29 October Newsletter Friends of Eaglemont Village
(Post-Covid lethargy, seasonal hayfever, a bloody flooding event of the basement workshop have all conspired to delay this edition.
Thank you to all who knew of this malaise and offered sympathy and assistance.)
Darebin Parklands Community Management Model Under Attack From Banyule Council
Recently Councillor Tom Melican (Ibbott Ward) bemoaned the lack of community interest and involvement in the Council meetings after just 5 ratepayers formed the gallery at a Monday night Council meeting.
There are deep-rooted concerns in the community about the balance between local democracy, efficient use of Councillors, staff and ratepayer time, and participation & effectiveness in the decisionmaking process - then what services/facilities manifest from our rates contribution.
To be fair to all concerned local Council meetings are not a fun night out. They are of necessity dry, legalistic, complex, lengthy, choreographed affairs that require most participants to maintain a fine wardrobe of hair shirts to wear over thick skins.
Well Tom, you were there on 30 October when over 80 people - many agitated but well-behaved - crowded the Nellie Ibbott Chamber at the Ivanhoe Library & Cultural Hub. Most were drawn in by a Banyule Council Administration report recommending de-funding the Darebin Parklands Committee of Management (DPMC) in a mere 8 months time.
The report proposed ceasing an annual Banyule contribution of $163,525 (indexed) "land management" funds to the 5 Council joint management body, which also includes 2 community volunteers organisations.
(Howls of disbelief from the gallery when a Council staffer stated that this $163,525 annual contribution withdrawal would not cause job losses at the DPMC!)
The reasons for the Banyule Council administration sledgehammer approach are a bit hard to distil out of the ether as the report was attended by a confidential agenda attachment - which was claimed to be Local Government Act necessity - but was then used to curtail debate.
If you do not know what the issue is genuinely about it is difficult to confirm or to contest the claims, and the actions proposed.
The DPMC management committee has nominees from two community groups, LaTrobe University plus Councillors from Banyule, Darebin, Whittlesea, Yarra & Nillumbik Councils.
The views as to the claimed "risk management, governance & procurement risks" of these other funding and management bodies is not known, and was not canvassed at Monday night's meeting.
It seems "all hell broke loose" after the Banyule Council published its Agenda papers last week. All Councillors reported being deluged with emails and phone calls from "concerned" residents.
Multiple meetings and briefings took place up to the commencement of the Council formal meeting.
By the time the Council meeting commenced - due to the very large gallery the Agenda was re-arranged - the draft resolution put up by the Administration had been drastically altered by Councillors in the "pre-meeting briefing".
This "pre-meeting Councillor briefing" is contentious itself - it is not open to the public; it is backroom dealings, nodding, winking, wheeler-dealing. There may be - among the privileged participants - fact finding, revelations, sensitivities, tough questioning.
Who would know?
Notwithstanding, the Council allowed 7 speakers to the original motion. Each of the public speakers against the Administration report and recommendation were cheered and applauded.
You are encouraged to get online and get across this matter:
https://www.banyule.vic.gov.au/About-us/Councillors-and-Council-meetings/Council-meetings/Council-meeting-agendas-and-minutesUnderlying this example is a worrisome issue - there appears to be a presumption within elements of Council administration that the administration can spend ratepayers money on law firms, consultants and their ilk to crush the life out of community volunteers under the guise of tackling risk management, safety, insurances, governance etc.
Volunteers contributing their time, skills, experience, comradeship and energies to community organisations is the key to community building, resilient communities, democratic participation, consensus-building.
This is the essence of community involvement in local government.
Local government is not a business model created to inflict dominance of an administration on compulsorily taxed property owners - lets try something closer to community respect, community beneficiaries, community involvement, community priority setting.
Community first, second and third.
The diversion of ratepayer funds from works, services and facilities to internal staff costs, legal costs and consulting fees in an era of rates capping means us ratepayers year on year are seeing less bang for our buck.
What we need is a Banyule Council doing more than paying lip-service to community volunteers - we need and deserve Council support, assistance, encouragement, even advice.
We do not need the chair kicked out from under community unpaid volunteers by paid Council employees with their entourage of lawyers, accountants, consultants - funded by us ratepayers.
A coincidence no doubt but The Age and parties interested in how local government spends our rates dollars have recently published a treatise on law firms benefiting from local government spending.
Councillor Garotti took the opportunity on Monday night to assure ratepayers that the elected Banyule Councillors were aware of this article, and were on the case about Banyule's record.........
Ward Meeting This Thursday
Councillor Alida McKern (Chelsworth Ward) has arranged another Ward meeting for this Thursday 6:15 p.m. at Ivanhoe Library & Cultural Hub.
All Banyule Council residents welcome - don't be too fussed about your address and the Ward boundaries.
If you have a matter you would like canvassed as part of the community meeting please email Councillor McKern direct:
Alida.McKern@banyule.vic.gov.auThere are several local government matters deserving close community involvement (perhaps even community accolades) -
- Chelsworth Park pavilions and lease arrangements
- Darebin Creek management & funding
- use of ratepayer funds for legal advice & services
- progress toward establishing local parks in the Eaglemont & Ivanhoe areas
- public toilets - why is Council selecting sites for new public toilets but overlooking Eaglemont
- Odenwald Road bridge safety stalemate
Very Successful Market 29 October
FoEV did not set up at this Sunday Market due to a temporary resourcing, ailments, holidaying members and other legitimate reasons.
We will be back next month.
Sit & Sew This Week
A reminder about Sit & Sew on Thursday 2nd November 2pm. at Eaglemont Dish.
This past week's posts to Eaglemonts Voice:
Member discussion