated risk of bush fires this year, and the council’s No Fee Green Waste in November is an incentive for people to clean up their properties.
A new report has highlighted salary differences between regional and metro Victorian councils, and ranked them in terms of comparison against house and rental prices, and employee commute times.
Recruitment agency Planned Resources has prepared the report, and its public sector business manager Cindy Tran says it shows while regional councils are good at promoting the liveability benefits of their areas, more should be made of the affordability benefits:
A lot of the regional councils here that are at the top of the charts, I think there's an opportunity for them to look into this affordability factor and then use it as an advantage in terms of their promotional message or in terms of their approach to potential candidates or employees and attract them to the region.
Ms Tran says affordability is a less attractive proposition for metropolitan and fringe councils, and their approach to attracting staff should take a different focus:
I think there are more works to do, not in terms of stressing in this affordability term, because it's a bigger issue that the councils couldn't solve. But it's more about how do they evolve and change their workplace policies to accommodate flexibility, accommodate more assistance to employees who can't afford to live in a suburb, but who is willing to work for the council with greater flexibility, greater inclusive, supportive working cultures.
The report finds councils in the Grampians and Loddon Mallee regions scored best on salaries to local housing comparisons. Metro councils Wyndham and Melton scored best on comparisons of income to rental prices for band 5 to 8 employees.
You can find out more about the report from the link in our show notes.
National Roundup:
NSW:
MidCoast Council has responded to allegations aired on Channel 9’s A Current Affair program about the Forster Civic Centre development.
The council said the allegations of financial misconduct are serious and it welcomes any investigation into the matter.
The development includes commercial and residential space, as well as a Council run library, visitor information centre and customer service point to begin operations next month.
Sub contractors have engaged in social media activity about non-payments for their work on the building, with which the Council says it is not associated.
The council’s general manager, Adrian Panuccio, said that no evidence, complaint or information with respect to the allegations have been received by the council.
Dubbo Regional Council has appointed consultants to undertake an in-depth review of the council’s financial position.
AEC Group will undertake the work, and deliver recommendations to support a financially sustainable future.
Mayor Matthew Dickerson said the review will aid in exploring options with the community to address long term financial challenges, which he said have arisen for a number of reasons.
They include increasing demand on services, cost shifting and ageing infrastructure.
The review is expected to take about five weeks to complete.
As mayoral election season gets under way in NSW, a long term regional mayor is stepping away from local government.
Bill West has been mayor of Cowra for 15 years, and a councillor for nearly 25 years. He has announced that he will not seek re-election as mayor this month, and he won’t be a candidate at next year’s council elections. (Source: Cowra Guardian, 7-9-23)
In Weddin Shire, mayor Craig Bembrick has indicated that he will stand again for the mayoralty when the council holds an election on 23rd September.
The Grenfell Record reported this week that no other councillors have yet indicated they would contest the position.
And at Goulburn Mulwaree, incumbent mayor Peter Walker is expected to have competition when the council votes on 19th September.
The Goulburn Post reported that former mayor Bob Kirk will attempt to take back the mayoralty that he lost by one vote last time around, after six years in the role.
QLD:
The latest on the Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden case on the Gold Coast now… the councillor charged with murder and currently on bail has indicated through his lawyer that he will accept a voluntary suspension from his position.
Local Government Minister Steven Miles had issued a show cause notice, requiring Cr Bayldon-Lumsden to indicate by the end of the week why he should not be suspended until the next elections, due in March next year.
According to ABC News, Mr Miles has welcomed the decision, saying it was the fairest outcome for all involved.
Meanwhile, former councillor Margaret Grummitt will be sworn in on Monday as a replacement for Cr Bayldon-Lumsden, but in an advisory capacity and without voting rights.
The Apple Watch is making its way into local government, with reports that councils are signing up to use the device in place of traditional duress devices.
Logan City Council has reported savings of $70,000 over three years from introducing the Apple Watch for use by operations and local laws staff, with its fall detection feature activated with the first week after deployment.
In a report in The Australian this week (7-9-23, p.20), the council said the rapid response of the feature has demonstrated its lifesaving potential.
Apple is reportedly ramping up its efforts to make local enterprise deals to increase its share of the smartwatch market, which already sits at around 34 percent.
SA:
South Australia’s City of Port Lincoln has farewelled its outgoing CEO Matthew Morgan who has moved into a private sector role with PlotBox.
Mr Morgan was with the Council since 2020, and Peter Bond has been announced as his replacement in the interim.
Mr Bond had been helping out in the general manager environment and infrastructure position at the Council before being offered the interim CEO position.
The Council says it is currently finalising the recruitment process for the CEO position.
WA:
A councillor and former shire president in Broome has been disqualified, after missing three consecutive council meetings.
Harold Tracey had not formally requested leave for the meetings.
In a statement, the council said it recognised there were unfortunate circumstances, understood to be relating to the death of a spouse.
CEO Sam Mastrolembo said Cr Tracey would be a significant loss to the Council after many years of leadership, including six years as Shire President.
An extraordinary election will be required to fill the vacant seat.
