ONE MORE COUNCIL TO ADD TO THE DYSFUNCTIONAL LIST

ABC NEWS Glenorchy City Council aldermen face suspension, appointment of commissioner .... "Glenorchy City Council aldermen have one week to convince Tasmania's Local Government Minister not to suspend them. ............ Peter Gutwein said the council was not operating as it should, and the best interests of the Glenorchy community must be protected. ............ Aldermen have seven days to write to him and convince him not to suspend them and appoint a commissioner. ............ Mr Gutwein said he had not taken the action lightly. ............ "I have obviously taken this decision in the best interests of the Glenorchy City ratepayers, this is about ensuring that ratepayers get the type of governance that they deserve," he said. ............ "I have today spoken with each of the Glenorchy City aldermen individually and explained to them that I am considering standing them down. ............ "It would be for a period of up to six months but there are a range of reasons of which I have written formally to each alderman today to explain." ............ Mr Gutwein said he was not convinced he would appoint a commissioner. ............ In a statement, Mayor Kristie Johnston said the municipality deserved better. ............ "It is a rocky road to better governance at Glenorchy, but it is one that has to be taken because at the end of the day Glenorchy deserves a functional, transparent and accountable Council that acts in the best interest of residents," she said. ............ "I reiterate that I am deeply concerned about the governance arrangements at Glenorchy City Council. The community deserves better." Mayor Johnston said she would fully cooperate with a board of inquiry, should the Government choose not to intervene. ............ Last September, Mr Gutwein sacked the Huon Valley Council because of infighting. ............ A former mayor of Glenorchy, Adriana Taylor, was appointed to run the council after a board of inquiry recommended it be dismissed."

EDITOR'S NOTE: So 2017 kicks of with yet another council failing the pub-test or at least the ministerial-patience-test. As to the internal machinations at Glenorchy City Council that's a bit of a mystery but the news around 'the traps' is that its all a bit titchy and quite probably along with the gnashing of teeth comes head-banging and of course the usual ego-clashing as well.

The catalogue of dysfunctionalism in Tasmanian Local Govt continues to grow and  grow. It is all very concerning in the way  it is proceeding. There is on one hand a commentary going on about the need for amalgamations and on the other there is resistance to the very notion. Whatever, amalgamating councils under the current Local Govt Act 1993 would be sheer folly. This act is so out of touch with the current world that it is well beyond tweaking to bring it up to date and deliver 21st Century accountability. No wonder councils are in trouble!

The application of the Code Of Conduct protocols for councillors and aldermen is an example of failed tweaking.  It is increasingly evident that ratepayers cop it in the hip pocket when it fails and quite probably when it succeeds as well. And then there is the provisions of SECTION 62 that get used by general managers all too often to avoid accountability and sideline elected representatives.

It has to be recognised that Tasmania just cannot afford 29 Council and that reducing to a number consistent with the size of the population offers potentially huge dividends for ratepayers. The argument put by some that there is about $2Billion that could and should be better spent than maintaining the status quo. However, elected representatives and senior management alike are trotting out the 'democracy argument' to justify the status quo. Can anybody say why that might be given the benefits enshrined?

Insisting on the integrity of  the 'elected representatives' rings hollow when they are sidelined by management. In all too many cases councillors' and aldermen's allowances amount to attendance cum compliance 'allowances'.

Right now 'The Glenorchy Situation' is evolving in an atmosphere of contentiousness and it is hardly surprising. As they say"watch this space."