Another side to Council Spin
Former Mayor Joe Delle Donne speaks HERE In-term Councillors Olsen and O’Donnell speak HERE Notes 1. Mayor Delle Donne’s term expired during Inquiry 2. Councillors Olsen and O’Donnell terms due to expire October 2015 3. Four Councillors remain in term – between them they represent Canning’s four wards
Read MoreIt is entirely possible the City of Canning will remain under the control of six Executives, and one Commissioner, until Oct 2015. As a result, when Canning merges with Gosnells, we may find Canning’s recent losses compounded – with no developed Councillors ready to merge with Gosnells’ much more experienced Council.
Read MoreCanning’s new Chief Executive Officer, Lyn Russell, has failed to provide general public access to the one and only public meeting held to present the City’s position on local government boundary changes before it submits its view to the State. Instead the “public information meeting”, to be held October 1st, has been reserved for 200 “stakeholder associations […]
Read MoreBull – Shit New! 6PR interviews CanningAccountability’s Diana Ryan 02/08/13 “We’ll watch [what happens] very closely” – Paul Murray New! Opinion Piece, The West Australian, 12/8/13 “Canning’s residents forgotten in Councils’ carve up” – extract Commissioner. A lot more impressive-sounding than acting, it would seem. In Canning’s case, the City of Gosnells could end up taking that to the […]
Read MoreNew! City of Canning’s submission to Local Govt Advisory Board (next stage of council amalgamation process) PLUS public information powerpoint presentation HERE New! City of Gosnell’s submission to Local Govt Advisory Board to be found HERE (Pls note: Indicative actions only; no analysis uploaded) As reported on ABC news tonight – a leaked report reveals Canning […]
Read MoreNot quite what we expected… Not even a metropolitan Council…. But in what could be a sign of things to come the $100m Shire of Ashburton’s Council will be required to undergo a make-over. The Minister for Local Govt, Tony Simpson, has ordered the Council submit to a panel of “Mentors” for the next six months.
Read MoreThe Salaries and Allowances Tribunal has released higher pay rates for Councillors and Mayors.
Read MoreMr Christopher Kendall, the barrister retained to conduct the Inquiry into the City of Canning, has determined hearings will be conducted openly from June. Inquiry Panel – City of Canning : Public Hearings In what looks to be a very long due process, the first hearing will be held in Council Chambers, City of Canning, thereafter […]
Read MoreSeems the only place in town to get an idea on what’s happening with council mergers is the local paper. In its Friday April 20, 2013 issue, Post Newspapers added another couple of pieces to the puzzle that is “local govt reform”. But the real puzzler is – what is Minister for Local Govt, Tony Simpson, going on about?
Read MoreThere was a lot of tough talk about local govt reform a year ago. Professor Alan Robson’s final recommendations on Metro Local Govt Review caused councils to feel change was near. Reaction was strong. Although Robson had recommended 30 councils be slashed to 12, Premier Barnett went on to say 15-20 was better. Wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to pull off […]
Read MoreTroy Pickard is his name, and yes, he’s a Liberal supporter – but also Mayor of our 2nd largest Council by population, Joondalup. Mr Pickard’s views about the unwillingness of Councils to embrace the wider possibilities of mergers are blunt. Does he know something we don’t?
Read MoreYou didn’t see that one coming, did you? Following his sweeping election win, Mr Barnett stated we should view his new lineup as a new govt, with new priorities. It’s a whole new ball game, in other words. It can only be a matter of time before the state begins announcing decisions about council mergers, and […]
Read MoreRecommendations The Panel recommends that: 1. The State Government give consideration to the inequities that exist in local government rating, including rate-equivalent payments and State Agreement Acts. 2. A collaborative process between State and local government be commenced to establish a new Partnership Agreement which will progress strategic issues and key result areas for both […]
Read MoreThe findings of the Independent Panel, which undertook the Metropolitan Local Govt Review, are worth contemplating. Since 1910 WA has only reduced its number of councils by 5%, compared to 40-60% elsewhere. Basically, we’ve ended up with 30 different sized metro councils, with varying levels of service provision because of differences in rates’ bases. The challenges […]
Read MoreSome have asked “Why do I ‘stick up’ for Canning’s suspended Council?”. Mayors and Councillors are frequently targeted by a displeased public – their role is the most prominent to us. We believe them to be the ones “in control”. CanningAccountability has shown in other posts that the Councillors have nothing like the power of Ministers, don’t […]
Read MoreMr Nahan stated this week he seeks to be a Senior Minister in Premier Barnett’s new cabinet. It begs the question, “What do we really know about the Member for Riverton?” Mr Nahan was an agitating factor behind the suspension of Canning Council, and its now escalating costs to ratepayers. Just now: Fmr Minister for Local […]
Read MoreQuattro Community Residents Association Inc (Queens Park), is hosting a public forum this Wednesday night. All welcome! Original Invitation here Quattro, a fast-growing, incorporated group of residents, has been concerned about the seeming lack of accountability in the planning process for some time.
