Agenda of Special Governance Committee Meeting

Agenda (Open Portion)

Special Governance Committee Meeting

Page 4

6/3/2017

Special Governance Committee Meeting (Open Portion) held Monday, 6 March 2017 at 4.45 pm in the Lady Osborne Room, Town Hall.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Ruzicka (Chairman)

Deputy Lord Mayor Christie

Cocker

Thomas

Reynolds

ALDERMEN

Lord Mayor Hickey

Zucco

Briscoe

Sexton

Burnet

Denison

Harvey

Apologies: Nil.

Leave of Absence:

The Deputy Lord Mayor R G Christie

1. Co-Option of a Committee Member in the event of a vacancy

2. Indications of Pecuniary and Conflicts of Interest

Ref: Part 2, Regulation 8(7) of the Local Government (Meeting Procedures) Regulations 2015.

Aldermen are requested to indicate where they may have any pecuniary or conflict of interest in respect to any matter appearing on the agenda, or any supplementary item to the agenda, which the committee has resolved to deal with.

3. Transfer of Agenda Items

Regulation 15 of the Local Government (Meeting Procedures) Regulations 2015.

A committee may close a part of a meeting to the public where a matter to be discussed falls within 15(2) of the above regulations.

In the event that the committee transfer an item to the closed portion, the reasons for doing so should be stated.

Are there any items which should be transferred from this agenda to the closed portion of the agenda, or from the closed to the open portion of the agenda?

Item No. 4.1

Agenda (Open Portion)

Special Governance Committee Meeting

Page 6

6/3/2017

Memorandum: Governance Committee

Local Government Reform

The purpose of this memorandum is to respond in part to a question without notice from Alderman Ruzicka asked at the 28 February 2017 Governance Committee meeting.

Alderman Ruzicka asked:

In the event that the State Minister for Local Government publicly releases the SGS Economics and Planning report into local government reform, can the General Manager:

(a) Provide an urgent report on any media or public relations strategies the Council should take in response to the report; and

(b) Generally advise whether the said report needs to be reviewed such that a view can be formed by Council as to whether it is a prudent, appropriate document on which Council can form a policy opinion for reform?

The General Manager responded that he would provide the information requested.

This memorandum responds to part (a) of the question without notice.

As Aldermen would be aware, the Minister for Local Government, the Hon. Peter Gutwein MP publically released the Greater Hobart: Local Government Reform Final Feasibility Report on 1 March 2017; a copy of the Minister’s press release is attached.

The Minister advised that a number of reform options were modelled and that the results require careful consideration, given that some options produce a net financial cost to councils but create significant indirect economic benefits to the communities they serve.

Importantly, the Government has stated that no decision on voluntary amalgamation options involving Glenorchy will be made until the Glenorchy City Council is governed by elected representatives and that a decision on progressing consultation with the Glenorchy community will be made once the Board of Inquiry report into that Council has been considered.

Whilst the Minister’s comments on the Glenorchy City Council around community consultation are stated above, it does not restrict community access to the report or community discussion, just formal decision-making.

Given this, however, the purpose of the proposal in this report is to simply make the report publicly available within a factual setting and allow the public to access the report and make any comments or observations.

The timing of any formal public consultation will be the subject of a further report at the appropriate time, following further consultation with the Minister.

The Minister has encouraged the remaining local councils to consider the report in detail and consult widely with their communities. They also have encouraged ratepayers in the Greater Hobart area to look at the report and share their views with their local council.

In responding to part (a) of Alderman Ruzicka’s question without notice, I advise that the following actions are proposed to be undertaken:

· A dedicated webpage accessed via the ‘latest news’ section on the front page of the Council’s website which will include:

o A factual introductory paragraph advising readers that the Minister for Local Government has released the final report and that the Council will continue to work closely with the State Government and surrounding councils;

o A link to the Greater Hobart: Local Government Reform Final Feasibility Report;

o A copy of the media release issued by the Minister for Local Government in relation to the final report;

o A copy of the process and timeframes which the Minister released in February 2015. It should be noted that whilst the timelines have not been achieved, it is a step-by-step chronology of the process for voluntary amalgamations;

o Email contact details for members of the public to make direct contact with the Council in the event that they have questions or issues they want to raise in response to the report.

