GE Service Performance


The draft Community Plan deserves credit for highlighting the problems and issues which will, and already are, impacting dramatically on residents. One doesn’t need a crystal ball to realise that traffic management, planning, and open space are key concerns. The Community Plan has this to say on these matters:

Population/Planning: “Additional dwellings required to support population changes in the future will impact upon Council’s town planning, traffic, parking, assets and infrastructure services. The appropriateness of new development and maintaining heritage of local housing continues to be a strong concern of local residents. Council needs to work with the State Government to ensure Victorian planning controls appropriately balance the needs of current and future residents.”

Traffic: “The Victorian Integrated Survey of Travel and Activity 2009 (VISTA) commissioned by the Department of Transport reveals that 72 per cent of all trips in Glen Eira during a weekday are undertaken as a car driver or passenger, ten per cent use public transport, 15 per cent walking and two per cent use a bicycle. These facts reveal opportunities to target and promote sustainable transport options”.

So, what STRATEGIES, what actions, what performance measures and what investment does the budget and the Strategic Resource Plan propose in order to address and resolve these ‘problems’. Sadly, very little. The above quotes are a good indication of how bereft, and unwilling, council is to tackle the core of the problem rather than merely tinkering with the edges. Planning should be about more than ‘maintaining heritage’ or working with government. It needs to ensure that the Planning Scheme has done everything it possibly can to ‘appropriately balance the needs of current and future residents’. There is no mention of this in the Action Plan apart from the very limited C87 and the ‘transition’ policy – already rubber stamped! Nor will the creation of 4 speed humps per year solve the growing problem of rat runs through local residential streets. If ‘safety’ is the primary concern, then much, much more needs to be planned and budgeted for. Residents should really ask: how many traffic lights have been installed; how many pedestrian crossings; how many roundabouts; how many splitter islands in the past two years?

The most obvious failing of these plans is the inability (or perhaps deliberate) blurring of what constitutes a strategy and an objective. We maintain that very few ‘strategies’ exist. The community/council plan is loaded with lofty goals, but is short on feasible, comprehensive strategies. The result is a complete lack of integration between goals, strategies and performance measures. Yet, heading after heading proudly states ‘strategy’. The following are NOT strategies – they are warm, fluffy, motherhood statements undoubtedly intended to provide the illusion that something is actually being done. We ask readers: are these ‘strategies’?

  • Improve safety and movement of road users and provide a fair and equitable balance of parking.
  • Improve road safety and manage congestion on the local road network.
  • Plan for a mixture of housing types that allows residents to meet their housing needs in different stages of their life-cycle within the City.
  • Ensure new multi-dwelling residential development is sympathetic to the existing neighbourhood character in Glen Eira’s minimal change areas
  • Encourage and support community involvement in the planning permit application process.
  • Provide a fair, transparent and inclusive town planning decision making process.

The list goes on an on. None are carefully laid out strategies that clarify, detail, nor provide clear criteria against which performance may be evaluated in the Action Plan and its ‘measures’. The result will be more of the same – a budget and council/community plan big on rhetoric, but failing in action and appropriate funding.

Readers may remember a highly contentious planning application for 1a Albany Court, North Caulfield. This was for the extension of numbers and access for a synagogue. The gallery was full of objectors and the decision by councillors was split. This has now gone (again) to VCAT in the hope to extend the pedestrian carriageway. The full VCAT decision may be accessed at: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/vic/VCAT/2012/669.html

We present some extracts from the member’s decision which highlights the fact that Council:

  • Hasn’t sought enforcement orders for continual breaches of the permit
  • Hasn’t bothered to notify residents of this new application

“The Council explained there had been a synagogue (shul) operating at 1A Albany Court for a number of years without planning approval.”

“Nearby residents oppose this application for two main reasons. The first reason is the history of non-compliance by the permit applicant with the planning scheme (for operating an illegal synagogue); with the current planning permit (for erecting a walkway that is not on the land to which the permit applies); and other non-compliance with permit conditions. This is not a matter that I can deal with as this application is not an enforcement proceeding for compliance with the planning permit.”

