GE Service Performance

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October 23, 2012

Headlines: For All The Wrong Reasons!

Posted by gleneira under Councillor Performance, GE Governance, GE Service Performance
[22] Comments

Why bother, asks former Glen Eira mayor

Date October 23, 2012

Melissa Fyfe

HELEN Whiteside considers herself a normal sort of person. She’s political, no doubt – a paid-up Liberal Party member. But her time as Glen Eira mayor left her so disillusioned she wonders why an average community member would bother running for council.

With council elections winding up this week, Mrs Whiteside is calling on residents to scrutinise candidates carefully. As for the troubled Glen Eira councillors – some of whom were sacked in 2005 and are standing for re-election – they all deserve to be thrown out, she says.

Glen Eira – which covers suburbs such as Caulfield, Bentleigh and Elsternwick – consistently outperforms other councils on community satisfaction.

But in the past four years the council has faced the Ombudsman’s scrutiny over 10 separate issues, one Ombudsman’s report revealing Councillor Frank Penhalluriack’s alleged bullying behaviour and failure to declare conflicts of interest, and a critical assessment from the local government watchdog, the third since 1998.

Mrs Whiteside, a popular mayor, resigned in 2010. The council suppressed her letter of resignation. She told The Age she resigned because she felt some councillors were not declaring conflicts of interest and were set against chief executive Andrew Newton, wasting at least $30,000 on extra legal advice during the renegotiation of his contract.

Now that every sitting councillor except one is standing for re-election, the former mayor says residents should think carefully. ”Integrity is fundamental to being a councillor,” she says. ”Transparency, accountability and being objective. I believe councillors should make decisions for the long-term best interests of the entire community.

And her former colleagues? ”I don’t think they should be re-elected,” she says.

Mrs Whiteside said she was particularly disturbed about the 2010 decision to relinquish public open space to the Chabad House synagogue extension at 441-496 Inkerman Street, St Kilda East. She alleged Cr Michael Lipshutz had a conflict of interest because of an association with the synagogue’s benefactor, Jewish community leader Joseph Gutnick.

Mr Lipshutz said Mrs Whiteside’s revival of this matter was ”anti-Semitism of the worst kind. She is saying that because I am Jewish I am not fair-minded … I have no association with (Mr Gutnick) whatsoever,” he said. (Greens Cr Neil Pilling also voted to hand over the park.)

Mr Lipshutz said Mrs Whiteside was a ”failed councillor and a hopeless mayor who divided the council”.

Since the last election in 2008, councillors have had several brushes with the state’s integrity agencies and the court system. This year chief executive Mr Newton filed a bullying claim against Cr Penhalluriack. The hardware store owner refused anti-bullying training and is fighting councillor misconduct allegations at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

In a 2010 investigation, Chief Municipal Inspector David Wolf found insufficient evidence to prosecute any councillor, but uncovered councillor behaviour ”at odds” with the council’s objectives and ”underlying issues with regard to transparency and accountability”.

When drafting the chief executive’s contract in 2010, councillors inserted a clause requesting he notify them of any inquiries from the state’s integrity agencies. Mr Wolf found the illegal clause existed in an early draft, but no one owned up to putting it there. ”Despite all the talks and presentations the councillors get on governance, it is still not getting through,” a council source told The Age.

The Glen Eira city council elections are this Saturday.

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First frisbees, now fitness

23 Oct 12 @ 12:01am by Donna Carton

KILLJOY bureaucrats who pulled the plug on a weekly frisbee game have now told a teen fitness group they can’t play tag in the local park.

Not-for-profit group Humans Vs Zombies was told their tag games were “unsuitable” for Virginia Park Bentleigh.

They had requested permission to take about 30 kids there for a game in which “humans” chase “zombies” with foam dart blasters. o

Humans Vs Zombies Victoria secretary Anthony Osborne said the group’s objective was to get young people “outside, exercising and interacting socially, rather than home behind a computer.”

“We are looking to partner with councils’ youth services and park management as well as grant and funding bodies,” Mr Osborne said.

“We are also looking for parks.”

Some councils have been positive but Glen Eira and Manningham have refused.

Glen Eira council is still reeling from the negative publicity it received after a group of young frisbee players said they were told they needed a permit to play in Caulfield Park.

Councillors have now vowed to review the local law concerning park permits and clarify the definition of “organised sport.”

Council public relations chief Paul Burke told the Leader the council hadn’t recieved Humans vs Zombies’ request – nor any applications “from Clingons, Romulans, Daleks or Goths.”

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Council is where the sun should shine

2012PRINT EDITION: 23 Oct 2012

Mathew Dunckley

I love a good local council story.