· A facebook post directing people to the report on the Council’s website.

There is also an opportunity for the Council to advertise the report’s release in the Hobart Observer community newspaper and encourage members of the public to visit the Council’s website to view the report.

The Council may wish to also consider issuing a media release advising that the report has been released and directing the public to the Council’s website.

In response to part (b) of the question, this will be further explored in a future report to the Council on the final feasibility study which is likely to be tabled in May.

REcommendation

That:

1. That the information be received and noted.

2. In response to the Minister for Local Government publically releasing the Greater Hobart: Local Government Reform Feasibility Report, the Council endorse the following actions being undertaken by the General Manager:

2.1 Establish a dedicated webpage accessed via the ‘latest news’ section on the front page of the Council’s website which will include:

2.1.1 A factual introductory paragraph advising readers that the Minister for Local Government has released the final report and that the Council will continue to work closely with the State Government and surrounding councils;

2.1.2 A link to the Greater Hobart: Local Government Reform Final Feasibility Report;

2.1.3 A copy of the media release issued by the Minister for Local Government in relation to the final report;

2.1.4 A copy of the process and timeframes which the Minister released in February 2015. It should be noted that whilst the timelines have not been achieved, it is a step-by-step chronology of the process for voluntary amalgamations;

2.1.6 Email contact details for members of the public to make direct contact with the Council in the event that they have questions or issues they want to raise in response to the report.

2.2 A Facebook post be created directing people to the report on the Council’s website.

2.3 The Council advertise the report’s release in the Hobart Observer community newspaper and encourage members of the public to visit the Council’s website to view the report.

As signatory to this report, I certify that, pursuant to Section 55(1) of the Local Government Act 1993, I hold no interest, as referred to in Section 49 of the Local Government Act 1993, in matters contained in this report.

N.D Heath

General Manager

Date: 3 March 2017

File Reference: F17/20917

Attachment a: Minister For Local Government Media Release ⇩

Item No. 4.1

Agenda (Open Portion)

Special Governance Committee Meeting - 6/3/2017

Page 10

ATTACHMENT a

gov logo

1 March 2017

Peter Gutwein, Minister for Planning and Local Government

Feasibility study into local government reform options for the Greater Hobart area

The Government is working with councils across the State on how to deliver the best possible local government services at the lowest possible cost to ratepayers.

That included undertaking modelling of various resource sharing and voluntary amalgamation options for 24 of the State’s councils.

Today the report into Greater Hobart Councils, which covers Hobart City Council, Clarence City Council, Glenorchy City Council and the Kingborough Council is being released.

A number of options were modelled, including various voluntary amalgamations and resource sharing.

The results require careful consideration, given that some options produce a net financial cost to councils, but create significant indirect economic benefits to the communities they serve.

For resource sharing or voluntary amalgamation to work, it must be driven by local communities and by the councils themselves. There are too many examples of council reform imposed from on high by State Governments that have failed. We have been clear that we will not be forcing amalgamations.

The Government has also clearly stated that no decision on voluntary amalgamation options involving Glenorchy will be made until the Glenorchy City Council is once again governed by elected representatives.

A decision on progressing consultation with the Glenorchy community will be made once the Board of Inquiry report has been considered.

In the meantime, I encourage the remaining local councils to consider this report in detail and consult widely with their communities.

The Government encourages ratepayers in the Greater Hobart area to look at the report and share their views with their local council.

The report can be assessed here: http://www.premier.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/320861/SGS_Final_Report_Feasibility_Study_Greater_Hobart_300117.pdf

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