Victorian Roundup:
Brimbank’s Mayor Cr Ranka Rasic says she will encourage councillors to actively engage with municipal monitors about complying with the Local Government Act and Standards of Conduct, after concerns were raised by the monitors with the Local Government Minister.
The monitors, Janet Dore and Penelope Holloway, were appointed in February, and have made an interim report to the minister expressing concerns about failures in regard the overarching governance principles and supporting principles of the Act.
They have also raised issues about behaviour that may be inconsistent with required standards of conduct.
The minister is seeking a response from the council by 30th June on actions to address and remedy the concerns.
Brimbank City Council has advised that contrary to public reports, no Indigenous artefacts have been found at Sunshine Energy Park.
In a statement this week, it says a thorough due diligence process, led by a Cultural Heritage Consultant, has confirmed this.
While there are four registered Aboriginal Places within 200m of the site, none are within the park's boundaries.
The council said it adheres to the Aboriginal Heritage Regulations 2018 and will prepare a Cultural Heritage Management Plan for any future projects.
A Merri-bek councillor is in the news this week for an attempt to bring forward a motion to ban Police from using Council facilities.
The Herald Sun reported that Cr James Conlan also wanted the council to stop issuing community awards to any members of Victoria Police, because of what he describes as a history of violence and intimidation against many communities.
The motion did not however meet the requirements of the council’s Governance Rules, and was blocked from being placed on the agenda by council CEO Cathy Henderson.
The move was described by Police Minister Anthony Carbines as a “ridiculous stunt”, and he said the councillor should ‘stay in their lane”.
The City of Stonnington will revert to using 'Merry Christmas' in its 2024 festive season events, activities, and decorations, following feedback from the community and local businesses.
For the previous two years, the council had used the term “Make Merry”, attracting criticism online and in the media.
The Council voted on the change this week, as well as deciding to mount the traditional Christmas wreath on Malvern Town Hall, which will be lit up during the Christmas period.
Port Phillip City Council has decided to extend its private kerbside EV charger pilot for four more years, or until 100 private chargers have been installed.
The council deferred a decision on discontinuing the trial last month, over concerns about costs, flood risk, and the use of public space.
The matter returned to a council meeting this week at which the extension was decided.
Mayor Heather Cunsolo said the council’s focus will remain on both public and private EV charging models to ensure broad community access and support for the transition to electric vehicles.
A investigation into a cyber security incident involving OracleCMS, which manages out-of-hours customer calls for a large number of councils, has concluded.
Monash City Council has advised that the incident resulted in unauthorized access and theft of mostly historical data from October 2015 to September 2018.
The council said the data included personal information such as names, phone numbers, and in some cases, street addresses, but no financial information or passwords were compromised.
Yarra Ranges Shire Council has unanimously approved a new Tree Canopy Strategy and Implementation Plan.
The strategy, a first for the region, outlines the vision and objectives for long-term tree protection, management, and planting.
The strategy includes six key objectives, including enhancing tree canopy resilience to climate change and applying best practice tree management.
Meanwhile, Glen Eira City Council has been recognised as a Tree City of the World for its commitment to sustainable urban forests and trees.
The council is focusing on expanding and protecting tree-canopy coverage throughout Glen Eira.
The recognition comes from meeting the Tree Cities of the World standards, which include tree management, rules for managing trees, inventories of tree assets, a dedicated budget for tree management, and community celebration of trees.
In a Victorian first, the City of Casey has introduced free vape disposal points in Hampton Park, Clyde, and Narre Warren, in partnership with Ecocycle and Envirostream.
The initiative was established due to the lack of safe disposal options for vapes, which had led to unsafe disposal and increased littering.
Since its launch in November 2023, approximately 1,467 vapes have been collected and processed through a specialised recycling system. Chair Administrator Noelene Duff said Casey has provided guidance to 26 other councils, which have been inspired to hold vape collecting events and establish additional disposal points.
Victorian Briefs:
Central Goldfields Shire Council will partner with community members to conduct an independent review of the Carisbrook Levee, a project completed in June 2023 in response to major floods.
An independent engineer will be appointed to conduct the review, with a final report due by September 2024.
Construction will soon start on the $7.4 million upgrade to the Wyndham Cultural Centre, with the contract awarded to Alchemy Construct Pty Ltd.
The upgrade includes a foyer refurbishment, gallery relocation and refurbishment, and creation of a new visual art collection space.
The revamped Centre is expected to open in mid-2025.
The City of Greater Geelong has hosted a Japanese business delegation to drive international investment and boost local jobs.
The delegation included senior executives from various sectors, who toured local manufacturing sites and participated in discussions on Geelong's business ties with Japan.