There is something about the grand council chamber which suspends usual standards and leads to pitched battles over potholes.

The gravity of municipal level matters has a certain charm. A personal favourite was the Melbourne municipality that banned cricket teams from hitting sixes. Another Melbourne council threatened to use DNA tracing on dog poo on the beach to find offenders. The publicity seems to have been a deterrent. But the whiff of small-time CSI speaks volumes about local concerns.

Then there are the numerous dust-ups and petty personal political intrigues that have always filled local papers. Perhaps this is why people regard councils as sometimes annoying, sometimes amusing, and, often, irrelevant.

They shouldn’t be regarded this way. In the post-Kennett amalgamation era, Victorian councils are serious entities managing large amounts of public money. In total the 79 councils manage $55 billion worth of assets and spend close to $5 billion a year. They are worthy of scrutiny.

Right now, Victoria is enjoying its four-yearly council campaign carnival, complete with the sight of John Elliott running in the Melbourne lord mayoralty race.

All up more than 2000 hopefuls have put their hats in the ring to contest seats on Victorian councils.

Reporting on councils often falls to local papers.

As a young (or should that be younger) journalist at Leader Newspapers, I had the pleasure of covering Glen Eira Council in Melbourne’s south-east.

Every suburban journalist covers council, but not everyone gets Glen Eira. Councillors were at each others throats (sometimes literally), the chief executive was at war with the councillors, and there was a myriad more misdeeds and mischief.

The council was managing an annual budget of about $100 million a year, but after months of chaos, it was investigated and sacked.

Chalk one up to the local paper, eh? But it was not that simple. As part of the investigation I was required to front municipal inspectors, swear an oath and answer questions. The penalties for refusing to appear, to swear the oath or to answer the questions were thousands of dollars in fines or prison. There is nothing small-time about those powers. The inspectors wanted me to identify sources. I refused, citing my code of ethics. After some scoffing remarks about journalistic ethics, the inspectors made it clear they did not accept my reasons and recommended to the minister that further action be considered against me.

I happened upon that minister at a Christmas party later that year. I offered to do dishes or mow lawns to stay out of the clink. She indicated she did not think putting journalists in prison was a good idea. Lucky me.

Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu’s so-called shield laws should have fixed this problem.

Such laws, taking shape around the country, give journalists a legal right to refuse to divulge their sources. But Baillieu’s pledge went only as far as court cases and he has refused to go any further.

That means Victoria has carved out protection for journalists when dealing with a number of public institutions including council inspectors. Victoria argues it is following other states’ example, but I can’t understand why you would craft shield laws and consciously leave out local government.

Councillors and council workers who leak to journalists almost always commit a breach of the Local Government Act. They risk career-ending prosecutions, fines and even jail for talking to journalists. They warrant protection. Yet, somehow, the right of journalists to protect sources when covering local government is ranked as less important than those covering other levels of government, or crime.

Local government decisions directly affect everyday lives. And as every corruption commission in the country (Victoria’s is not yet established) will tell you, councils are fertile ground for misdeeds.

Inhibiting the ability of local press to cover councils is poor policy.

Baillieu’s attempt to improve the system looks almost as worthy of ridicule as the genetic profiling of dog turds, and equally unable to be polished.

Source: http://afr.com/p/opinion/council_is_where_the_sun_should_vtYMZ9f1triCf9riXuj6KL

October 16, 2012

Censorship, Mistruths, and Spin: The Hallmarks of Glen Eira Council

Posted by gleneira under Councillor Performance, GE Council Meeting(s), GE Governance, GE Service Performance
[9] Comments

Magee was taken ill just before the start of the council meeting and hence was an ‘apology’. We wish him a speedy recovery.

LIPSHUTZ – moved that the minutes of the Local Laws committee be deferred until next council meeting. Pilling seconded. Reason was the the minutes in the agenda weren’t ‘as full as they should be’ and that they didn’t reflect what occured, so more ‘fulsome’ minutes are required. Did say that the committee has been looking at Local Law 326 (organised sport). Said that there had been plenty of press coverage on the frisbee story and that they’d been told that kids had ‘been fined’. That then became a ‘story not that they were fined but that they would have to get an allocation’. Said he asked officers what happened and they told him that a complaint had been made that about ’30 or 40′ people were playing with ‘football boots’ across cricket pitches. A ranger investigated and found that this wasn’t true – there wasn’t any football boots and nothing about cricket pitches. In the end ‘Yoav Silverstein contacted Council’ to ask about an allocation. ‘He was told that a one off allocation cost $120 or a 6 month allocation cost $300’. Said that this is the same for eveyrone if they wanted a barbecue. Said that the ‘whole purpose’ of allocations was to provide ‘certainty’ and paying ‘means they have priority’ but it ‘doesn’t mean’ that if kids want to play frisbee they need an allocation. Claimed that there had been a ‘total blowup by the press’. Said that the ‘truth is that no-one was warned off…..welcome to play….no fine….. Went on to say that the law should be reviewed and the reason it hasn’t been dealt with as yet is because ‘our corporate counsel has been involved idn other matters’ such as the VCAT ‘which has kept her quite busy’. In the next council the ‘whole local law will be reviewed’ which is ‘far better’ than doing it piecemeal and so ‘do the whole local law as one’. assured everyone that no permit is required if they want to play ‘catchy’, football. ‘but if you are an organised sport’ then you do need a permit. Went on to say that council has ‘reasonable laws reasonably enforced’ and in this instance the law has been ‘enforced reasonably’ and ‘no-one has been fined’.