“The Council initially opposed this amendment but during the hearing advised it no longer opposed this because the amendment is a relatively minor requirement. On the face of it, the creation of an easement may be considered a secondary aspect of this proposal. However, it is also an aspect for which separate planning permission is required and the Council needs to then determine if material detriment may result that necessitates the giving of public notice. As the planning application lodged with the Council has not been processed, I am not aware if the Council made a decision on this aspect of the processing of the application. In any event, the notification given as part of this section 87A application was limited to four properties at 2 and 3 Albany Court, 4 Grimwade Court and 18 Kambea Grove. If notice was required as part of a planning application, it would have been to at least the adjoining properties (as the Planning and Environment Act 1987 requires), and the notification undertaken by the Applicant in this case does not include all properties adjoining 2 St Aubins Avenue. Further, the extent of notification given in this application did not include all persons who originally objected, nor the persons who were originally notified of the proposed synagogue at 1 and 1A Albany Court (as identified in the Council’s Practice Note material provided to the Tribunal after lodgement of this application). For all of these reasons, I am not persuaded it is appropriate to include the additional planning permission for the creation of an easement in this permit”

We’ve received quite a few comments of late relating to the Council/MRC ‘agreement’ and the fact that the promised actions have not eventuated. If anything, the MRC has gone on its merry way, totally ignoring Council and the community.

Adding insult to injury is the total silence by the Special Committee (Lipshutz, Pilling, Hyams and Esakoff) – as well as the administration. Apart from 2 planning applications not a word has come from these sources. Nor have we heard a single mutter from the Trustees – Magee, Forge, and Tang (when the latter actually makes it to meetings!) Nothing but nothing has been reported upon: no ‘progress’ reports, no minutes, no media releases, no statements. Residents have been left dangling with no information and no knowledge of what is really going on. Once again Council mission statements of transparency and accountability belong to the Goebbel’s school of propaganda (to use an old Lipshutz analogy).

The only information to eke out has been the result of public questions demanding explanations for the failure to inform residents of street closures. The pathetic response included:

“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. Consequently as a basis for more timely notification to residents, Council officers have advised the MRC that a calendar of all their future events is to be provided .

The process is that a traffic management plan is prepared by the MRC and reviewed by Council for every event that is expected to significantly impact traffic conditions in the vicinity of the Racecourse Reserve.

As traffic management arrangements are continually being trialled to ensure impacts to residents are minimised (and different events have different traffic management requirements), no formal agreement can be put in place with the MRC regarding which roads would be impacted (and for how long) or which roads are closed.“ 

Has this ‘calendar’ materialised? What does ‘significant’ mean? Is ‘no formal agreement’ a euphemism for ‘the MRC can continue to do what it likes, when it likes?’

As to the events themselves, here is a list of what’s been happening at the Racecourse for the past 8 months or so and how ‘access’ for the public has been handled. We’ve probably missed some, so the list shouldn’t be seen as complete.

EVENT

DURATION

GATES

Caulfield Guineas

1 day

closed

Caulfield Cup

1 day

closed

Baby & Kids   Market

1 day

 

Sewing & Craft   Show

4 days

 

Monash Exams

5 days

 

Platinum Play   Family Fund Day

1 day

Queen’s Ave closed

Monash Exams

10 days

 

Carlton &   United Breweries Family Xmas Day

1 day

Queen’s Ave closed

Wholesale Direct   Shopping Evening

1 evening

 

Mathilda Market

1 day

 

Building &   Construction Workers xmas

1 day

Closed (high noise   level)

Metricon Xmas   Function

1 day

 

Harvest & Graze

1 day

 

Caravan & Camping   Show

6 days

Closed – used for   parking

Twins Plus Festival

1 day

 

Caulfield Farmers’   Market

1 day

 

Carex – Health &   Aged Expo

2 days

 

Age VCE Career Expo

4 days

 

Caulfield Farmers’   Market

1 day

 

Open University   Exams

4 days  
Early Childhood   Development

2 days

 

Circus (one already held & one upcoming)

2 MONTHS (WITH SOME DAYS 2 SHOWS A DAY)

 

Just these figures alone give us a tally of roughly 130 days. Wouldn’t it be good to know how much REVENUE Council receives as a result of all these fixtures? Or does it all go to the MRC and not a cent returned to Council?