A draft Campaspe Economic Development and Tourism Strategy (CEDTS), developed over a year with extensive community engagement, has been released for public comment by Campaspe Shire Council.
The draft is open for review and feedback for three weeks.
The council has allocated $150,000 in its 2024-25 budget to implement projects from the strategy.
Alpine Shire Council has drafted a policy to deal with difficult customers, aimed at protecting the wellbeing of staff, volunteers, contractors, and councillors.
Chief Executive Officer, Will Jeremy, said the policy is timely in light of a growing trend of poor behaviour from some customers and community members.
National Roundup:
NSW:
The revelation that workers at a Liverpool City Council building have developed thyroid cancer has prompted calls for the so-called “cancer cluster” to be properly addressed so that no one else gets sick.
The council advised this week that four workers who have reported having thyroid cancer are cooperating with a Department of Health investigation.
Two others with thyroid conditions have not consented to be part of the investigation.
The council it was taking the matter very seriously, and was relocating staff from level six of the building to level four.
The United Services Union said relocation of workers to a different level in the Moore Street building was not enough, and that the building should be cleared completely.
Local Government NSW has hit out at the State Government for implementing a new "cemeteries tax" amid a cost of living crisis.
The tax, which will affect large operators from July 2024 and smaller operators from July 2025, includes charges per burial, ash interment, and cremation.
The levy is seen as a cost-shifting onto local government, with the impact expected to hit rural and regional communities the hardest.
LGNSW President, Cr Darriea Turley, said the announcement of the levy was premature and ill-considered, and that key design and implementation features remain unresolved.
Inner West Council has agreed to allocate $10 million for the renovation of Leichhardt Oval and $40 million for the renovation of the adjacent Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre.
The combined $50 million investment will support a Leichhardt Park Sport and Recreation Precinct, providing modern facilities for various sporting teams.
The upgrades include female-friendly change rooms and a new 25-metre pool to replace the aging Olympic Pool.
A ceiling collapse occurred at the Albury Entertainment Centre Banquet Hall, with no injuries reported as the hall was vacant at the time.
Albury City Council is responding to the incident, and has closed The Banquet Hall for further assessments and remediation works, while other parts of the venue remain open.
Inside Local Government reported that the situation will result in changes to event planning, but the council says efforts are being made to minimise disruption.
QLD:
Embattled Townsville Mayor Troy Thompson was a no-show at a Council meeting this week, where a no-confidence Motion had been flagged by all of the remaining councillors.
Mr Thompson applied for a leave of absence on mental health grounds, which was granted by the Council, before it resolved that it does not have confidence in the mayor, and requested his resignation.
It removed him as its representative on all bodies, committees and boards unless required by law.
And the Council’s CEO will write to the state government about the conduct and character of the mayor and his fitness for office, requesting remedial action to either suspend or dismiss the mayor.
Deputy Mayor Paul Jacob will act as Mayor in the interim, and Councillor Ann-Maree Greaney has been appointed as Chairperson for all Council meetings.
Later, Mr Thompson posted what the Townsville Bulletin described as a bizarre rant, taking aim at the media and councillors.
He said his leave of absence was due to health decline from alleged bullying.
Local Government Minister Meaghan Scanlon is understood to have sought advice on a suspension or dismissal of Mr Thompson, but it’s believed unlikely that she will make a decision before an investigation by the Crime and Corruption Commission is finalised.
Meanwhile at Cairns, there are reports that that city’s new mayor is the subject of a referral to the integrity watchdog over conflict of interest concerns relating to the appointment of an interim CEO.
John Andrejic, who was recently appointed to the position, has been described as a close professional associate and former campaign volunteer for Mayor Amy Eden.
The Cairns Post has reported that it understands the matter has been referred to the Office of the Independent Assessor, along with questions about the council’s use of ratepayer funds on legal fees relating to the matter.
The Toowoomba Chronicle has reported on a scandal within Toowoomba Regional Council after a photo of councillor Kerry Shine appearing to be asleep during a meeting was leaked on social media prior to elections in March.
The incident has led to calls for accountability within the council and for the person responsible for the photo to come forward.
Cr Shine has chosen not to file a complaint but plans to propose changes to the council's operations to prevent similar incidents in the future.
TAS:
Tasmania’s Integrity Commission has dismissed a complaint by Latrobe councillor Sommer Metske about an alleged conflict of interest involving the council's general manager Gerald Monson and Mayor Peter Freshney.
The Advocate reported that the complaint related to access to staff survey results and alleged toxic workplace culture.
The commission dismissed the complaint, stating it was not in the public interest to investigate further, partly due to Monson's impending retirement.
WA:
Gary Tuffin, the CEO of the Town of Cambridge, has resigned, effective from August.