PENHALLURIACK – said he was pleased that no one was fined. Said that this issue with the local law 326 had been going on for quite a whiile. Said that Mr Varvodic was fined and then the fine withdrawn and they organised a permit. The definition of ‘organised’ has been something that he’s tried to get the Local Law Committee to look at for a long time and clarify because ‘it’s fine for Cr Lipshutz to say reasonable laws reasonably enforced but sometimes the law is not reasonable’ . Said a law is only ‘reasonable’ when it can be understood by the public. this law can’t be easily interpreted. Said he doesn’t know what ‘organised’ means any more than Lipshutz does. Said he was pleased that the ‘ex-chairman (Lipshutz)’ of the Local Laws Committee was ‘now going to be working on it’ because ‘it is long overdue’.

HYAMS – when the Local Laws Committee gets together in the new council he hoped that ‘they would get around to looking at the Alcohol free area’ in Bentleigh as ‘has been agreed they should’.

TANG: said that the meeting discussed the Tree register and there was discussion about how the laws could be enforced and there were ‘sub-issues’ that should be ‘captured in any subsequent minutes’. Admitted that the issue of organised sport has been around from even before he was on council – schleppers football team – but they were more ‘frequent’. Didn’t think this was about one individual but how to interpret what ‘organised sport’ means. Problems not about the law but ‘how you interpret it’.

LIPSHUTZ: Agreed with Tang that it was a ‘definitional problem’ and that the Local Laws Committee ‘would deal with that’. Said that he didn’t believe it was ‘coincidence’ that the issue has come up ‘two weeks’ before the election in order to ’embarrass council’ and that the reports in the media are ‘totally wrong’ and that journalists should have made ‘proper enquiry’ when the ‘allegation is simply not true’.

Public questions

At least 15 questions that we know of were declared invalid on the excuse of the electoral act and hence were not read out, much less answered. This is reprehensible since none of the questions had anything to do with ‘electoral matters’ – in short, it was another instance of avoiding accountability and responding to residents’ concerns. Even those questions which were responded to, failed to answer the question asked, or basically indulged in semantics and dissembling.

Question 1: asked if Council’s submission on the Planned Zoning Reforms would be made public. The answer stated that the ‘submission’ was already available on council’s website. Untrue and incorrect. What is available on council’s website is not the actual submission, but the Akehurst ‘report’ which was tabled at council on the 4^th September 2012! The public has not seen what went in to the department! So much for transparency and answering public questions honestly!

Question 3 – asked for the results of the ‘monitoring’ of Frisbee games in Caulfield Park. The response said that there’s a “regular gathering’ in Caulfield Park by people playing ‘what appears to be’ Frisbee!

Question 4 – asked about the traffic management plans for major events at Caulfield Racecourse saying that for the past 3 events this had been substandard – either they notices went out too late, or they were incorrect. Wanted to know what Council had done about this. The response went into the need for traffic management plans to be provided and that in September Council had received from the MRC the plan for the spring racing carnival. It said that residents would be notified ‘at least 2 weeks’ prior to the events. The MRC provided notice after the 2 week deadline so that they ‘didn’t meet’ the requirements and ‘council will be drawing this to the attention of the MRC’. Big deal we say! The second part of the question remains unanswered, and as with the Camping and Caravan show, council has done nothing but a little tap on the wrist!

At this point Penhalluriack rose and said that he notified Hyams about the situation on Saturday morning – and wanted to ask Burke if any officer had gone out to ‘look at the barriers’. Also said that ‘this seems to be a consistent complaint’ from residents living in the area.

Hyams then said that this wasn’t the time to ask officers questions because that should have been done at Item 11.3 of the agenda!