Surely if this venue is to hold so many events then a traffic management plan IS essential and should be made public. It is also incumbent on Council to ensure that all gates are open as per the agreement.

The issue of fences, pathways and other ‘developments’ in the centre, we will leave to another post.

Mean test on seniors at Glen Eira pool

2 Jun 12 @  05:05am by Jessica Bennett

David and Marilyn Murphy don't receive a Seniors' Card pool discount. Picture: HILTON STONE N48MS704

David and Marilyn Murphy don’t receive a Seniors’ Card pool discount. Picture: HILTON STONE

KEEN Murrumbeena swimmers are disappointed the new Glen Eira Sports and Aquatic Centre won’t offer Seniors Card discounts.

David Murphy, aged 60, and Marilyn Murphy, 59, said they swam every second day at the Carnegie outdoor pool, which is only open during the summer.

He said they decided to try the Glen Eira centre and were dismayed to find their seniors’ cards weren’t accepted as concession cards.

“When I received my Seniors Card last December I very proudly presented it at the Carnegie pool and they accepted it,” Mr Murphy said.

He said the aquatic centre manager told him the cards weren’t accepted because they were not means tested.

“Most who take the trouble to get Seniors Cards are self-funded retirees who are comfortable but not rich,” Mr Murphy said.

“Some seniors would clearly be using the indoor facilities for health and rehabilitation.

“I hope this doesn’t stop them from using the centre.

“It just seems a bit petty. Would it really matter if one billionaire got a $1 discount?”

Glen Eira Council spokesman Paul Burke confirmed Seniors Cards were not accepted at any council sports facilities as they were not a means-tested concession card.

Staff numbers at Glen Eira continue to rise and rise. We’ve reported several times already on the number of ‘fat cats’ sitting on well over $230,000 per annum in contrast to other councils. But the scenario is even worse when we include ‘contractor’ costs. The promise made years ago was that Council would try to minimise its reliance on contractors. So much for promises! Below is a table detailing employee and contractor costs for the last 7 budgets as well as staff increases from 2008 onwards. Contractors we believe ARE NOT included in these staff figures.

 

2006/7

2007/8 2008/9 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12

2012/13

Salary

37,960 41,066 43,277 44,073 47,838 51,841

56,277

Contractors

16,339 16,063 16,803 17,646 20,532 22,471

25,183

Staff   (EFT)

? ? 623 630 654 715

736

 

Submissions for the Budget, Community Plan, and Strategic Resource Plan close in about a week. The continual spin is that Glen Eira is a low cost and well performing council. Our take on all this is that whilst rates and charges keep climbing, services have been downgraded, cut, and certainly have not kept up with demand or resident expectations. We maintain that the basics are being ignored in order to pay for such extravagances as GESAC, and now the Duncan Mckinnon pavilion/grandstand as well as another $700,000+ for Marlborough Reserve. Instead of ensuring that funding goes to the essentials, such as drains, roads, parking, footpaths, open space acquisitions and other themes highlighted by the community, we instead have profligacy and interest repayments that will continue to burden ratepayers for years to come. Residents have every right therefore to question the decision making capacity and priorities of this council.

Our ‘evidence’ as to the downgrading of essential services comes straight from the horse’s mouth – previous budgets and council plans. Residents should also note that instead of specific and quantifiable measures that appeared in previous plans, the ‘measures’ for the 2012/13 version are mere waffle. Nothing is quantifiable. It’s also questionable why, when budgets are set the target is to spend only 90% of the allocated funds! Either the money is available or it isn’t! If the latter then it would certainly be far more honest to state that instead of the claimed $3.8 million designated for roads, that council will really be spending only $3.42 million.

