We’ve had a few comments regarding the use of the Glen Eira Council logo in the recent Warriors advertisement in the Leader newspaper. Several public questions were asked on Tuesday night regarding the allocation of basketball courts to the Warriors instead of the McKinnon Basketball Association. One of the questions specifically mentioned the use of council’s logo.
This is an important issue. It’s even more important since council is expending ratepayers’ monies on ‘legal advice’ to sort out the mess. Judging by the in camera items, this issue remains unresolved after weeks and weeks. If this is the case, then answers to the tabled questions are vitally important in terms of transparency and good governance. We are still awaiting the minutes of the meeting in order to cite verbatim the response to these public questions. However, the following is an approximation of what was asked and the response:
To the question of who gave permission for the use of the logo the response went along these lines – (a) Groups using GESAC are ‘expected’ to show the logo and that anyone who receives a grant must also ‘enclose’ the logo
‘Expectation’ is such a wonderful weasel word. Does this mean that the Warriors weren’t ‘ordered’ to use the logo? That their letter of offer even mentioned logos? That by osmosis they realised that this was ‘expected’ since we believe they are not recipients of any grant for GESAC use? It also neatly sidesteps the core of the question – did any individual(s) inform, tell, advise, instruct, insist that the logo be used? If so, then implicit permission was granted without formal council approval and without the issue of who uses the courts having been resolved.
We would also suggest that the appearance of such an ad (with the logo) in effect undermines the very deliberations that are currently ongoing. Any reasonable person seeing the advertisement and the logo, could only assume that (1) the Warriors have the full imprimatur of Council for their use of GESAC and (2) that a decision has already been made. We doubt whether this is the case.
Glen Eira Debates 
September 1, 2011 at 11:57 AM
Burke decided on warriors. The god who knows paid for publicity just puts more pressure on councillors to shut up and go away and save face. Typical Machiavellian tactics on councillors who don’t oversee as they should.
September 1, 2011 at 2:00 PM
I guess the Warriors are entitled to run any advertising campaign they like. I do though doubt whether they would pour in funds to such an announcement if they hadn’t been assured of the success of their expression of interest. So, if the issue is still under debate and legal opinion they’ve jumped the gun a little. It might even be claimed that this is false advertising – especially with the logo sneaking into the bottom of the advertisement. I drive past plenty of billboards by local footy and cricket clubs leasing council grounds and recipients of their grants. Not a single one has the logo anywhere on these billboards. I also don’t think that any group would be stupid enough to infringe copyright without the express permission of the owners of that copyright. That to my way of thinking means that permission (albeit tacit permission) was granted and that the public question was not answered.
September 1, 2011 at 5:29 PM
My questions again….this time answers included.
Dear Councillors, a few questions regarding the Warriors ad which appeared on page 7 in the Caulfield Leader on Tuesday 16th August, 2011.
1. Who gave warriors permission to use council logo? If no permission was given will council prosecute as other councils have done?
A. In any publication issued by a group about their services, programs or projects that use the Glen Eira Sports and Aquatic Centre (GESAC) facilities Council expects them to clearly show that the facility belongs to and is provided by Glen Eira City Council. The same principle is widely used throughout Council. For instance, it is a requitement that community organisations in receipt of a Community Grant from Council must ensure that;
“All promotional material for the service, program or project must recognise the assistance of Glen Eira City Council”
This is usually done through the use of Council’s logo.
2. Has the ombudsman’s decision been handed down? Has council finalised it’s position following legal advice? If yes, then when will council make a public announcement as to who will run basketball programs at GESAC.
A. If you have a question of the Victorian Ombudsman then you should direct your question to him. Any Council decisions will be taken appropriately and announced appropriately.
3. Was any funding for the ad provided by council, or any ‘advice’?
A. No
September 1, 2011 at 6:00 PM
This says nothing! It does imply however that GESAC belongs to the Warriors and therefore they’ve been informed that they have to use the logo.
It’s also nice to know that residents will be the last to know as to what is going on with the lawyers. Oh well, typical answers from Burke. One shouldn’t ever expect any better.
September 2, 2011 at 8:59 AM
Question 1.
Got to say that seems a reasonable answer to the question of use of Council Logo. I am not sure what all the fuss on this forum is about in terms of using the logo in the Ad. Once the put the GESAC logo in there I would have thought they pretty much are obligated to also include the council one.
Question 2
I hate would councils and other body sidestep questions of this nature. A simple answer of decision still pending and council will make make a public announcment when decision is final surely would have been clearer.
Question 3
That is a pretty clear cut answer
September 2, 2011 at 9:40 AM
But who gave them permission to even use the GESAC logo?
September 2, 2011 at 2:40 PM
Who cares really, what harm is it doing? Is it not a council own facility?
The fact that council is not paying for this ad means the Warriors actually are. Doesn’t t demonstarte a proactive club that using it’s own funds to actively promote GESAC, hence saving ratepayers money from being used on Same. Hooray for the Warriors!!!
PS: Some people need to get a life if this is what really is griping them
September 2, 2011 at 8:19 AM
While I am not involved in basketball, I am interested in good governance, accountability and openness. From the information provided in various media, it is clear that good governance, accountability and openness have no applicability in this instance.
Compliments of the Administration, the GESAC allocations are a mess. As a result of public pressure, Council has undertaken a legal review of the status of the “contract” awarded to the Warriors. Additionally, Council requested an officers report on the allocation process (Council Minutes June 06, 2011 – Item 10). Both are still pending.
Yet on 16/8/2011 a Warriors advertisement showing both the GESAC and Glen Eira Council Logos appears in the local paper. The legalities regarding logo use are well known – unless permission to use the logos was formally given their appearance in the advertisement was illegal. The public question is quite direct (“Who gave warriors permission to use council logo?”), the answer given is not and the question remains unanswered.
As well as the above unanswered public question, the following could also be asked –
What is the status of the legal review?
Where is the Officers report?
Why wasn’t this issue raised by Councillors?