Penhalluriack then said that he hadn’t ‘had the time to formalise my own response’ to the public question and that he was commenting on the answer that had been given. Since he told Hyams about this on Saturday morning he’d ‘like to think that council went out and did something about it’ because the barriers ‘were in the wrong place’ and the ‘wrong times’

Question 5 – asked about the now out of date Road Safety Strategy and why even the old one isn’t on the website and when the latest one will be prepared. The response was that the 2007-2012 strategy ‘was at an end’ and that a new one was ‘being developed’ and that when the new one is adopted it will be up on the website. Terrific! We didn’t know that ‘strategies’ disappear into the ether!

Question 6 asked about ‘advocacy’ for rail separation and whether council would table the documents related to its ‘advocacy’. The response was merely a listing of ‘submissions’ to various departments, and meetings attended by officers and councillors. Residents are obviously not going to get a look at these ‘submissions’, nor reports back from most of these meetings!

BURKE THEN STATED THAT ‘A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS ‘HAVE BEEN RULED OUT OF ORDER BY THE CHAIR AS THEY ARE NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH COUNCIL’S CARETAKER POLICY’ REGARDING ‘ELECTORAL MATTERS’!!!!! CENSORSHIP REIGNS SUPREME ONCE AGAIN!

PS: we’ve just broken another record – 1,335 hits for the day!

October 16, 2012

A National Laughing Stock!

Posted by gleneira under Councillor Performance, GE Service Performance
[9] Comments

Sporting groups support Caulfield park frisbee teens

16 Oct 12 @ 05:00am by Jessica Bennett

Glen Eira Council told teens they could no longer play Frisbee in Caulfield Park without a permit.

SPORTING groups have pledged support for a group of frisbee-loving teens forced to halt their weekly game in Caulfield Park unless they pay the council $120 for a permit.

They gathered casually most Fridays to play frisbee in the park, until a council officer told them to stop until they had a permit for their “organised” sport.

Simon Talbot, president of Ultimate Victoria – the state’s ultimate frisbee-governing body – said it had unsuccessfully tried in the past to set up a formal arrangement with the council for frisbee players at Caulfield Park.

“We heard about this group (being kicked off) and are more than happy to help them deal with the council,” Mr Talbot said.

Heads of State Frisbee League president Matthew Hill offered the group a free place in their men’s league at Alma Park.

Tal Silverstein, the mother of one of the players, said they communicated who would play via Facebook, but that was the only organisation. “They don’t all go every week, they have no coach, no uniform and no league – how is that organised?”

Glen Eira Council did not return Leader’s requests for comment.

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Letters to the Editor: Land is for public use

Crown land is public land, to be provided for the enjoyment and benefit of Victorians.

There are several types of management arrangements for Crown land, including trusts, local government control, Parks Victoria and so on.

But with each management type, it must be maintained for a range of community uses. Is this the case with the current board of trustees at the Caulfield Racecourse?

What is the harm in opening their meetings to the public? Surely, this is in the spirit of the trust’s responsibilities?

Kate Dempsey, Independent candidate, Camden Ward, Glen Eira

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Caulfield project monstrous

Regarding “Caulfield Racecourse Reserve chairman told to resign” (Leader, October 8), I hope they also ask whoever voted for the Caufield Racecourse development.

This highly controversial 20-storey monster will change the face of once-wonderful Caulfield forever.

Congestion and pollution will be the new norm. I certainly won’t be voting for the councillors who imposed this on an angry community.

Christian Stewart

PS: LATE NEWS ITEM

Footy group demands answers on use of Glen Eira parks

16 Oct 12 @ 01:21pm by Donna Carton

GLEN Eira councillors will be grilled tonight on the issue of unathorised games in local parks.

Following last week’s furore, when teenage frisbee players were told to stop their weekly game unless they paid $120 for a permit, a local soccer-playing group said the issue needed to be clarified.

The Caulfield Park Social Soccer Club says it has been paying for a permit for years, despite being just a weekly group of players and not an official organisation.

Spokesman Nick Varvodic said he would ask 15 questions of councillors at tonight’s meeting.

“Does our informal, once a week, gathering of friends to play a casual sports game in Caulfield Park require a permit?” he has written to Cr Michael Lipshutz.

“We are still confused after six years. So, for clarification and no ambiguity on either side could you please answer with a simple, Yes or No?”

Mr Varvodic said some councillors responded to the news of the frisbee ban with suggestions the local law concerning unathorised games be overhauled.

He said he hoped his “informal group” would be treated the same as the frisbee group in any law change.

Last week East Bentleigh mum Tal Silverstein revealed her 18-year-old son and his friends played frisbee in Caulfield Park most Friday afternoons until “someone from Glen Eira Council made them stop the game.”

