Winds of change, Pier Kiosk and the Shen Neng 1
Sue Brooks May 8th, 2010
This week Council has decided to try a committee based structure instead of the portfolio system which has operated for the last two years. The Council will trial a three-committee structure for 12 months.
The Committees include –
•Development and Community Services Standing Committee chaired by Councillor Barbara Hovard;
•Infrastructure and Environment Services Standing Committee chaired by Councillor Linda Harris;
•Strategic and Organisational Services Standing Committee chaired by Gerard O’Connell.
All Councillors will be members of each of the Standing Committees.
•The Infrastructure and Environment Services Standing Committee will meet on the first Wednesday of each month in Hervey Bay;
•The Strategic and Organisational Services Standing Committee will meet on the third Wednesday of each month in Maryborough;
•The Development and Community Services Standing Committee will meet directly after the Council’s Ordinary Meetings on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month.
I was nominated to Chair the Infrastructure and Environment Committee but Cr Harris received more votes so is Chair and Cr Hawes was nominated for the Strategic and Organisational Services Committee but was beaten by Cr O’Connell. The interesting situation is that the three Committee chairs and the Deputy Mayor all hail from either Maryborough or Tiaro. Maybe this new structure will help bring us together as a region and reduce the negativity against Hervey Bay, evident within some corners of our community. I support this new structure as it makes the Council decision making processes much more open and accountable and ensures that Councillors have the opportunity to vote on issues of importance to them and to the community.
I was also pleased to move the motion that was unanimously supported to expand the Hervey Bay Library by building a straightforward simply designed Gallery across the road. The new 700 square metre building for the gallery will be built on Old Maryborough Road. The Council has allocated $200,000 in its 2009/2010 budget and is proposing to allocate a further $3,250,000 in its 2010/2011 budget to finance internal refurbishment works in the Hervey Bay Library and to design and build the new Regional Gallery. These funds have been carried over from the old Hervey Bay City Council which had planned to extend the Library prior to amalgamation. The Council has also applied for $1.6 million from the Federal Government’s RLCIP funding program for the gallery. USQ will continue to share the library facilities. I attended the quilt and wallpaper exhibition openings last night at our current gallery and highly recommend that you pop in and view these marvellous creations.
Pier kiosk investigation
I finally decided to put a motion to Council this week to investigate this kiosk idea and was pleased that the concept was supported by almost everyone and investigations will go ahead. I believe a small kiosk designed to complement the heritage qualities of the pier could increase pier use and reduce bad behaviour on the pier. It could also provide an income stream for Council to assist with pier maintenance. Your ideas on this proposal will be important also to see if it progresses into a reality. Current and potential operators would be able to express interest and to eventually tender for rights to construct and operate the kiosk.
Lastly about the blow in. There has been much fuss about the Shen Neng1 coming to our waters. I am not fussing. This big boat has to be put somewhere. North of us is the GBR and South of us Moreton Bay. The Government has a problem and is doing its very best to solve the problem. I am very confident that the Government agencies are aware of the ocean bottom structure, (sand not coral or seagrass) and sea currents (they go North not South) and have chosen the location here as the least likely to cause environmental problems for the unloading of coal. The whales aren’t here in numbers yet and they know how to avoid moving ships let alone stationary ones. Yes there is a risk to the environment but that risk is great no matter where the boat is put. I’m not going to join in the clamour to relocate the ship elsewhere. The sooner the ship is unloaded and lightened and on its way away from us the better I believe.
Lastly I wish all mum’s a great mothers day. Enjoy your day and I wish you good health and happiness, Sue
- Council related issues , What do you think?
- Comments(10)
Sue,
You make the point that the three Committee chairs all hail from either Maryborough or Tiaro, but my question is why are all the chairs of the three committees women?
I love the idea of a kiosk or even better perhaps, a mobile food and drink cart. This is long overdue.
Very pleased to hear that the Library is to be upgraded. It is very good right now and it will be interesting to see the improvements. Good use of ratepayer funds.
