Comment from Ray Gully  expressing frustration common to ratepayers in many municipalities

TRANSPARENCY SHOULD BE A HIGH PRIORITY

Gone are the days when you could see live theatre with Surfcoast Shire Councillors engaging in robust debate. What has happened to the parry and thrust of debate? Would you bother to go to a play and not witness any performance from the stage and instead be handed a script to take home and read?

 Typically the performance of this Surfcoast Council has been sterile - no debate can be heard and very little discussion occurs in the chamber. The Mayor at times speaking longer than the Councillors will say, “Well then, I now put the motion” and surprise, surprise the vote will predictably be 9-0.

 The word is that the sanitising process may also include removing current question time from the agenda.  For heavens sake councillors despite it has not been used in the life of this council most councils retain question time I urge you not to consider removing it. 

 Come time for in camera items to be heard the meeting is closed to the public. That’s it all over, no further contact with the outside world.   Since Councillors would have made their up mind in closed briefing sessions, why bother to close the meeting simply refer to in camera items by reading out the heading and vote as per usual with no councillor debate or discussion.

 Council meetings of the Surfcoast Shire may be acting within the law however by conducting meetings in the current manner Councillors are not embracing their community nor is it the spirit of what Local Government is supposed to be about.

 Returning from a recent trip to East Gippsland Shire, I offer a number of observations or comments for council’s consideration. Most but not all briefing sessions should be open to the public. Conduct fortnightly public consultation followed by planning consultation & mediation sessions conducted around the Shire.

Housekeeping - restore the seating round the Council table to that of days gone by with the Councillors seated adjacent to the Mayor, CEO and the minute secretary.

To assist councillors to be transparent record their vote in the minutes.

Make available agendas four days and not one day before meetings of council.

Surfcoast prices of a seasonal ticket (rates) are expensive. Councillors should ensure that council not only embraces aspects of “community consultation” but insist that it be given a high priority.

 Ray Gully

25 Southbeach Road

Torquay, Vic. 3228

Phone 5261 4649

RATEPAYERS VICTORIA, Inc. A0040924M - PO BOX 1057 Huntingdale, Victoria 3166