“They said it was an organised sport and that they couldn’t play without a permit,” she said.

The council is now in caretaker period because of the October 27 election, and the council’s caretaker policy states: “Public questions at council meetings, which would normally be recorded in the minutes, should avoid ‘electoral matter’ and a question may be ruled out of order on that ground.”

Tonight’s Glen Eira council meeting is at 7.30pm at the Glen Eira Town Hall, Hawthorn Rd, Caulfield.

October 13, 2012

MRC & Council: Three Strikes & You’re Out!!!!!!

Posted by gleneira under Caulfield Racecourse/C60, Councillor Performance, GE Service Performance
[10] Comments

We’ve received the following information from an alert resident. It highlights what can only be regarded as either sheer incompetence on the part of either, or both, the MRC and Council, or the continued utter disregard for local residents. Traffic management plans to handle “major events” at the Racecourse are nothing short of a disgrace. Over to you Councillors! What ‘punishment’ will be meted out to the MRC? Did our wonderful Glen Eira Traffic Management Department actually clap eyes on any plan and did they in fact okay it? Are they now supervising and overseeing this traffic mayhem?

Here’s part of the email and other info:

The road closures around the Caulfield Racecourse associated with the last two “major” events held at the Racecourse (Spring Racing Carnival – October, 2011 and the Caravan and Camping Show – March, 2012) were severaly criticised because there was less than 24 hour notice given to residents.

Today, the start of the 2012 Spring Racing Carnival, residents should be even more angry at the inability of the MRC and Council to properly inform them of the road closures – this time the advice might have been sent out early enough, but it’s totally useless IF IT’S WRONG – WHICH IT WAS!

Here’s the notice

What’s important here is the following:

The Caravan and Camping show notice stated “The following streets will be closed to all traffic from Kambrook Road:

Eskdale Road, Newington Grove and Hudson Street at Kambrook Road; and
Entry for residents will be via Bambra Road Only”

The closures took place at around 12 noon.

The above Spring Racing Carnival notification states “Residents of Hudson St., Payne St., Eskdale Rd., Newington Gve. and Redan Rd. should avoid using Glen Eira Road to return to their homes after 2.30 p.m.”

No mention of blocking the road but blocking commenced at 8.30 a.m. ( what happened to 2.30 p.m?)

No mention of Wyuna Road to Redan Road exit being blocked.

Redan Road is not blocked.

What impact does Glen Eira Road have on accessing these streets – should it be Bambra Road?

After the Caravan and Camping Show notification, Council stated “The recent notification provided by Melbourne Racing Club (MRC) to residents for the Caravan and Camping Show was disappointing and unacceptable and the MRC has been so advised.” This is the third consecutive time the MRC has stuffed it up – time for the three strikes you are out rule to be applied. It’s just not good enough that the information sent out to residents is wrong, wrong, wrong.

Oh and by the way, they need to change the configuration of the road blocks or have a Police presence at the Smith Street Roundabout – cars are mounting the nature strip and footpath to gain access to Bambra Road from Eskdale Road.

Here is the photographic ‘evidence’.

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October 11, 2012

Once More With Feeling!

Posted by gleneira under Councillor Performance, GE Service Performance
[13] Comments

When will this Council ever learn from its past and ongoing bloopers? That history has not taught this lot a thing was made clear this morning when a Mr Michael Silverstein rang Jon Faine’s breakfast show to complain about his kids being warned off for playing Frisbee (yes! that dreaded word again) in an East Bentleigh park without a permit.

To refresh readers’ memories, we‘ve had the headlining farces of ‘kids in the park’; the footy ‘schleppers’, and Michael Lipshutz’s son’s group playing regular, advertised Frisbee games in Caulfield Park for years on end – the latter without a permit! Remember, the situation has been ‘monitored’ for year after year after year!

When will common sense prevail and the infamous Local Laws Committee, chaired by none other than Lipshutz, wake up and do something about this ridiculous law and its far from even handed implementation? That this issue has been allowed to simmer since at least 2005 is unbelievable.

Our sympathies go to Mr Silverstein in that none of these kids happen to be related to, or friends with sitting councillors!

PS: From the Caulfield Leader, PLUS 10 comments already up.

Caulfield Park Frisbee ban

11 Oct 12 @ 11:11am by Jessica Bennett

FRISBEE loving teens have told to stop their weekly game unless they pay $120 for a permit.

East Bentleigh mum Tal Silverstein said her 18-year-old son and his friends played frisbee in Caulfield Park most Friday afternoons.

“Last Friday someone from Glen Eira Council made them stop the game,” she said.

