The following post has appeared on Cr. Pilling’s blog.
“Earlier today sent this email thru to Crs ,CEO and admin on the need next year to review the whole Expression of Interest process that led to the present unfortunate situation where 1400+ local kids, families and clubs will most probably not be enjoying the brand new facilties at GESAC next year.
It was a case I feel of the wrong process for the wrong situation and an important part of any review will be acknowledging this. To conduct to what amounted as a quasi commercial tender process was to say the least misguided.
“In the aftermath of this years Gesac basketball saga feel it would be helpful to spend time in the New Year reviewing the whole EOI process and the criteria used in assessing.
I feel there are real questions as to whether this was the right way to go from the start.It’s too simple and misses the point just to say that the MBA should have submitted a better bid.
There has to be a better way of determining the allocation – one that is more equitable and doesnt over emphasise ‘marketing business plans’ and court fees at the expense of real community need and the realities of local sport. Will do some research on similar situations for info on different allocation models. In my mind there are similarities to the childcare fees issues about getting the balance right.
In the end the current EOI process lead to a poor outcome that has caused anghst and outcry in our communities- For this reason alone we should work hard to ensure a fairer more community minded process is in place for the second twelve mths of GESAC” .
COMMENT
Whilst we applaud Cr. Pilling for his stance and making this public, we also believe that it is a case of too little, too late. We ask councillors the following questions and believe the public has a right to some honest answers:
- What role did councillors have in determining the selection criteria for the EoI’s? If none, why not?
- What feedback was provided to councillors throughout this entire process? Was it adequate, detailed, comprehensive?
- Did councillors ever get to read the formal applications? If not, why not?
- If read, were councillors ever asked for any formal feedback, suggestions, preferences?
- What was the legal advice? Since there were at least two legal opinions sought, did these opinions differ in any way?
- Were any figures on proposed budgets presented to councillors at any stage? Were they asked for?
- Were councillors derelict in their duties to oversee the allocation process?
- Was the administration derelict in its duties in not keeping councillors adequately informed of all stages, requirements, budgets, and progress?
- Why did councillors not move motions in council that would remove the ‘confidential’ status of the item?
We have repeatedly stated that transparency does not occur behind closed doors. If Cr. Pilling and others are dissatisfied with the outcome, then their objective should be to ensure that the processes are correct right from the start. If questions are asked and answers are not forthcoming, then a formal council resolution would put an end to any obstructionism that may be occuring.
It would also be of great interest to residents that councillors explain why they voted as they did. This is stated in the Local Law, yet we have no idea why Hyams, Lipshutz, Tang and Forge voted the way they did. This is not transparency and accountability. It reeks of more secrecy and behind the scenes discussions. As with so many other issues at Glen Eira, the pillars of good governance – transparency, accountability, – are non existent.
Glen Eira Debates 
December 20, 2011 at 11:05 PM
I can’t help thinking that this is all a case of after the horse has well and truly bolted, let’s wring our hands, let’s cry what a shame, but when things could have been done, and needed to be done, everyone sat there like a pack of stunned mullets in the back rooms of council. Leaving it all in the hands of Burke and Newton was the first crucial mistake. The second was allowing them to call the shots, the lawyers, the bullshit. And this is only about basketball!!
What kind of cockups are going on with everything else? Do you even know Neil? How about getting up in February and not asking, but demanding, that figures on everything are presented – and again not in assemblies, but in full council meetings. And put a deadline on this such as the very next council meeting. If the bastards don’t get back with a decent report, then reject it and demand another. If this is repeated, then report them to the ombudsman and the municipal inspector. The dicatorship that has been happening at this council for 12 years has got to end. It can start right now. Just watch out for Hyams, Tang and Lipshutz and their crappy points of order. I reckon that you should do some homework and read the meeting procedures like your bible. Know it inside out and quote it back at these legal weasles.
December 21, 2011 at 10:52 AM
Pilling cannot ask any pubic questions. Council meetings are not a forum to gain popularity by grandstanding. Only way of acheiving your wishes is by using a ” notice of motion”. Not possible in Glen Eira. A successful councillor is one. The can bring other to their point of view. That is the skill he should be working instead of wasting his time blogging.
That will get him nowhere.
To
December 20, 2011 at 11:25 PM
Well I would have to say that Cr Pilling letter and other is a refreshing path for a Glen Eira councillor.