Mr Tuffin commenced in the position in May last year, and is the fourth CEO to resign from the organisation in four years, according to PerthNow.
The City of Fremantle intends to withdraw from the Resource Recovery Group (RRG) and transition to a new, more cost-effective waste management model by 1 July 2025.
The decision follows similar moves by the Town of East Fremantle and the City of Melville.
Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge said residents will not notice any disruption to waste, recycling, and FOGO bin collection services.
National Briefs:
Singleton Council in NSW has appointed Justin Fitzpatrick-Barr as its new General Manager.
Mr Fitzpatrick-Barr will step up from his role as the council’s Director Infrastructure and Planning in August.
He succeeds Jason Linnane who resigned in March after eight years in the position.
The City of Newcastle has secured long-term protection for a significant wetland and woodland area, forming a key link in a crucial biodiversity corridor.
A Conservation Agreement has been signed with the NSW Government for the 22-hectare land parcel, located at Black Hill near the internationally recognised Hexham Wetlands.
Queensland’s Balonne Shire has offered its CEO a one year contract extension, according to a report from the Western Star.
Matthew Magin has held the position since 2016, and his contract was due to expire this month.
Mayor Samantha O’Toole said a process for the appointment of CEO will occur next year.
Cairns Regional Council has thrown its support behind the AFLW Hawks with a $150,000 contribution to holding one premiership game in Cairns over the next three years.
It follows a three-year partnership extension with the Queensland Government and AFL Cairns to continue the team's presence in the region.
Global Roundup:
NZ:
Wellington City councillor Nureddin Abduraham has requested an investigation by the Auditor-general into the council's handling of the decision to sell its airport shares.
The Post has reported Cr Abduraham’s allegations that council staff introduced significant figures at the last minute, pressuring councillors into voting for the sale.
He claims that councillors were informed just days before the vote that not selling would require the council to find $450 million in the next decade.
The sale was approved after Deputy Mayor Laurie Foon changed her vote based on new information about earthquake and insurance risks.
UK:
UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt says a council tax revaluation would not happen under a re-elected Conservative Government.
Local gov dot co uk reports that critics have long called for a revaluation as council taxes are currently based on domestic property values from 1991.
But Mr Hunt said in The Telegraph that the Conservatives would not increase the number of council tax bands, undertake an expensive council tax revaluation, or cut council tax discounts.
New data in the UK reveals an increase in sexually transmitted infections (STIs), emphasising the necessity for a new 10-year sexual health strategy.
The Local Government Association (LGA) says [a long-term plan is needed to prevent and treat infections](https://www.local.gov.uk/about/news/rise-stis-shows-need-10-year-sexual-health-strategy-lga#:~:text=The LGA says the strategy,the UK Health Security Agency.), addressing sustainable funding, workforce challenges, and service fragmentation.
In 2023, England saw a 4.7% increase in new STI diagnoses and a 5% increase in sexual health service consultations.
The LGA wants a new national strategy to tackle infection rates and ensure long-term funding and resourcing for sexual health services.
IRELAND:
It’s election day in Limerick, which is about to choose its first directly-elected mayor.
The historic election is seen as a test case for the rest of Ireland, following a plebiscite in 2019.
The mayor will take over a redesigned local government system, with many of the chief executive functions transferred to the new elected post.
The Shropshire Star reports that a total of 15 candidates are running for the position of Mayor, and there is no clear front-runner.
SPAIN:
The City of Valencia in Spain has embarked on a project to install more than 6,500 photovoltaic panels in local cemeteries, creating the largest urban solar farm in Spain.
The first phase of the project, dubbed Requiem in Power, involves the installation of 810 panels, expected to produce over 440,000 kilowatts/year and save over 140 tons/year of carbon dioxide.
The project is part of the València 2030 Climate Mission, with long-term goals including 27% of energy from renewable sources and 100% LED city lighting by 2030.
More on that innovated use of cemeteries from The Mayor dot EU
ITALY:
The mayor of a small Italian village is facing unexpected competition in his re-election bid, including from his own mother, according to a report from The Guardian.
Ingria is a village with just 46 inhabitants and an additional 26 registered voters living abroad… and 30 people, including the mother of Mayor Igor De Santis, are running for various council positions.
Mayor De Santis’s grandfather was mayor of the town for 30 years, and he remains optimistic about his chances of retaining the position.
The election is due to be held this weekend.
USA:
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has announced a new initiative, "Ur In Luck," to expand access to public bathrooms across all five boroughs.
According to Time magazine, over the next five years, the city plans to build 46 new restrooms and renovate 36 existing ones.
It is also introducing a Google Maps layer to help residents locate public restrooms and is creating a task force to fast-track approvals for 14 new high-tech, self-cleaning automatic public toilets.