Engaging with community members and communicating important matters has been a large area of concern in the Commission of Inquiry report with the ‘lack of urgency’ on multiple issues and projects infuriating residents.
The Inquiry report stated that Moira Shire Council has a Community Engagement Policy in place with a purpose to reinforce council’s commitment to provide opportunities for the community to influence the decisions, policies and plans of council by actively participating in engagement programs and processes, lending their experiences and expertise, though the practice has generally not matched the theory.
Through delving into the issues within the four major towns of the shire, the Commission found that in Yarrawonga, council’s attitude and behaviour towards consultation with Yarrawonga residents opposed to the demolition of the community hall and construction of a new library on the town hall site was ‘dismissive and contemptuous on any measure.’
At last Wednesday’s ordinary council meeting, administrator John Tanner addressed the importance of engagement with the community and how the previous lack of this has contributed to the downfall of the council.
“Apart from the focus on council and its operation, I'm interested in addressing the key recommendations of the commission,” Mr Tanner said.
“These bring to me the community perspective and we must do that.
“What I want to look into are the aspirations that drive this community and to ensure that there is pride in the shire and to be part of that.
“An essential part of the council's engagement relations with community was raised very much in the recommendations of the report.
“I acknowledge that there's been difficulties in the past from both the communities and the staff perspectives. I want to assure you that I have every confidence in the council staff, and that they will play their part.
“I hope the community will also share with this and be part of the next five years.
“This is why I'm embarking on meeting with people and to hear from them as a country person who values country life, a chat and an undertaking are just as important as a handshake.
“We're all in this together, and this is my commitment through my time to engage with the community.
“It also falls in line with the key recommendations of the inquiry. The commission and the minister for local government want to see the development of the community leaders. And I've started that engagement process by putting some framework around that.
“But in turn, what this will deliver is the building of community capacity, especially going back to an elected council.
“My experiences with Brimbank Council proved that this can happen and can be achieved.
“You may see the commission of inquiry report as a loss of democratic representation, but it has happened for a number of reasons.
“Rest assured, you are not the only ones under administration currently.
“I'm determined to use this period as an ‘opportunity to reset and build’ not only a strong and resilient council and a community for the future, but also one that all of us can be proud of.”
During the commission’s community consultation process, the commission found that in Yarrawonga there was anger at the council’s ‘atrocious behaviour’ in demolishing the community hall, unwillingness to purchase the former primary school site for community uses, inadequate town centre car parking, lack of community consultation about the Tourism Information Centre and unannounced council works damaging urban Landcare restoration.
Concerns were also raised in Yarrawonga about lack of council enforcement action against unpermitted uses and delays with council drainage works.
The commission stated that in neighbouring Cobram, an issue that Yarrawonga is currently facing, residents lamented the loss of the tourist information centre and inadequate support for small businesses.
The inquiry states that in all of its community consultations, a common theme voiced by residents was the “poor quality of council customer service in response to enquiries and requests for help by members of the community”.
Another contentious issue with the voice of the community was the undivided nature of the municipality that eventually saw a severe under representation by councillors from the western end of the shire.
In 2019 a Local Representation Review of the Shire was conducted by the VEC with the recommendation that Moira Shire Council consist of nine councillors elected from three three-councillor wards which was not accepted.
While this did not initially change the balance of representatives from each of the three main areas of the shire, with the resignations of several councillors, the balance of representation shifted decisively.
In this past term, five elected councillors left the chambers with the present undivided electoral structure progressively resulting in the dominance of council membership by a majority grouping centred on Cobram and Yarrawonga.
Although wards are implemented by the VEC and not each individual council, the commission stated that the unbalanced representation has “enabled an unhealthy and divisive concentration of power in the council favouring the central and eastern areas of the Shire with a further Local Representation Review warranted in the near term to strengthen representation and accountability across the shire”.
It is also the Commission's view that there would be great merit in the Moira Shire Council investing in a community leadership program for the benefit of the community including increased understanding of the role of council and the roles and responsibilities of councillors.