A MODEL COUNCIL: newDemocracy and Eurobodalla Shire

In Moruya, and Eurobodalla Shire Council their council is seeking 24 residents to form a "Citizen Jury" to determine the council's community program.

A newDemocracy group will randomly select jurors to meet a legislative obligation to show that it engaging with the community.

Eurobodalla Shire has a population of around 35,000 and includes the town of Moruya in the central part of the Shire. Other major towns in the shire include Batemans Bay Narooma, Durras, Bodalla, Wallaga Lake and Koori Village.

By way of comparison, Launceston's population is approx. 67.000 , Burnie approx 19,000 and there are 211,656 people living in the greater Hobart area.

The exercise that Eurobodalla Shire  is embarked upon is expected to cost $100,000. Council’s staff and councillors will not know who is selected until the first jury meeting, which will be after the NSW's September local government elections. 

Jurors will be paid for their time, which includes attending six meetings on weekdays and weekends over a two-and-a-half-month period.

Meetings will be chaired by a member of the newDemocracy Foundation and any member of the public can write a submission or present to the jury.

The process involves jury members exploring the work council does to consider questions like:

• Is Council spending ratepayers money appropriately? 
• Is Council allocating its resources to the right things?
• If not, what should we change?” 

newDemocracy executive director Iain Walker has said. “By matching to the census profile, we get people from all age groups and all walks of life and a 50/50 mix of gender." 

The council’s general manager Dr Catherine Dale is reported as saying that the jury would decide what they believed should be priorities for council in the future. 

 Dr Dale the cost was in line with what has been spent previously. “It is money well spent,” she said. 

This is a really innovative way to seek the communities views. It is an open and transparent process. “It is important for the community to appreciate that the integrity to the project is paramount to having the right outcome.”

It is reported that Eurobodalla Shire Council is at a critical juncture in its long term planning. 

Having sought and received approval for a special rate variation in 2015 to ensure ongoing financial sustainability, and with the upcoming election of a new Council scheduled for September 2016, it is judicious for the organisation to take stock and consider whether it is meeting the needs and expectations of its community. .... CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

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