Below is a table comparing the published expenditure over the past 6 years. What needs to be kept in mind is that costs have risen so what $3 million could have ‘bought’ in 2007 is certainly not what $3 million will ‘buy’ today!

 

  2007 2009 2012
DRAINS “Reduce   flooding in Glen Eira by improving the Council drainage network – incidence   of flooding reduced – 1000 tonnes of sediment diverted ($3.3 million)” Renew and   upgrade Council’s drainage system to provide greater capacity – Implement   council’s drainage program – Expend $3   million on council’s drainage

Effectively   monitor and maintain the City’s stormwater network to minimise the   contaminants entering our waterways – Keep drains clear of sediment and   debris – 30km of drains cleaned.

 

Maintain   renew and upgrade Council’s drainage system to reduce the risk of flood   damage – Implement council’s Drainage improvement and Flood Mitigation Sub   Programs – Expend $3.5 M on   Douncil’s Drainage improvemnt nd Flood Mitigation Sub-Programs

 

 

ROADS Local road   reconstructions $4 million Maintain a   program of road renewals and replacement at a standard that allows for long   term safety and sustainability – Implement   $4 million capital program for road reconstruction – Road program   implemented and approximately 5 km of road reconstructed.

 

Implement   Council Road reconstruction Sub-program – Expend 90% of the budgeted capital works program for  road reconstruction. ($3.8 MILLION)
FOOTPATHS Improve   the quality of footpaths – 27km of   footpaths replaced

 

Replace at   least 25km of footpath each year –   Implement $2M footpath upgrade   capital program at various locations around the City – 25km of new footpath   installed. Implement $1.7M footpath upgrade …at   various locations around the City – Expend   90% of the budgeted capital works program for footpath installation.

 

HOME CARE   4956 hours of property   maintenance  provided to eligible   residents  4,500   hours of Property Maintenance.
CUSTOMER   SERVICE   Customer   Service Centre to resolve 80% of calls at first point of contact and with an   average call waiting time of 10   seconds or less

 

80% of   calls resolved at first point of contact

Average   call waiting time of 18 seconds or   less achieved for all calls

 

FOOD   INSPECTIONS   800 food   businesses inspected

 

Conduct 800 food safety assessments of   registered food business

(and this after Lipshutz at last council   meeting tells us that food outlets have increased dramatically)

 

The following is from the in camera Council minutes of 20th September, 2011. We have two simple questions for residents to mull over:

  • Is this nonsense worth $65,000 and rising?
  • Who are the real bullies?

“At the Council meeting of 30 August Council resolved

That Council:

Following consideration of the responses provided by the CEO and Cr. Penhalluriack in relation to the O’Neill report

1.

(a)      Resolves that Cr Penhalluriack puts all questions to the CEO and/or Officers in writing and submits them to the Mayor except where questions arise during the course of a meeting.

(b)      Directs Cr Penhalluriack not to make any accusations to the CEO and/or Officers unless he has supporting evidence (which must be produced at the time of making the accusations)

(c)       Urges the Chair to strictly enforce point of order at Council meetings concerning accusations made by any Councillor without any supporting evidence

(d)      Encourages all Councillors to take responsibility for the occupational health and safety of the CEO and/or Officers by taking steps to prevent bullying by acting on any incidents that they may witness and making points of order when accusations without evidence are made.

(e)       Requires Cr Penhalluriack to undergo training on bullying and the appropriate way to phrase questions at meetings and authorises the Mayor to ppoint an appropriate expert to carry out such training to a maximum expenditure of $2,500 (our emphasis)

(f)       Offers the CEO and Cr Penhalluriack Employee Assistance Support

2. Notes Tracey O’Neill’s recommendation to refer Cr Penhalluriack to a Councillor conduct panel and reserves the right to implement this recommendation should the above recommendations not be effective.

3. Appoints an independent arbiter, nominated by the MAV, to rule on issues relating to workplace safety identified in the O’Neill report and to ensure that recommendations are implemented and maintained to ensure a safe effective and productive workplace.

