Community members have urged Surf Coast shire council to remove barriers to communication and be more transparent, accusing it of being “out of step” with other Victorian municipalities.
A council committee considered 15 public submissions to its draft governance guidelines and draft Public Transparency Policy, during an online meeting on Tuesday night.
Under the Local Government Act 2020, all councils in the state are required to implement a transparency policy and governance rules by September 1.
Two submitters spoke at the committee hearing, including Cr Heather Wellington, who was nominated to speak on behalf of submitter Alan Dell.
Cr Wellington said, that like Mr Dell, she inspired to “a truly transparent council”.
Cr Wellington said that at council meetings, the support of two councillors was required before a notice of motion could be placed on the agenda.
“That is out of step with almost all other municipalities,” she said.
“In the City of Greater Geelong, any councillor can place a notice of motion on the agenda.
Cr Wellington also said: “Recently, there has been a lot of inappropriate pressure on me to not question officers’ interpretations of the planning scheme.
“It’s ridiculous to suggest a councillor can’t question such matters, particularly when there is a recent record of a number of incorrect decisions.
“These reactions to valid questioning demonstrate the cultural malaise that afflicts this council and its senior staff.”
Secretary of the 3228 Residents Association, Sue O’Shanassy, also spoke at the hearing.
She said the council’s transparency “has slowly been eroded over recent years and that trend needs to be reversed”.
“We believe councillors are currently deterred from interaction that isn’t in the presence of a council officer and we think this is wrong,” Ms O’Shanassy said.
“As a group, we have had the experience of requesting to meet with councillors on their own and being met with resistance.”
Ms O’Shanassy said residents were also concerned about not being allowed to make submissions at council meetings, on topics not related to matters on the night’s agenda.
As well, she questioned why submissions from the public were restricted to 200 words; why all public questions and submissions were not recorded in meeting minutes; and why councillors were not permitted to answer questions.
The council will consider the draft documents at a meeting scheduled for August 25.