Two councillors at the Town of Mosman Park are stepping down from their roles halfway through their terms.
PerthNow reports that Cr Josh Allsop has resigned due to a pending move overseas.
His decision comes just weeks after colleague Robert Nash announced that he would be stepping down.
Cr Nash’s position will be filled at the upcoming elections, however Cr Allsop’s resignation has come too late to filled this time around.
It is expected that it will be filled at an extraordinary election early next year.
Perth’s Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas has ended speculation about his future with confirmation that he will again seek election to the role.
PerthNow reports that there are three contenders for the position, down from seven in 2020.
The other two contenders for the election next month are former deputy Lord Mayor Sandy Anghie, and 24 year old Will Leyland, who is also standing for a councillor position.
Election day is Saturday 21st October.
The City of Melville has appointed its current director of community development, Gail Bowman, to the position of chief executive officer.
Ms Bowman will be the city’s first female CEO and take over in late November when Marten Tieleman finishes his five year term at Melville.
Mayor George Gear welcomed and congratulated Ms Bowman on her appointment.
Ms Bowman brings extensive experience in local and state government to the role, including a strong background in corporate strategy and governance.
National Briefs:
Launceston Councillor Joe Pentridge has accepted a caution after being found in breach of the council’s code of conduct.
A panel found that he should have declared a conflict of interest when voting on a planning matter due to an ongoing Supreme Court case.
The panel report has been formally received by the council. (Source: Launceston Examiner, 9-9-23)
Snowy Monaro Regional Council has selected a preferred applicant for its CEO position, but is not yet ready to announce who that person is.
Councillors met in Cooma on Friday morning to make their decision, with contract negotiations now under way.
The Council says it expects to share news of the appointment next week.
WA’s Shire of Denmark has chosen David King as its preferred applicant for its Chief Executive Officer position.
The Council says it received more than 40 applications for role.
Mr King has served as acting CEO since March this year, and was previously its Deputy CEO since 2021.
International Spotlight:
UK:
In the UK, council finances are firmly in the spotlight, as questions still swirl around how Birmingham, said to be Europe’s largest local authority, found its way to effective bankruptcy.
More councils are sounding alarm bells this week.
The City of York Council has received a report urging immediate action to cut outgoings with a predicted overspend next year of 11.4M pounds.
The BBC reports that the Council has been warned it will soon exhaust its reserves if it doesn’t reduce spending.
Rising costs in adult and children’s social care have been cited as major contributors to the predicted overspend.
Meanwhile Kirklees Council in West Yorkshire is trying to rein in an estimated 47.8M pound crisis, and Shropshire Council last week considered but decided against issuing a section 114 notice… Its reserves are practically gone, and it is trying to save 51M pounds this financial year.
A BBC investigation has found the average UK council deficit now sits at 33M pounds.
That amounts to an increase of 60 per cent in the last two years.
Meanwhile, a former executive at Birmingham Council says it was a mistake for the city to host the Commonwealth Games last year, as it diverted focus away from finding solutions to its financial problems.
Max Caller was appointed in 2019 to help the city deal with serious problems, but the games used up much of the political and managerial capacity needed to address underlying problems.
BBC News has reported on his view that the council’s focus should have been on doing the basics and getting better, rather than trying to do nice new things.
USA:
Three former members of Toledo City Council in Ohio have received prison sentences after being found to have accepted bribes in return for support and votes on legislative matters.
The two men and one woman, aged between 67 and 74 years of age, received sentences ranging from 4 months to 24 months imprisonment.
The cash payments ranged from $1500 to $10,000 were given in exchange for support on zoning changes and special use permits for local businesses.
The case was investigated by the FBI, which said finding and investigating public corruption is one of its highest priorities.
Meanwhile, in California, a corruption scandal in the city of Anaheim has prompted calls from residents and activists for reforms which they say are being ignored by city council members.
The Voice of OC reports that local groups are holding their own forums to discuss alleged corruption at city hall and form their own recommendations for reforms, after a former mayor pleaded guilty to public corruption charges.
City council members did not attend the forum, but some council members have said they would be interested in exploring the city putting on its own public forum.
An independent investigation report released in July alleged influence peddling, pay to play schemes and potential criminal violations among other concerns.
And here’s cheeky little story on which to end this update….
A Chicago alderwoman has raised the alarm about signage that has appeared on a local beach without authorisation.
Maria Hadden, a representative on Chicago City Council, took to Facebook this week to warn people that the sign declaring the beach as a nude beach was not legitimate.
Fox News reported that the Alderwoman helpfully advised people that some clothing was still required at all beaches under the control of the city, and that the unauthorised but very official looking sign had been reported for removal.
Close:
That’s the latest from the Roundup for 9th September 2023.
Brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, with support from Snap Send Solve.
You can find links to the stories referenced in this episode and a full transcript at www.lgnewsroundup.com.
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The Local Government News Roundup is recorded in the city of Greater Geelong, Victoria, on the land of the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation.
More of the latest local government news coming your way next week. Until then, thanks for listening, and bye for now.