4. Strongly urges Cr Penhalluriack to exclude himself from all discussion in relation to the CEO contract and should he fail to do so, consider the formation of a special committee for CEO contract matters.

5. Notifies Cr Penhalluriack and the CEO of this resolution.

Issues

  1.  Cr Penhalluriack’s behaviour subsequent to Council resolution 30 August 

Subsequent to the Council meeting of 30 August a number of OH&S incidents have occurred these include

  • 7 September 2011 – Cr Penhalluriack requested Council Officer (CEO) to supply him with Council Minutes and architectural drawings for Duncan Mackinnon pavilion contrary to the above resolution and also while having a certificate declaring himn unfit for any duties.
  • 7 September 2011 – Incident report 00553 – in breach of 12.10 Cr Penhalluriack attempted to direct officers to supply him with a Victoria Police report, an arborist report and photographs regarding a tree vandalism incident.
  • 7 September 2011 – Incident report 03554 – in breach of 12.10 Cr Penhalluriack emailed a Council Officer again requesting Council minutes
  • 7 September 2011 – Incident report 03555 – in breach of 12.10 Cr Penhalluriack approached a Council Officer requesting information making the Officer feel under pressure to comply
  • 7 September 2011 – Incident report 03556 – in breach of 12.10 Cr Penhalluriack directed a Council Officer to copy the minutes from the 30 August Council meeting after being refused he then went through the Officer’s desk and read the minutes, which had yet to be distributed, taking hand written notes.
  • 8 September 2011 – (CEO statement) Cr Penhalluriack attended the Citizenship Ceremony from 8.00pm until 8.50pm where he engaged other Councillors in conversation regarding the Caulfield Park Pavilion and amendment C60. Cr Penhalluraick (sic) then went to the City Management area and read the confidential minutes from the last Council meeting at an Officer’s desk. He was seen to still be there at 9.30pm reading through the confidential minutes. (our emphasis)
  • 12 September 2011 – in breach of 12.10 Cr Penhalluriack attempted conversation with Council Officers (CEO) (our emphasis)
  • 12 September 2011 – Incident report 03557 – in breach of 12.10 Cr Penhalluriack questioned a Council Officer about Council documents leaving the Officer shaken and distressed

Also in discussion with an Officer from OccCorp in relation to Councillor Penhalluriack’s potential WorkCover claim OccCorp advised that Cr Penhalluriack stated that “The CEO term finishes in April so that it will all be over by then.”

The saga of the Duncan McKinnon grandstand and pavilion ‘redevelopment’ continues. Council minutes now reveal that the tender has finally been awarded and that the contract price is $9,744,651.52.  

We’re astounded at the apparent inflation rate. All along residents have been sold different versions of what this will cost. The 2011/12 budget stated –“$5.5m for Duncan Mackinnon in 2011-2012 and $1.8m in 2012- 2013”. This year’s budget tells us : “Duncan Mackinnon – $1.09m for Duncan Mackinnon Pavilion construction in 2012-2013 (plus carry forward from 2011-12)”. As for total costs, these are anybody’s guess – something that is surely reminiscent of the increasing costs associated with GESAC. Public pronouncements started off at about $7 million. Then in June last year, the price was announced as being $8.8 million. Now it’s just under ten million and this doesn’t include ‘design’, road restructuring, car park extensions, and so on.

Questions:

  • How can there be a million dollar jump in the space of less than one year?
  • How can there be a several million dollar jump in cost in the space of 2 years?
  • Have residents and councillors been told furphies as to cost all the way along?
  • Where’s the extra money coming from since council can’t borrow anymore?
  • How much has already been spent on ‘design’?
  • Has the delay and subsequent price increase been the direct result of financial blowouts over GESAC? Are we heading down the same path with Duncan McKinnon?
  • Are other services being cut in order to fund Duncan McKinnon?