“They said it was an organised sport and that they couldn’t play without a permit.”

Ms Silverstein said the group of teenagers were told they would need to obtain a permit at a cost of $120 to continue playing.

She said the teens organised who would be turning up to play via a Facebook page, but that was their only form of organisation.

“The have the Facebook page, but that is just how they communicate these days,” she said.

“They don’t all go every week, they have no coach, no uniform and no league – how is that organised?

“I thank God that instead of going out drinking or hanging around in the streets they are playing sport.

“But they can’t afford to pay $120 every time they want to throw the frisbee around.”

Glen Eira Council has been approached for comment.

COMMENTS:

Andre writes: Posted on 11 Oct 12 at 01:33pm

As a father of one of the boys, I thougt he was playing tricks with me. With so little time on their hands due to school commitments, these boys are getting some healthy exercise for an hour a a week Shame on you Glen Eira.

Park user. writes: Posted on 11 Oct 12 at 01:21pm

Agroup of kids took over Ardrie park every Saturday about 2 years ago. Put their markers out and played soccer in it for about 2 hours. This is a leash-free park for our dogs and they are only allowed on the oval area. Quite rightly, the kids were told to go to one of the other many ovals in the area to play, or indeed, play on their school oval. I agree with Council in this instance. If the park they’re talking about is for off-leash dogs, then it is a nightmare for the animals, who naturally want to chase anything that is thrown.

Rosemary Balfour writes: Posted on 11 Oct 12 at 01:21pm

Bureaucracy has become a business in its own right. How utterly nonsensical!! Leave them alone. They are having harmless, healthy fun. Crawl back under your rocks, Local Councils!!

Mel writes: Posted on 11 Oct 12 at 01:16pm

Welcome to Australia! It’s becoming more and more ridiculous by the minute! Considering the amount of permits and restrictions it’s coming surprisingly close to the Stasi in Eastern Germany but in a different way. What do you need next? A permit to fart????

Bill Bartlett writes: Posted on 11 Oct 12 at 01:15pm

Another case of the councils weilding there big sticks, they can’t handle anyone having and if you do you’ll be fined for it.

Janine writes: Posted on 11 Oct 12 at 01:13pm

What an appalling display of money grabbing behaviour by Glen Eira Council. They should be encouring these teenagers to exercise and enjoy sport socailly; not pouring cold water on there plans to enjoy Caulfield’s parks and open areas. Shame on your Glen Eira Council. I do not sanity prevails on this one.

Mick Of Ferntree Gully writes: Posted on 11 Oct 12 at 12:44pm

Typical local government beauracracy. Unfortunately a number of local councils are being taken over by a bunch of pea brains

Kate writes: Posted on 11 Oct 12 at 12:36pm

I heard this story on ABC radio this morning. On the face of it, it does seem ridiculous. I will be interested to see Council’s response. On radio Mr Silverstein said the kids were also required to have public liability insurance. As a business person, I need that insurance and it doesn’t come cheap! This seems to be an example of Local Laws that may need a good review.

I have seen the young people playing frisbee in Caulfield Park where I walk my dog every day. It certainly doesn’t bother me and seems like a harmless, healthy and fun activity! Is Council that short of money?

Dr. Kate Dempsey Independent Candidate for Camden Ward

Helen writes: Posted on 11 Oct 12 at 12:28pm

How ridiculous, kids playing frisbee! Shame on the money grabbing council!

Peter writes: Posted on 11 Oct 12 at 12:25pm

As long as they wear the mandatory helmets, and body protection devices there is no reason why people should not be entitled to play such an extreme sport in a public area

October 10, 2012

The Annual Report

Posted by gleneira under Councillor Performance, GE Service Performance
[15] Comments

The usual sales pitch that constitutes the Annual Report is now available on Council’s website. Once again readers will require a magnifying glass to read the very fine print that is practically on every single page! We’ve only had a very cursory glance at the contents, but these figures leapt out at us:

Staff increase – in 2010/11 the total no. was 980. In 2011/12 this figure hit 1,204!!
Drains cleaned – in 2010/11 the total was 32km. In 2011/12 a bare 10.93km!!!!

We must also wonder why on earth Council has Advisory Committees. The following lists the number of times these committees met throughout the year –

Roads Special Committee – No meetings

Caulfield Racecourse Precinct Special Committee – 1 meeting

Animal Management Advisory Committee – No meetings

Caulfield Racecourse Reserve Advisory Committee – No meetings

Local Laws Advisory Committee – 1 meeting

Sport and Recreation Advisory Committee – No meetings

Pools Steering Committee – 8 meetings

The only committees that seemed to get a regular guernsey were the Audit Committee (4 – legislative requirement); Arts and Culture Advisory Committee (7 meetings); Environment 4 meetings and Community Grants – 4 meetings. Hence we have a situation where the most important committees exist in name only – or that this council sees no need to report on any such meetings (ie Local Law Committee meetings which in the past have been called ‘workshops’ rather than formal meetings. This of course provides the excuse of not having to table minutes of any such ‘workshops’).