One Cr. alone cannot change the pact of secrecy that the majority of other Cr’s have sought to use to protect the CEO, their dear mate from the Liberal Party. It is a case of you pat my back and I will scratch your tummy.
Let not forget in a increasing overpopulated city with a huge lack of open space the pay-offs for the insiders are worth cuddling up for.
As Cr. Hyam said its going to be a “sporting year” and who gets what, when it come to the only land left up for grabs will be interesting.
“Keep your eyes on the prize”
The 10 million dollar plus reservoir site is waiting in the wings, Will the residents get to use this area as parkland, or will they have the gall to hand it over for exclusive use to their favourite sporting clubs.
Cui bono, Cui bono
December 21, 2011 at 9:22 AM
I wonder who that could be and what affiliation they might have with the gang, it’s just a wild long shot guess
December 21, 2011 at 5:05 PM
Wouldn’t be one of the woof-woofers who want to have even greater use of parks to the further detriment of sporting clubs, would we? Name the parks that are “for exclusive use ” of sporting clubs in our municipality? Oh! And I am a dog owner, but one who appreciates the word share and who cleans up after my woofer defecates. Pity there aren’t more of us. 😉
Kudos to Pilling for his statement.
Let’s hope he follows through by demanding more transparency during the decision making process. And he fights harder against abuse of the “…restricting information only when the wider public interest clearly demands” clause in the Code of Conduct. There is actually very little that should not be in the court of public opinion. When you see government or semi government regularly resort to in- camera discussion the motives are more likely to be protective than objective.
December 21, 2011 at 5:19 PM
Cleverly worded Autonomy since you no doubt know that the argument is that no public park is for the ‘exclusive use’ of just sporting clubs. Anyone can visit, take a stroll – that is except when games, training, schools happen to be using the ovals which amounts to all of the weekends and at least half of the weekdays/nights.
A more appropriate question would be – how many parks in Glen Eira do not contain sporting ovals, pavilions, and have no restrictions on them whatsoever?
December 21, 2011 at 6:27 PM
Nothing clever about it. Just used your thoroughly misleading term.
It’s called shared use. Sporting clubs have just as much right to use parkland as those of us with woofers.
The park near me is used by cricketers for training for about 3 hours two nights a week. I can still walk my dog so long as I keep her 20 metres away from those training. Throw in Saturday and, occasionally, Sunday afternoons when sporting fixtures hold sway. For all the remainder of the week I can run my dog off-leash to my hearts content. And during the few hours sporting fixtures hold sway it’s not too much to ask for me to walk her on-leash along the street. Or wander to Allnutt Park, one of the many pieces of parkland where woof-woof fanatics have none of those terrible sporting types to bother them.
Methinks you might be one of those self interested woof-woofers who give the rest of us such a bad name.
December 20, 2011 at 11:32 PM
Have been hearing consistent rumours that a particular director at Glen Eira is very palsy walsy with a certain gentleman at the warriors. Of course this wouldn’t influence any decision that this director might make, would it, because that would be a conflict of interest and we all know how important it is to declare such conflicts of interest, don’t we?
December 21, 2011 at 11:00 AM
What a load of crap.
December 21, 2011 at 9:16 AM
This palsy walsy comment make more sense than anything else that I have heard.
December 21, 2011 at 9:58 AM
Kingston is cashing in big time. Have a look at their half page colour ad in the Leader where they’re blaring out the fact that Waves will be open all summer and they’re offering freebies to kids if their parents sign up for membership. Glen Eira residents still have no idea how much entrance fees will be.
The whole venture has been a management and public relations disaster. Councillors should have learnt a really important thing by now. Never, ever, leave it all to the Newton and Burke and Lipshutz and Hyams.
December 21, 2011 at 10:22 AM
I know, Oakleigh residents $5.50, Glen Eira Residents $8.50. Warrior membership and family free.
December 21, 2011 at 1:36 PM
What would be interesting would be Newtons reply to Cr. Pilling
December 21, 2011 at 1:51 PM
All the focus has been on the basketball allocation but has anybody actually seen what the full allocations are?
I would like to know actually what the allocations are (ie what sports, what times?)
