Glen Eira CEO keeps job and pledges to complete sustainable lighting project
Newly reappointed Glen Eira chief Andrew Newton is hoping cost savings will appease residents who wanted him out.
The 54-year-old father of two said he was looking forward to finishing projects he had started, such as creating sustainable street lighting that would save the council $250,000 a year.
A special committee, at a meeting closed to the public, resolved to extend Mr Newton’s contract until April 2014.
Mr. Newton, who has held the top job since 2000, will be paid $271,000pa plus super and has the use of a hybrid Camry.
Residents behind the Glen Eira Debates blog created an online petition in a push for the council to advertise the job and encourage fresh applicants.
But Mr Newton said people criticising his reappointment should understand it was common practice. “Numerous councils have reappointed their CEO,” he said. “The (Local Government) Act gives councils the choice whether to reappoint their CEO or advertise the job.”
Mr Newton said he was looking forward to converting 5000 street lights to new-technology globes. “The project will cut council’s total green house emission by 15 per cent,” he said. “Glen Eira already has the lowest emissions per capita of any metro council and this will cut running costs by $250,000 per annum.”
He said the council had “important work to address in our ageing population, government reforms to kindergarten, increasing public open space, providing extra housing while protecting neighbourhood character.”
Louise Clifton-Evans
Glen Eira Debates 
November 29, 2011 at 9:25 AM
If this is really how the interview went then it’s the worst public relations exercise Newton has ever performed. I should be happy because of $250,000 saving! Not one word there about all the money that’s been wasted on gesac, lawyers and other stuff. It’s also disingenuous. His package isn’t $271,000. Add in super and it’s about $320,000. Then we get the throwaway lines about ageing, kindergartens and two words about planning. Doesn’t he know that his officers in VCAT are consistently arguing that the population projections for Glen Eira have already been exceeded so there shouldn’t be any need to continue to provide extra housing. This would have been far more honest and appealing to residents if Newton had said we’ll look again at the planning scheme and fix up the mess and we’ll look again at how we treat residents and we’ll look again at why we squander so much money on lawyers and I promise not to threaten anyone again with spurious bullying charges. Now that would have been a good way to woo the disapproving public. Not with this wimpy, poor excuse that other councils reappoint. Hey Andrew do you know that other councils have also sacked their ceo’s and others have advertised. Once the gang is gone you won’t be so immune! Just another little tad of advice – don’t do any interviews. Let Burke handle this – he’s an expert at the bullshit.
November 29, 2011 at 9:47 AM
54 years old, he looks 60+, and acts like a 80 year old. The worry is he actually believes what he said. He is saving us money we should all be happy, what a wanker.
November 30, 2011 at 1:52 PM
Other Councils have been using this sort of lighting for ages. He must of saved this one up to get Pillings vote. You can be sure Pilling supported the new contract. Regardless of what he said a few years back. Worked for him.
November 29, 2011 at 10:06 AM
What on earth was in some councillors heads when they reappointed this dicatator. I just hope that the gang aren’t around to reap what they’ve sown in two years time because all that’s going to happen is the continued slow erosion of democracy and residents rights.
November 29, 2011 at 10:13 AM
Newton does not have the “green light”. If anything it is a dimming amber light with most people pretty well convinced that he fell over the line with the help of Lobo and the gang. Not a good look and definitely not a vote of confidence in his ability to really go full steam ahead. The interview tells us quite clearly how much he is on the defensive.
November 29, 2011 at 11:13 AM
I live in the best Municipality in Victoria and Andrew Newton has a great deal of thanks due by our Community. Andrew don’t be upset by the fools who insult you anonymously. They probably have never done a days honest work in their useless lives and all they know what to do is complain and be negative. Andrew leads a staff of almost a thousand and controlls a huge variety of seperate entities which directly affect all our lives. Our parks , libraries,the hundreds of our elderly in our nursing homes. our home help, youth services and the list continues. His staff includes Accountants,Lawyers, Doctors,Engineers, Nurses and just about any other profession you can think of. He has a massive job and the Community Poll shows he does it exceptionally well. As for Anon 2 you are a coward.