Then there’s this on the GESAC saga: “Glen Eira Sports and Aquatic Centre (GESAC) construction contract was awarded for the sum of $41.2m. As at end June 2012, Council had paid $36.99m. Council officers are still assessing contractor’s claims for variations and the contractor is still attending to minor defects and omissions. The defects liability period is due to end in May 2013.

Council has deducted $2,355,000 in liquidated damage against the contract. Recently, Hansen Yuncken applied for an adjudication pursuant to the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 2002 (Vic) for $4,207,478.21.

It has also reserved its right to seek a further $950,950.06 (plus GST). Council has engaged legal advisors to prepare a response to Hansen Yuncken’s application. Regardless of the outcome of the adjudication, either party is still entitled to pursue damages and cost recovery through civil proceedings.”

We urge readers to cut through the cant and really analyse the figures. Then they should ask themselves:

Are services being cut, maintained or improved?
Are the ‘measures’ really indicative of performance as set out in the so called community plan?
Are residents getting real value for money?

October 9, 2012

Same Old, Same Old….

Posted by gleneira under Caulfield Racecourse/C60, Councillor Performance, GE Service Performance
[12] Comments

Caulfield Racecourse chairman told to resign

Racecourse board votes to maintain secrecy

Oct 12 @ 05:00am by Andrea Kellett

A DECISION that could end more than a century of perceived secrecy surrounding management of Crown land at Caulfield Racecourse has been voted down.

The Caulfield Racecourse Reserve board of trustees has met for the first time under new chairman and Glen Eira councillor Jim Magee.

He put forward a motion to change the board’s governance arrangements, but the majority of trustees voted against it.

Those arrangements would have thrown board meetings open to the public for the first time in 150 years and required minutes to be made publicly available.

The trustees called for Cr Magee’s resignation as chairman, but he declined.

He will instead be replaced at 6am on October 27, council election day.

He is standing for re-election in Tucker Ward.

After the meeting Cr Magee said it was “inappropriate” to comment while he waited for the Premier to reply to concerns he had raised about the board.

Fellow trustee, Cr Cheryl Forge, said Cr Magee had come under “enormous pressure” at the meeting to resign.

Council candidate Mary Delahunty called for a review into the operations and structure of the board.

Other items on the board’s agenda included the grandstand lease with the MRC and a “land swap” between the MRC and the Minister for Innovation.

++++++++++++

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Big task on racecourse

THE development of the Caulfield racecourse area will be one of the biggest challenges to face new and re-elected councillors.

There is much a strong council can achieve to protect the amenity for all Glen Eira residents, to ensure infrastructure is minimally impacted and to provide an accessible open space for our enjoyment.

Governance must be resolved for the project to be successful. The current trust structure which delegates the day-to-day management of crown land is not the appropriate vehicle. A properly authorised committee of management will provide a stronger voice for the residents and clearer accountability. Glen Eira Council has an important role in the future of the racecourse. Strong, consultative representation will deliver the right outcomes for the City of Glen Eira.

Mary Delahunty, Candidate for Camden Ward

October 5, 2012

The ‘Indoctrination’ Begins!

Posted by gleneira under GE Governance, GE Service Performance
[12] Comments

Each candidate has received a personal letter from Andrew Newton informing them of the legal requirements if they are successful in becoming a councillor – ie. return of register of interests, etc. More importantly it contains a proposed schedule and the outline of an ‘induction’ program. We are of the opinion that this document also lays out the blueprint for stamping the administration’s authority and control on councillors.

Below is the proposed timeline. Important sections are highlighted. We draw readers’ attention to the following:

The ‘invitation’ to sign the CURRENT councillors’ Code of Conduct on day one! There is no requirement in the Act for councillors to sign any such document! By signing councillors bind themselves prior to any discussion and possible amendment. Councillors also have three months to sign any Oath of Office. The legislation also requires that the Code of Conduct be ‘reviewed’ within one year of an election. Bayside starts its ‘review’ in February!
The only ‘induction’ that councillors receive prior to the first Ordinary Council Meeting is a ‘folder’, part of one Assembly of Councillors, and then a nearly 3 hour ‘presentation’ on the Local Government Act from Maddocks. Then it’s off to make decisions! We imagine that at this first council meeting many important items will appear on the agenda for decision by a potential bunch of neophytes.
Then we have the almost primary school flavour of the ‘kiddy tour’ (with sandwiches). Gesac, Duncan McKinnon, Caulfield Pavilion, are sure to feature prominently! Still no real ‘discussion’ or oversight of such things as community plan, council plan, local law, etc. Once again, Bayside conducts their ‘grand tour’ on the 16^th March.
Only on the 17^th November, AFTER THE FIRST COUNCIL MEETING, is there an extended ‘induction’ period of 6 hours. Too late we cry!