December 21, 2011 at 2:03 PM
Mmmm, reading through the entire motion and supporting documentation on the council website it’s obvious to me why the initial decision was made in the Warriors favour. Do posters here beleive it would be responsible for the Glen Eira to have accepted an EOI offer that would amount to a over a $90,000 per year less in revenue. As a Glen Eira ratepayer and person who participates in recreation in the area I certainly would not have been. While it’s not all about dollars you need to be fiscally responsible.
Also many have been bleeting about kids missing out on access to GESAC, this documentation shows McKinnon’s bid didn’t even accomodate the times on offer which would have meant that many of their members would still have missed out in many instances.
Finally for all those espousing Cr Pilling’s virtues on this site, I don’t think you win many brownie points by declaring publicly the motions you intend to move or the way you intend to vote in a strategy to intimidate other councillors to your point of view as he has done in past weeks. That is not openness that is plain stupidty.
You state what you stand for publicly, but things such as motions and votes should always be kept for meetings and completed through the appropriate channels and procedures. To not do so will nearly always will ensure the defeat of the motion you are trying to promote.
I think Cr Pilling is simply playing a game of popular poltics rather than participating in responsible politics.
December 21, 2011 at 2:47 PM
When you do read the published information it certainly is hard not to accept the Warriors were the highest bidder in not only dollars but also time. It would be interesting to follow the EoI paper trail to see if McKinnon Basketball actually offered more time and were talked down or if that was their one and only submission. Do note that the MBA’s highly regarded ‘All Abilities’ program was suggested to be run at another centre for reasons only known to the GE Admin staff.
Cr Pilling, like all the other Councillors, is highly embarrased over the whole allocation process and wishes to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
You never know….we may have Melbourne Tigers using GESAC as a training venue on a Sunday when it opens.
December 21, 2011 at 5:11 PM
What’s written down on paper and what is said privately are miles apart. If there was any verbal instruction to include a, plus b, and leave out c, then all that would be recorded is the final bid. This is the way that things sound like they work in Glen Eira. Putting stuff down on paper is a no-no as well as incriminating. Ask Newton how many notes he kept of his meetings with the MRC and betcha there were none. No paper trail to trip anyone up down the line.
December 21, 2011 at 6:39 PM
What? an EOI process is to be decided in private discussions?
What nonsense that is.
Multiple parties are required to lodge a proper allocation so the people who make these decisions can justify them. If McKinnon lodged an inferior application it seems to me the fault lays at the feet of the people who lodged that application.
December 21, 2011 at 5:18 PM
Cr. Pillings long term goal would be to get into parliament. He will curry favour and say what ever it takes to make people beleive he is the right bloke. He stood for the federal seat of Goldstein which he will probably do again. The MBA would have thought that they were a sure thing as they were in Glen Eira. The Council has a responsibility to be careful wjith our money. Pilling is getting very generous with our money.
December 21, 2011 at 3:59 PM
post 9, sounds like paul burke in drag
December 21, 2011 at 7:25 PM
If this is Pilling’s battle cry then it’s too bloody late but it’s telling the Warriors in no uncertain terms that next year they’d better start looking elsewhere – that’s if they last through this season.
December 21, 2011 at 8:55 PM
Come on now, what hope has Cr. Pilling got of winning Goldstein and becoming a MP.
Maybe the Greens are the only candidates and members that are not in it for the money. The Greens actually want a better future, free from the dictatorship dynasties that the Lib-Lab describe as democracy.
If you want transparency social justice and a sustainable future, all the things that you constantly cry-out for, abandon your unrealistic expectation that either Labor or Liberals will deliver even a fraction of this. They are totally incapable.
All they offer is more traffic, more population, higher density, and less say in what matters in your lives. They have sold you down the drain to their business mate in energy, water, transport, eduction, hospitals, and they are not finished yet.
On top of all that, they support dysfunctional operations like Newton’s Glen Eira, by carrying through his every want, sacking our councillors, secrecy, making Glen Eira a developers paradise, the list is a hundred kilometers long. Why because he delivers want they want, and not what we want.
Wake-up, when your socks stink, have the decency to change them
December 21, 2011 at 9:43 PM
The norm with no-name candidates is to try them in an unwinnable seat to test their mettle. If the movers and shakers feel Pilling acquitted himself well enough in Goldstein he’ll get a chance in a more marginal seat.