The ‘musical chairs’ aspect of the Council ‘s new committee system amuses – and since every councillor is on every committee it does seem somewhat pointless. I suspect it is indeed a bit of ego stroking for the councillors from the ‘other’ parts of the Fraser Coast and will certainly please the paper shufflers in council. The time and petrol wasted on gallivanting around when all could meet in one place is a bit silly. Every councillor on every committee just about weekly – are we going to buy a bus ? Maybe we should contemplate a new grand ‘City Hall’ at Ghost Hill !
Hi Emily. Last time I looked Cr O’Connell was a man so yes there is a member of the male species as chair of the Strategic and Organisational Services portfolio. We also have Mayor Mick so we now have 4 Chairpersons consisting of 2 male and 2 female… (The Mayor still chairs Ordinary Meetings).
Hi Colin. We have been having briefings and myriad portfolio meetings and I believe this system will reduce the number of meetings that staff and elected members attend.
Sue,
Having just given the developers a reduction in fees & charges in certain instances. We now read of a 6% plus
potential rate increase.
Why don’t we just desolve council and let the UDIA and the developers run the whole show?
Just think of the money we’d save.
Sadman
Sue,
Could you please advise whether Councillors are still responsible for their previous portfolios, or are the various areas of responsibility now the collective responsibility of all Councillors.
If the latter is the case, it would appear that no individual Councillor can now be held responsible for anything, it all now being an amorphous mass.
This might suit Council officiers/Councillors, making life somewhat easier, but I cannot see how the change can be beneficial and produce better results.
Could you please give detail of the current situation, the reasons for the restructure, and the perceived benefits of the change.
I assume there must be some.
No individual Councillor, other than the Mayor, is responsible for anything now Fraserwatch other than being spokespeople for our portfolio areas. Council as a whole makes decisions not individual Councillors and I expect that the new Committee structure will retain the same areas of interest or portfolio Councillors in relation to spokesperson duties. We also do follow up on enquiries made by residents along similar lines.
For example when I speak as a Councillor about Council related Environment and Sustainability issues I am representing the Council views unless I stipulate clearly that the opinions I express are my personal ones.
The new Chairpersons will, I expect, make some decisions about their new roles as the meetings commence.
Thank you Sue, but you ignored my questions, :-
what are the “reasons for the restructure, and the perceived benefits of the change.”
I assume there must be some advantages, after all Councillors have adopted the changes,but I have seen no explanation for the restructuring.
fraserwatch.
Sorry Fraserwatch my apologies. The reasons and benefite include, I believe, an improvement to the openness and accountability of Council so decisions are made clearly and in a meeting framework easily accesible by the public. Also to improve time management within Council so Councillors and staff are attending less meetings. If you add up the wages bill for a Council meeting it is a large amount of money per hour for a room full of people to talk so let’s get the meetings streamlined and the decisions happening in a more streamlined format. Under the ‘old’ portfolio system we were having up to 10 meetings regularly and we had to decide what decisions needed to go to full Council or not. Under this system I believe the staff will receive full and clear direction from Council and the public will have easy access to who voted for what! But the proof will be in the pudding as with everything, so our aim is to try it and see if it improves Council…. or not!
As you say Sue, we will all have to wait and see if the changes made to make all Councillors collectively responsible for all Council activities is a change for the better.
I will watch with interest as to whether your statement that the public will be better informed via minutes etc. actually eventuates.
Personally, I have doubts that removing personal responsibility for defined areas from individual Councillors will lead to better performance. There is too great a probability that contentious matters can fall between the cracks, if no individual is accountable.
We’ll have to wait and see.
fraserwatch.
Just to repeat that there is no change to Councillor responsibilities other than as spokespeople. All Councillors have always been collectively responsible for all Council activities. No single Councillor has personal responsibility for any single area. I am not responsible for environmental sustainability for example. I am merely the spokesperson for this area of Council activity. Councillors do take a close interest in their portfolio areas and are usually the first port of call from the community but we are not individually responsible for our portfolio areas and never have been. We do investigate matters reported to us and act on suggestions but I do this across all portfolios not just my own! I am interested in all Council activities not just environmentally related ones…