For comparison we’ve also uploaded the full Bayside Program. Whilst we remain dubious as to the purpose of the little ‘one on one chats’ with individual councillors, we also note the specific reference to COUNCILLOR ONLY MEETINGS THAT ARE SCHEDULED in their program. The other point of course is the fact that Bayside sees no problems in publishing such material unlike Glen Eira.

Here is the Glen Eira ‘program’ –

September 28, 2012

How’s This For Transparency?

Posted by gleneira under GE Governance, GE Service Performance
[4] Comments

Below is one page from the Manningham City Council Draft Annual Report itemising the specific salaries for their Directors. As we’ve noted in the past, Glen Eira has 5 Directors each sitting on over $230,000 as per last year’s figures. We invite readers to note the differences in pay scales and also to ask why Glen Eira residents who pay these salaries are not privy to the same detailed information that is evident from the chart presented below.

September 27, 2012

Lest We Forget! Sorry, We Don’t!

Posted by gleneira under Councillor Performance, GE Governance, GE Service Performance
[6] Comments

Carrying out Council resolutions in a timely fashion is obviously not high on Glen Eira Council’s priority list. Dissembling, distortions, and straight out fibbing characterise much of what has been going on – especially in regard to public questions and their deliberately deceptive answers! The latest outrage involves the establishment of an Alcohol Free Zone in Centre Road, Bentleigh.

The following public question was asked on Monday night –

“Why has Bentleigh’s shopping strip not received the same attention as Caulfield Race Days in establishing an Alcohol Free Zone and when is Council due to consider such controls around Bentleigh’s Centre Road?”

The Mayor read Council’s response. He said:

“It would be unfortunate for the reputation of the Bentleigh Shopping Centre if people were to infer that the shopping centre suffers the same extent of problems with alcohol affected persons that the area around the Caulfield Racecourse suffers on the twenty or so race days per year that are held there. There is no comparison between the two sites. Council’s Local Law Advisory Committee is looking at the matter following it being raised by the former President of the Bentleigh Traders Association.”

We’ve done a bit of checking and find that at the Council Meeting of 12^th October 2010, the following resolution was passed –

“Crs Hyams/Magee

‘As moved, except that in relation to Item M of the Minutes of the Local Laws Advisory Committee meeting that the Local Laws Advisory Committee drafts an amendment to the Local Law to provide for the provision of an alcohol free zone in the Centre Road Bentleigh shopping strip. The amendment is to prohibit the drinking of alcoholic beverages in the shopping centre apart from within areas owned or controlled by licensed premises and is to be enforceable by the Police

The AMENDMENT was put and CARRIED and on becoming the SUBSTANTIVE MOTION was again put and CARRIED.”

This amendment was the result of a Local Laws Advisory Committee Meeting of the 13^th September 2010 which included the following: “Alcohol Free Zones: Discussed issue associated with declaring and enforcing such zones. Determined police should be requested to utilise their move-on powers”.

Glen Eira Debates at the time reported on the ‘debate’ for the amendment. We then wrote: “Hyams moved an amendment to the Local Law Review committee’s recommendations that Centre Rd be considered for potential naming as an ‘Alcohol Free Zone’. This was opposed by Lipshutz with the argument that we don’t need it; that the police don’t want more work, they will do nothing to enforce it and hence the job will fall on the already overworked council officers. The amendment was eventually passed with the acknowledgement that council isn’t committing itself to anything but that by putting it on the agenda for future discussions all options are left open. (October 13^th, 2010)

COMMENT:

What’s the point of passing resolutions if they are never carried out? There is no equivocation in this resolution. The ‘order’ was to prepare an Amendment. This has never come to Council!
How can Hyams now read and thereby endorse this response to Monday night’s public question when he in fact moved the Amendment 2 years ago?
Why has the Local Laws committee been so derelict in both the frequency of meetings, and more importantly, providing minutes for (all) of those meetings?
Why should discussion on a public safety issue be allowed to drag on for over 2 years?
It couldn’t simply be could it, that this administration is opposed to introducing an Alcohol Ban and therefore certain councillors once again fall meekly into line?

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