Budget papers are supposed to be an accurate representation of a council’s financial status, its assets, and forward planning. Budgets are also submitted to Ministers, the public, and Auditor Generals. We imagine that they would go through countless hands before they are made public; that they would be checked and double checked for accuracy and consistency. How the following then occurs is simply incomprehensible. This is only one example of what we consider to be totally unprofessional and sloppy performance.

We have followed through on 3 separate budgets at basically two year intervals – 2007, 2009 and the current 2012 budget. The focus is on the stated number of DRAINAGE PITS.

In 2007 it is stated that Council has 16,000 drainage pits (Minutes of May 15th 2007, page 5 of the budget)

In 2009 we’re told that Council has 17,000 drainage pits (Minutes of May 12th, 2009 – page 17 of the budget)

Perhaps there has been a magical increase of 1,000 in 2 years. However, the piece de resistance comes in this year’s budget.

On Page 32 of the Community Plan Glen Eira suddenly possesses 22,000 drainage pits! Amazing! Then on page 32 of the budget we suddenly are back to 16,000 drainage pits!!!!!!!! Which is it? Does this administration even know? Or are figures simply plucked from the air and any number will do? Who checked these papers? Who is responsible for the inconsistencies and spin?

PS: Some more very questionable figures –

2007 – 5,953 registered business providing 32,750 jobs

2009 –13,521 registered businesses providing 29,000 jobs

2012 –13,521 registered businesses providing  29,000 jobs

2007 – 57,7007 rateable properties

2009 – 58,609 rateable properties

 

We’re not accountants. We’re just ordinary citizens looking for answers and wondering why so much secrecy surrounds the financial dealings and details of GESAC. The latest items to raise eyebrows stem from the budget and the lack of detail as to rates and charges.

The Regulations (2004) define the mandatory ‘standard statement of cash flows’ as ‘a statement which shows all cash inflows and cash outflows from all activities of a Council during a financial year’. GESAC is now open. Charges for everything should certainly be known, and known in advance, if an adequate Business Plan exists. Yet GESAC does not feature in the ‘rates and charges’ section of the draft budget. Carnegie Swim Centre does, as does every other ‘service’ – even to the extent of booking rotundas and open space. GESAC, the largest financial unit,  is certainly conspicuous by its absence.

The ‘get out of jail card’ appears to be this vague and repeated paragraph:

“The 2012-2013 budget reflects user fees for GESAC of $6.9m. GESAC will provide a range of facilities and services including some never offered before and some which are subject to market forces. Some experience will be required in order to set charges for some of these facilities and services and adjust them from time to time. Separate arrangements will be established under which the Centre Manager will be able to manage charges within the Budget determined by Council”

This is surely an astounding statement for several reasons:

  • It flies in the face of accountability and transparency. With no itemised figures as to income how can anyone determine the veracity of anything? Is $6.9 million simply plucked from the air?
  • It provides carte blanche to officers – again without councillor knowledge as to precise details. Delegating such authority to officers as happened with the basketball allocations is simply another example of why full transparency is required
  • What does this reveal about Business Plans – do they in fact exist?

Our argument is that throughout the entire GESAC saga the public and probably most councillors have been kept in the dark. All we have ever had are vague statements of totals – without detail, without explanation and without real justification. Below are several more statements taken directly from the budget. We ask readers to consider them carefully and to ask themselves, several fundamental questions:

  • Do the figures really add up?
  • How are they derived?
  • Are you be satisfied that this explains fully what is going on with GESAC?

“The Centre is expected to generate income of $7.07m and incur costs of $6.77m. The financial impact of the Centre in 2012-13 is an estimated operating surplus of $297k”.

“The largest additional cost increases (over and above the 2011-12 forecast figures) are as follows:  Glen Eira Sports and Aquatic Centre (GESAC) expenses $3.7m”.

When this Council has basically ensured that the next generation of residents will have a financial millstone around their necks, then it is even more incumbent on them to provide full and transparent financial details. Otherwise residents are fully entitled to believe that secrecy is the means for covering up a gaping black financial hole and that the reported figures belong to the land of fairy tales.

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