The very expensive exercise in publishing the Annual Report is now over. Councillors ‘accepted’ the report in a record 7 minutes at Tuesday night’s Special Council Meeting! How many even read it? As with previous reports, Council is wonderful at providing mind boggling statistics so that no-one has any idea as to what they actually represent or mean. There’s one example we simply cannot pass over since it is so ludicrous. We invite comments as to what the following may mean –
“Playground inspections – 18,377” (page 101)
Council claims there are 47 playgrounds. That would mean that EVERY SINGLE playground is ‘inspected’ 1.07 times each day! But what does ‘inspection’ actually mean’? Occupational Health & Safety testing? A drive past by cleaners? An ‘inspection’ via aerial photographs? A casual walk through? Such, dear readers is the value of this figure.
Next there is the question regarding restaurants and ‘food registered businesses’. For years now Glen Eira has claimed that there are 840 registered food businesses in the municipality. We certainly doubt this given the explosion of cafes everywhere. It also doesn’t explain why council should have reaped an extra $107,000 in fees as stated in the accounts, if the number remains at 840 and registration fees have remained relatively stable.
Then there’s the promise that service levels will be maintained. Another unsubstantiated claim when the figures are looked at. Some examples: –
- Less drains have been cleared – 32 km in 2010 and now 14.8km
- Less footpaths fixed – 28.9 km in 2010 and now 19.61 km (and the reason given? ‘The decrease in the amount of footpaths replaced is due to a cost increase per square metre laid due to a new tender’. What does this say about the tendering process and how does it explain that for every single year since 2010 the km have dropped? Wasn’t part of this with the ‘old tender’?
- Less roads reconstructed – 4.77 in 2010 and now 4.06
- Mains water use in parks has doubled since 2010/11
- Gesac has gobbled up double of water use not in parks since 2010/11
The best however, requires no commentary from us. Here are some extracts that we are confident will deliver howls of laughter!
Glen Eira City Council is committed to governing the City of Glen Eira in a democratic, open and responsible manner in the best interests of the community.
Council consults, listens and takes note of community views to determine its priorities and needs, and then acts through open, transparent processes that are financially and environmentally responsible and sustainable.
Glen Eira City Council is charging developers more than any other municipality in order to help pay for new and better parks for Glen Eira. (page 50) (Stonnington $9.634m; page 123 of their annual report and their open space reserve now stands at $36.932m).
Council will use current and emerging technology each year to provide broader opportunities for the community members to have their say about Council services and future plans. The use of sound evidence, community input and representation, and transparent decision-making processes; including follow-up and reporting will ensure Glen Eira continues to offer services that meet community needs. (page 53)
And then there’s always the ‘gunna do’ promises that never eventuate –
Due to Melbourne’s building boom, Council is managing a large number of planning applications.With more development happening throughout the municipality and grade separation works commencing, Glen Eira will continue to be an attractive place to live. Council will implement further measures to reduce the amenity impact on residents as a result of this construction activity
Population and development pressures will impact particularly on parking in local streets. Council will continue to review and develop plans while working with the community, to strategically manage and accommodate for the future impact of this.
Glen Eira is experiencing extraordinary levels of building activity with many multi-unit developments being constructed. As a result, residents are experiencing substantial inconvenience such as road closures, limited parking, building noise and dust. Council’s challenge is to try to balance the needs of residents and their comfort with allowing the construction process to be completed quickly and safely.
And the best for last! –
Good governance is accountable, transparent,responsive, inclusive and efficient. Council is committed to providing good governance through its decision-making process by engaging the community, providing leadership, investing in the future and acting responsibly.
Council governs for and on behalf of the Glen Eira community. Good governance is accountable, lawful, transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive.
Glen Eira Debates 
October 25, 2015 at 8:41 AM
This is just Newton writing his own resume for his next job. (MODERATORS: sentence deleted)
October 25, 2015 at 8:52 AM
WTF – how stupid do they think we are. How can they write such a pack of lies – they must be held accountable for this misinformation. I will be investigating what can be done with higher state authorities as this cannot be left with councillors and executive not being held accountable for such incredible lies!
October 25, 2015 at 1:31 PM
They don’t think you’re stupid at all, they are counting on you being apathetic, that’s worth far more to them than stupidity
October 25, 2015 at 9:39 AM
Someone well known once said if you keep telling the same lie in the end people will accept it as truth.
October 25, 2015 at 9:41 AM
Someone well known once said if you keep telling the same lie in the end people will accept it as the truth
October 25, 2015 at 1:32 PM
I would believe that, having read it twice
October 25, 2015 at 10:03 AM
It is standard MO for Council: cut-and-paste from previous years; publish meaningless statistics that lack definition or evidenciary support; restate what they would like the public to believe they do rather than what they actually do; claim future “intentions” as accomplishments.
The poor governance can be attributed to the CEO and councillors who together have found ways to undermine the integrity of the Local Government Act. How can any member of council staff be held accountable for example? Yet most decisions are delegated. What quality assurance systems does Council have so that measurements are defined and repeatable? What audit processes does it have for checking the veracity of otherwise unsubstantiated claims?