History shows that changing a few Councillors makes very little long term difference. Many start off with the best of intentions but get worn down by the old hands and, more critically, the administration, which is where the knowledge and power really resides.
The only way big change will occur is if we get a completely new council comprising quality resolute people. That won’t happen because the overwhelming majority of the approaching 140,000 residents are uninterested or politically ignorant and have no burning desire to change those states. Sad, but true..
December 21, 2011 at 10:02 PM
Greens equals socialism and it has failed everywhere. No matter how you re-badge it failure will follow. I suggest you go and live in Brunswick. We all want a better future for our country. The carbon tax at $23 a tonne when the market is at $8 or less. Do the Greens understand how the market works? We will go broke buying carbon credits from a system that never got off the ground. We have enough brown coal to last 500 years. Get over it, My socks are clean, and I am not alseep, Too busy counting my money. Lovely.
December 22, 2011 at 10:21 AM
Not in it for the money? That’s a laugh, the Greens lead by their main nutter Bob Brown would peddle any (MODERATORS: words deleted) to get extra federal and state dollars for their pet crazy causes.
Climate change is the biggest con to be laid at the feet of an ignornat public in the history of this nation, all (MODERATORS: rest of sentence deleted).
December 22, 2011 at 8:28 AM
Pilling must be a filthy,rotten Collingwood supporter.You reward the biggest and stuff the rest of the clubs. McKinnon had it’s opportunity and all they were interested in was gaining GESAC at the cheapest price.Stuff the rest of the Community. That is the 99% who don’t play basketball and yet have to pay for GESAC.. As for Anon 3,I am calling you a liar. Produce the evidence or crawl back into your hole. Mr Newton you have a duty to protect your staff and you must seek Legal opinion and pursue an immediate apology from Anon 3 and the Site Administrator.Protect your staff Andrew.
December 22, 2011 at 8:47 AM
What ever you say, Lord Monckton, your complete nutter.
December 22, 2011 at 9:47 AM
Anon 13
Geeze mate, there must be a better way to get a free pass to GESAC than this soul selling brown nosing.
December 22, 2011 at 9:56 AM
So sad if this is the case – rate payers being excluded from using a rate payer paid facility! One can ask why Glen Eira Council couldn’t manage the facility through the Sports and Rec department such as they do with most sporting facilities through the municipality. Additionally, will a favourite soccer club get use of the water site? What will councillors do with the now redundant Carnegie swim site? Surely not renovate and duplicate facilities to a lesser degree than what is at East Boundary?
December 23, 2011 at 9:33 AM
Is that favorite soccer club called Maccabi? (MODERATORS: Sentence deleted)
December 22, 2011 at 11:48 AM
MODERATORS: We have not published this entire comment on the grounds that we feel it is both inappropriate and incorrect.
December 22, 2011 at 2:56 PM
Moderators, weather you like it or not, this is politics in Glen Eira, you can try to shield some councillors behaviour, but at some stage of the game you will have to reckon with the possibilities. Your silence maybe construed as your consent. Without totally openness and scrutiny of all aspects of our community, are you any different than the secrecy in Glen Eira that you so bemoan.
Bad politics, is politics that delivers adverse outcomes for some residents over others, along any line you may like to draw, male, female, sporting non sporting, high or low incomes, or religious and or ethnic divides. Smart communities do not indulge in these dangerous games. I a not convinced that this divide is not happening behind closed doors in Glen Eira politics, actions sometimes speak louder than words.
December 22, 2011 at 3:22 PM
Dear Anonymous,
we have made our position clear on numerous occasions. However, we will repeat this again.
1. We welcome all comments if they do not cross that line of potential ethnic, racial, religous, political, vilification/accusation
2. Readers have their personal views and are entitled to believe whatever they like. This does not however mean that such views are suitable for publication.
3. We will leave it to readers to evaluate whether or not we are ‘guilty’ of your charge of indulging in the ‘secrecy’ which so dominates this Council.
December 22, 2011 at 3:34 PM
I have played myself in the McKinnon competitions and have kids in them currently, how does Cr Pilling get away with the comment of 1400+ kids and families being excluded from GESAC?
Firstly have the Warriors made any such announcement that people would be excluded?
