Several comments on the GESAC issue have prompted this response. We freely and proudly admit that we are biased. Our bias is always towards open, accountable and transparent government. These features are sadly lacking in Glen Eira Council and nowhere moreso than in the dealings over the development of GESAC and the sporting allocations for the basketball courts. It is certainly time that this Council ‘comes clean’ in disclosing exactly how ratepayer funds are being spent. It is certainly time that fact replaced spin, and that secrecy was put to bed.
Here are the ‘facts’ and questions –
- Council continually talks about the $41.2 million CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT. Figures on total costs (including oufittings, higher purchase agreements, road restructuring, electricity substations, and countless other items) have never been fully itemised, nor added up into one single figure and made public in a manner that clearly shows the precise amount that this has cost.
- How many staff are currently employed by Council? 50 or 250 and how much is this costing?
- Did council pay any GESAC hired staff throughout the duration of the 5 month delayed opening? How much did this cost?
- How on earth can council sign itself up to a 15 year fixed loan on 8.04% and which would now cost $4 million to convert to a fixed and variable rate? The argument of course is that council had the ‘best consultants’ – was there no contrary official legal/financial advice proffered?
- How good are these ‘consultants’ when well over $1 million unbudgeted funds have been spent on car park extensions and relocation of playgrounds?
- Why has there been no ‘consultation’ with local residents and why oh why were there no traffic studies undertaken prior to the Gardener’s Rd debacle? How safe is this latest encroachment into public space?
- Why, if it exists, is the sport allocation policy, and its criteria not in the public domain?
- Why were the Pools Steering Committee Meeting minutes a total joke in terms of actually informing the public as to what was going on?
- How many GESAC members have not renewed their memberships? How many complaints and/or negative comments has council received regarding entrance prices and general high costs?
- How much does daily, weekly and monthly maintenance cost – ie insurance, cleaning, chemicals, heating/cooling etc?
- How detailed and frequent were/are reports back to councillors on operations?
- Why have councillors not honoured their public statements that an EOI process would be undertaken in 2012 – that is a year following the Warriors allocation?
- Why have councillors allowed employees to consistently run the show?
- Why are teams for individual sporting grounds no longer on the website?
- How many NON-LOCAL teams does Glen Eira house on its sporting fields?
- How many locals are members of both the Warriors and McKinnon Basketball Association?
- How much has already been spent on lawyers on the ‘liquidated damages’ issue and is Council facing the prospect of a huge pay-out if they lose the case?
There are probably countless other questions that need to be asked. We do not hold out much hope that this lot of councillors will have the nous, or courage to ask them – especially not in public! Again, this stands in stark contrast to what is happening with the Pool in the Mornington Shire. For those interested we ask them to peruse this Notice of Motion (verboten in Glen Eira!) from one of their councillors. It makes for fascinating reading. See: http://www.mornpen.vic.gov.au/files/Governance_Agendas/131203ca_add_41_NOM127.pdf
Glen Eira Debates 
March 11, 2013 at 4:43 PM
Glad to see the moderator has owned up to their bias. Maybe she could get away from her laptop and out into the real world to do two things.
(1) Actually visit GESAC to see what those of us who visit on a regular basis
see. People vote with their feet on these sorts of projects. Based on that
alone this project is a success. Nobody with any sense of fairness could
argue otherwise.
(2) Get out and find out both sides of the story. Anybody can set up a blog
and allow one side of a story while deleting posts that reveal the other
side, as has happened this week through the moderator of this site. The
post she deleted wasn’t a personal attack or unsubstantiated as she
claimed. It simply exposed the argument that she has been pushing on
this blog to be simply a fraud.
Any independent clear minded thinking person can see that this blog has simply been set up to bag the crap out of Glen Eira council. No doubt this council makes mistakes, but if you read this blog and believe it’s contents, you would be left with no other conclusion than that GE council is run by a bunch of incompetents that’s going from one disaster to another.
The actual case however if looked at by any rational minded person would tell you otherwise.
Get out of the armchair look at all the facts and don’t believe the propaganda placed on this site and try and discover the arguments deleted off it. As the old saying goes don’t always believe what you read, especially on Glen Eira debates blog.
An oxymoron if ever there was one, to have a debate you need both sides off the story, not one side deleted out of it.
March 11, 2013 at 5:53 PM
I’ve been reading the blog for several years and congratulate the moderators for their work. Far too much that happens in this council is allowed to go unchallenged without any real analysis or questioning. Glen Eira’s history on governance is appalling and it’s about time that these failings were highlighted, questioned and criticised. If people don’t like the evidence that’s presented and the arguments put forward then they’ve got the choice of not reading the posts, or countering the arguments. You haven’t done the latter in any shape or form. Why don’t you set up your own blog and keep congratulating this council for all the good work it’s doing. That would have you scratching your head after one or two posts.
March 11, 2013 at 7:07 PM
Hey Bob, are u & Burkey good mates?
March 12, 2013 at 12:29 AM
lol, smart alec, nice try – way off the mark though buddy.
Another blog? not a bad idea D.Evans, may have to look into that !
at least that blog wouldn’t delete posts making the countering arguments you refer to.
March 11, 2013 at 10:41 PM
Keep going. We need guys like you to keep the bastards honest.
March 11, 2013 at 10:48 PM
I am that Anon that put that comment about being unfairly censored by the Mod. I still stand by my claim
However, I generally support the Host Posted Materials of this blog site, it is well researched insightful and has been educational.
I don’t have to like everything about everything to find it useful
I think the Council and Councilors may not like this blog. Education can be dangerous.
I think the Glen Eira Councillors who read this blog learn more from this site than they do through the Council processes that are meant to include them.
There is an old adage about growing mushrooms, “keep them in the dark and feed them BS.
Although they would never admit coming here to learn, would they.
Please don’t give in to the bagging’s that you cop. Even from me
Keep up the good work guys, try and keep it short and concise for us time deprived folk.
How about some funny bits as well, the best Glen Eira funny picture of the week winner. I have a few.
As for the “real world comment”, I’ve looked and it’s still out there heating up “getting hotter and hotter” and the BALLSAC is adding to that heat. Is this a wise thing, Mr BALSAC lover?
March 12, 2013 at 12:42 AM
What a shame there is no room for debate. At least the GE Debates give us some idea of what is going or not going on. There is certainly never any debate at our council meetings. Agenda items are just shovelled through.
Anonmos… Was it true or false that the majority of development approvals are approved by salaried staff and not our elected councillors??? Yes or No
I attended pool /hard ball meetings and suppplied educated figures regarding parking requirement which were completely ignored at the expense of the living standards of us all. We in N Caulfield pay high rates towards this facility but cant get there unless we have a car or al day and a fortune in fares and the poor residents in that area are wxperiencing only a Caravan Show, Streets blocked witgout notice, C60 HAPPENNING.
The part I hate about this whole affair more than anything is the fact that the mothers and babies infant welfare budget allocation was slashed so as the swimmers could enjoy air conditioned comfort at that Tower of Babel. This is at a time when many family are new to our city, living in completely isolated situation and being thrown out of hospital even after a few hours. Where is the justice in this????
March 12, 2013 at 2:46 PM
The warriors should be encouraging an open and transparent allocation process. They get the courts if their bids are the best on published criteria. At least let it be open so that everyone can be assured there’s no funny business going on. But and a big but when there’s so much flak about good questions being asked then my antennae goes up and I start wondering what’s there to hide. All their negativity and criticisms of the blog makes me think that maybe things aren’t as straight forward as some people on council and some people in this group would like everyone to think.