Featured above is an item from a recent Melbourne City Council agenda. (We’ve also uploaded the full document here). What caught our eye was:
- The existence of a ‘Delegations Policy’ – which of course is non-existent, or secret in Glen Eira.
- The limitations put on officers
- The clear role of Council and committees to decide important issues that affect the community – again entirely ‘verboten’ in Glen Eira.
If such a policy were to exist in Glen Eira, then the included ‘criteria’ would have ensured that ALL of the following controversies would have been the domain of councillors and not unelected officials.
- The surreptitious removal of trees in Caulfield Park
- The GESAC basketball allocations fiasco
- The introduction of the Residential Zones
- Countless Planning decisions decided exclusively by the Delegated Planning Committee (ie officers)
- Lawyer fees that are astronomical and we believe unnecessary.
Under the present regime at Glen Eira, the community is basically disenfranchised since councillors have willingly ceded all control to the unelected, faceless and extremely well-paid public servants. Councillors have been willing accomplices in their own emasculation to the detriment of residents.
Glen Eira Debates 
January 2, 2014 at 7:10 PM
This would never happen in Glen Eira because it would significantly impinge on Newton’s powers and mean that more people would get a look in.
January 3, 2014 at 6:58 PM
GECC’s “delegations policy” is implicit and can only be inferred from the text of the Instruments of Delegation. They usually contain constraints and limitations such as not determining an issue which would be inconsistent with a policy or strategy. In the case of Planning and Environment Act, in particular the power to decide to grant a permit, it’s hopelessly vague. “Generally in compliance with existing policy or guidelines” can be used to waive any particular noncompliance. Hence we see obvious abuses such as at 175 Balaclava Rd and 1 Ardyne St and 20 Vine Court and various multiunit developments in Carnegie.
To add to the problem, Council’s “Assurance Map” identifies a strategic risk of “Power exercised inconsistent with delegation”, with only self-assessment by Management or Local Government Inspectorate investigation as assurance providers. LGI is impotent with respect to council staff due to the preoccupation of the Local Government Act with councillors [as distinct from staff acting with delegated powers]. So that leaves Management assessing themselves, and writing drafts of responses to Public Questions in which they don’t even do Due Diligence concerning the facts of a matter.
January 4, 2014 at 9:16 PM
This policy is in use in Glen Eira – just that the word “Council” has been replaced by the word “CEO”.