If Council appoints a new CEO from outside there is a chance a start can be made on repairing the damage. An external CEO appointment hopefully wouldn’t be wedded to perpetuating the myth that we have been well-governed. You can’t change a corporate culture overnight, but you can choose pockets of activity to target initially. Whether its the quality of officer reports, or responses to public questions, or the appropriateness of the measures for Best Value Principles, or public statement of reasons for decision concerning Planning Permits regardless of whether by Council or under delegated authority—just choose something and measurably improve it.
Had to laugh bitterly at the mention of allowing the construction process to be completed quickly and safely. The repeated violations of Local Law in which developers partially close roads without Permit, forcing pedestrians onto busy roads without any protection, is a disgrace. It is also deliberate on the part of Council that these violations are ignored, with council staff going to extraordinary lengths to defend the indefensible.
October 25, 2015 at 10:04 AM
As a Carnegie unfortunate, my personal favourite quote is
“Glen Eira is experiencing extraordinary levels of building activity with many multi-unit developments being constructed. As a result, residents are experiencing substantial inconvenience such as road closures, limited parking, building noise and dust. Council’s challenge is to try to balance the needs of residents and their comfort with allowing the construction process to be completed quickly and safely.”
What absolute and utter Bullshit and just when is Council going to rise to the challenge. For the past two years Carnegie’s time restricted Council Shepardson and Kookarib carparks have been a haven for all day tradie parking. Not to mention all the residential streets (eg. Belsize, Elliot, Nerrim Road) being made unsafe for pedestrians who are forced out on to the road because the footpath is blocked by vehicles, ripped up or cluttered with building rubbish or site construction offices.
Constant complaints to Council get the response that it’s “temporary” and the need to strike a balance and you should be using sustainable transport.
But
. somehow 6-12 months ain’t temporary in my book and when you get consecutive constructions it’s way beyond temporary.
. where’s the balance when tradies park where ever for as long as they like yet I can’t.
. any one ever seen a tradie cycle to work? I would use sustainable transport but it’s not safe to walk to the bus stop!!!!!!
October 25, 2015 at 1:38 PM
Yes they are, council is providing arm a guard trucks to drive the profits as quickly as possible out of Glen Eira, that’s responsible, you wouldn’t want to have obscene profits laying around clogging up the drains and littering the parks
October 25, 2015 at 10:40 AM
Ever since Newton ascended to the throne, governance has gone down the drain. Once upon a time councillors had portfolios where they made it their business to know everything about that area. Now they have signed over everything to officers. They don’t have a clue anymore with what’s going on in planning unless Newton decides to drip feed them some info – and even that they would be fools to trust and believe. Residents could address council. That too went out the window in double quick time. I am thrilled that he will not be there any longer. Maybe now residents can get somewhere but it will take years to fix up the mess he has left.
October 25, 2015 at 1:41 PM
Newton was never interesting in governance and community, he was placed there to strip our assets, now that’s done, he’s gone.
October 25, 2015 at 10:50 AM
Yes indeed – environmentally responsible by turning parks into car parks. Financially responsible in over budget for every pavilion its ever built then the resulting court cases.
October 25, 2015 at 11:18 AM
Thanks for this. Haven’t had such a good laugh for ages. Paul Burke is worth every penny paid him when he can turn shit into this fluffery.
October 25, 2015 at 1:12 PM
Bruce of Bentleigh, while I agree that ‘female vs male angle’ should not be the top of priority, I note that since GECC first CEO Margaret Douglas resigned there was no single appointment of a female as a Director. That is not representative of GE community, neither will you find this ‘glass ceiling’ in other Councils. I also think and experience shows that we would get a quicker and greater culture change with a female CEO. Not only that, I’d say that some high ranking officers would not serve under a female CEO. That in itself would lead to a quicker turnover of staff, which I think you agree is now necessary.
October 27, 2015 at 6:46 AM
I agree that the male dominance is a feature of Glen Eira Council and that it’s out of step with both the Community and the rest of the world.
However, your placing gender as first on your list is as misguided as your now justifying your “female first” stance simply because it would get faster and quicker cultural change and staff turnover (which I agree are much needed) is.
.
I repeat – quality of candidates, regardless of gender, should be the focus (if that means a female is selected well and good).
October 25, 2015 at 8:13 PM
FYI -” The next meeting of the Trustees of the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve [CRR] will be held on Thursday, 12 November 2015″. (http://crrt.org.au)
No agenda up as yet. This meeting is the first ‘official’ meeting since August 2014.
October 27, 2015 at 7:02 AM
Does anyone know the cost of publishing the Annual Report?
I tell you folks its a joy to behold and well worth a trip to the library to peruse (lovely pictures and full of colourful bling). It’s definitely another award winner (for presentation not content)
It must have cost hundreds of thousands to produce and is way out of step with it’s content. No doubt that cost was justified because when you use it to house the most outlandish statements that bear no relationship to reality then its all in the presentation!!!.