Read MoreThe Good News: The City has set up an online survey for you to contribute to their submission on local govt reform. The Bad News: You only have 18 days to assess and submit your comments. CanningAccountability will be publishing more posts in relation to the Metropolitan Local Govt Review Report – including encouraging residents/stakeholders to submit […]
Read MoreDoes anyone really believe just 11 men and women were “the problem” at City of Canning? Well, until the Department of Local Government, at the direction of the next Minister for Local Government finally releases the Canning Councillors’ full answers to questions about why they acted the way they did, we cannot trust a Liberal […]
Read MoreJust confirmed – Joe Delle Donne, Mayor of City of Canning, is a candidate for the seat of Riverton. Campaign website Campaign FaceBook Only four candidates are running: Joe Delle Donne (Independent) Hannah Beazley (Labor) Marcus Atkinson (Greens) Mike Nahan (Liberals and current Member) Riverton is a marginal seat and a key player in who […]
Read MoreCommissioner Linton Reynolds was appointed by the Barnett Govt to ensure continuity of services to ratepayers and staff. Unelected and paid a salary, Mr Reynolds will be here for a very long time, as inquiries are dragged out, and costs mount. Liberal politician Mike Nahan’s constant attacks on Canning Council (as opposed to the actions of staff – whom […]
Read MoreIn eight weeks this community initiative has achieved: 2,100 visitors 25 subscribers 74 signatures to the petition to keep council inquiries open, and is succeeding in raising awareness there could be unforeseen consequences to the Barnett Govt stopping any elected representative involvement in Canning’s business for up to two years (including if preparations towards council mergers begin) In […]
Read MoreThe word is that with the return of a Barnett Govt, a new Minister will be put in place to do the heavy lifting on dissolving local councils and creating new, larger ones. Think Canning will only see its boundaries change, and everything else stay the same? More to come.
Read MoreAlready suspended Councillors of Canning could be kept out until March 2014, when yet another inquiry is set to end. However, this may mean we are not free to vote in new Councillors at local government elections later this year. With the current Council suspended in November, a new 12 month inquiry three months away, […]
Read MoreYep, by the time the seemingly endless process of inquiries in to Canning is over, ratepayers’ monies will be the worse for it. Minister for Local Govt, John Castrilli, has today announced a second inquiry, complete with Barrister oversight, the powers of a Royal Commission and a 12 month time frame. In a situation getting more dramatic by […]
Read MoreThe Commissioner’s New Year message appears to suggest so. It may also be revealing the means to achieve the Barnett Government’s intent to amalgamate councils: use of a Commissioner to expedite the process. The issues “exposed” during the inquiry don’t stand out as wildly different to those implied constantly of other councils and state govt departments. The Minister for Local Government, […]
Read MoreCouncillor Megan O’Donnell was recently forced to go public in The West Australian, in an attempt to get answers on the immediate future for City of Canning’s Council and its residents. why has the Shire of Ashburton, despite the discovery of serious probity issues resulting in the dismissal of its CEO, only been suspended for 6 months […]
Read MoreYet another Council has just been suspended. A third is under review. Again “the need for training”, as relates to Councillors, is offered up as the problem and the solution to management issues at the local government level. But is the situation that simple? The City of Canning inquiry was sparked by Mayor Delle Donne asking the […]
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Canning Accountability 