Secondly there are heaps of clubs and members in the McKinnon competitions not based inside the City of Glen Eira. Brighton Wolves, Moorabbin Tigers, St Finbars Scalpers and Moorabbin Magic are four of their clubs that are based outside Glen Eira boundaries. There must be a large percentage of members within the MBA that are not Glen Eira ratepayers. Does Cr Pilling classify them as locals.
In fact if Cr Pilling had any knowledge of any basketball association or for that matter any sports association he would realise that they draw members from a wide demographic area.
Finally I also have friends whose kids play with the Warriors and they have told me compromises were put forward to the McKinnon management that would have seen McKinnon kids accommodated into the new GESAC facility as well, only to have those compromises rejected with no discussion. This was borne by an article form the MBA executive placed on the MBA website saying as much.
With my kids in the MBA i find this quite alarming and will see what my options are at the completion of this season as I find this incredibly disappointing from the management group at the MBA.
Maybe Cr Pilling should be asking some hard questions in their direction instead of bullying the Warriors organisation who from my viewpoint have simply placed a superior EOI application to that of the MBA, END OF STORY!
December 22, 2011 at 4:45 PM
I suggest that Cr. Pilling knows very little about sporting clubs in Glen Eira. I don’t think he turns up at cricket or footy matches uninvited. Like most Greens he only thinks he knows how things are working. He is more concerned with social justice and gay marrige than the environment. You only need to look at their leader, Pilling does not have the sharpness or intellectual edge to be in Federal politics. Put him next to Robb, Combert, Creen or Costello and you would soon see how far out of his depth he is. Big differnce between local goverment and federal. Like the Bentleigh seconds playing Geelong. I am afraid Pilling has peaked.
December 22, 2011 at 8:26 PM
Don’t forget the Oakleigh Raptors…..the MBA’s newest Club! The fact that The McKinnon Basketball Association is based in Glen Eira and the Warriors, aka Oakleigh Basketball Association is based in Monash is the biggest reason Cr Pilling is crying foul. He probably knows very little about basketball but is learning all the time.
We all know that Warriors have won the battle for Glen Eira courtspace….let them change their name and market to the masses. People scream now paying $2 door entry at McKinnon and fees are only just affordable for most families. People shouldn’t be disadvantaged price wise to play at GESAC but who wants to pay $3 entry and more just to take to the court. Remember that it is a facility built for the Community from ratepayer funds.
Not knowing what the compromises were, I cannot comment on the instant refusal.
December 22, 2011 at 8:24 PM
Your talking through your hat, Pilling went up against Robb a few years ago in Ormond and Pilling wiped the floor with him. The Labor candidate got stage fright, froze and couldn’t speak, talk about embarrassing for all.
Pilling spoke freely and was well informed and up to date. I might say he won-over the mostly local church audience the applause clearly showed that.
Robb is no intellect, he was parachuted into a safe Lib seat in Victoria by his Lib mates.
(MODERATORS: Paragraph deleted)
A primary school kid might do better,
It is really time Robb took a hard look at his capabilities and did a gracefully exit.
But I suppose he is hanging out for his super generous super to kick in after 8 years, I suspect he will be gone quick-flash soon after than hallmark is reached.
December 23, 2011 at 8:35 AM
Robb will be Minister for Finance in a Abbott gov. If you doubt this you are living under a rock with your socialist mates. Pilling has more interest in gay marriage and asylum seekers than the future of our City. Pilling has peaked. He should move to Brunswick.
December 23, 2011 at 12:04 PM
If Pilling has peaked, Robb is diseased, and no-one is more obsessed about gay marriage than rabbit eared Abbott bloke
December 23, 2011 at 12:19 PM
PLEASE NOTE: We will not be putting up any further comments on Robb versus Pilling. We again request that readers please refrain from these kinds of comments – they add nothing to the debate.
December 23, 2011 at 8:42 PM
What about Andrew and Neil?
December 24, 2011 at 8:16 AM
I am tipping by the end of the Christmas break that this topic will have a record number of replies due to the fact that a couple of bloggers are addicted to this blog. My suggestion is for anyone this way inclined to give it a break. Spend your energy doing other things.
December 24, 2011 at 10:55 AM
Strange comment isn’t that what a blog site is all about?
December 24, 2011 at 11:43 AM
Can someone list the original compromises put forward by Oakleigh Warriors that McKinnon Basketball rejected?