November 29, 2011 at 11:39 AM
Give it up Noel! next we’ll all have to bring out the violins!
November 29, 2011 at 2:45 PM
How’s the Christmas trade going Noel?
November 29, 2011 at 12:18 PM
The other paper has got Esakoff saying that Newton is the best man for the job. How the hell would she know when the position has never been advertised and he hasn’t had to prove himself against fair dinkum competition. Reckon he wouldn’t get to first base in that kind of game.
November 29, 2011 at 2:31 PM
Anonymous 5 is a brown nosed wanker.
November 29, 2011 at 3:17 PM
The attributed comments to Newton are, as others have already said, extremely disappointing. When residents have been repeatedly told that what happens in other councils is their business and irrelevant to Glen Eira, it’s a bit rich to have Newton now claim that Glen Eira does what other council do. If this were truly the case then Glen Eira would have a Notice of Motion and innumerable other advances – all advocated for strongly by the administration.
It’s also stunning that Newton believes residents should be appeased with the miserly saving of $250,000. Legal fees over the past few years would have trumped this many times over I imagine. The entire article reveals exactly how out of touch Newton is with community aspirations, needs, and wants. His reappointment is inexcusable and the most retrograde step this council has taken in decades.
November 29, 2011 at 4:41 PM
I notice that the minutes of the Special Committee meeting that reapointed Newton aren’t up on council’s website. The second meeting was cancelled which makes me fear that these minutes will never be produced. I want to see them for two main reasons – (1) to see how accurate they are in terms of the voting pattern. Was the decision unanimous or simply carried? (2) who moved and seconded this motion? The answers to both of these questions will tell us a lot and confirm what we already suspect. That Newton has clung to his job by the skin of his teeth and with the backing of Hyams, Lipshutz, Tang, Esakoff and Lobo. I honestly believe that all criticism should be laid at their feet for what they have done to this council and community. Sure it’s legal but far from ethical and far from representing the people who voted for them. There are already comments about Magee, Pilling, Forge and Penhalluriack having the guts to stand up and state how they voted. I’m not holding my breath though. I’m also not holding my breath for these minutes to appear this year. Maybe in 6 months time when things have cooled down a bit and the perpetrators of this hope that people will have forgotten their betrayel. I assure the gang that I won’t forget and will be spruiking this loud and clear to anyone who is prepared to listen. The stench they’ve created is wafting far and wide.
November 29, 2011 at 5:35 PM
Best way to cut costs is to cut back on the fat cats and some of the 1000 staff.
November 29, 2011 at 5:46 PM
That is great idea, cut the fat-cats, they are a bunch of pussies hiding behind air-con and lawyers. I do believe that paying more doesn’t necessarily get you a better person. Usually a big ego attached to personally disorder.
November 29, 2011 at 10:43 PM
At least a wanker has a happy ending. Anon 7 my happy ending was Andrew’s re-appointment.I know my City is in safe hands.PS Andrew was re-appointed by the majority of Councillors in the manner prescribed within the Local Government Act.
November 29, 2011 at 11:13 PM
Sure Newton was reappointed by the majority. Why? What little tricks did he pull out of his bag and are we revisiting 2005 territory with threats of legal actiion?
November 30, 2011 at 7:47 AM
We don’t know that he was reappointed by a majority of councillors. It was handled by a subcommittee of less than 9 councillors, in secret. LGA doesn’t prescribe secrecy either. What LGA *does* prescribe is Best Value Principles, although Glen Eira doesn’t apply them to any good or service, let alone the position of CEO.
November 30, 2011 at 12:55 AM
More Sordid Secret Deals
Anonymous 12 You clearly have been in receipt of confidential information in contravention of the Local Government Act. Nobody else has been told what the voting was. Remember, not all the councillors were present, so the vote may not have been a majority of all councillors. So watch out, Mr. Newton’s Thought Police may descend upon you, demanding “Please Explain”. Who leaked to you? Was it Paul, or perhaps Andrew Himself?
Perhaps you can tell us all what the price was. Whose vote was on the line? Which councillors were going to be sued this time? Who was the bully at this meeting? Surely now its YOUR time to ‘fess up. Anonymous 12, tell us the source of your leaked information.