The Beagle Editor,
Your readers who follow our media release might be interested in the following:
on scams …
On June 12th, 2019, Deputy Mayor, Cr Mitchell Nadin, tabled a report at the Ordinary Meeting of Bega Valley Shire Council (BVSC) on the proceedings of the Board Meeting of the Canberra Regional Joint Organisation (CRJO) that he had attended representing council on May 24th, 2019.
Amongst the many issues canvassed in Cr Nadin’s lengthy report was an item "Code of Conduct Panel Reviewers".
While this particular issue is hardly world-shattering in itself, the Bega Valley Shire Residents & Ratepayers Association (BVSRRA) believes that it does serve to highlight the continuing dysfunction that has become a feature of the current council.
To explain …
Back in December, 2018, the Board of the CRJO resolved to seek Expressions of Interest from suitably qualified organisations to join its planned Panel of Conduct Reviewers, from which member councils could select Conduct Reviewers to address Code of Conduct Complaints received by member councils.
BVSC Mayor, Cr Kristy McBain, supported that proposal & the BVSRRA understands that council’s general manager was a member of the working party that addressed the task of identifying & recommending suitably qualified organisations for inclusion on the CJRO’s proposed Panel.
The working party’s recommendation for the Panel ultimately found its way to the meeting attended by Cr Nadin & notwithstanding the earlier decisions, he voted against the proposal.
No big deal you might say. Doubtless BVSC’s general manager will eventually & successfully recommend that council resolve to use the CRJO’s newly appointed Panel of Conduct Reviewers where necessary to address Code of Conduct Complaints.
The problem that the BVSRRA has with the above is that both Cr McBain & Cr Nadin were apparently acting as individual councillors, making decisions on issues without the knowledge of the full council.
The BVSRRA believes that it is exactly this kind of overreach that resulted in Cr McBain voting in favour of a motion calling for the federal government to declare a "Climate Emergency" at the Australian Local Government Assembly (ALGA) last month, while potentially voting on more than 100 other motions, none of which had not been considered by council, thereby creating the false impression that the 33,000 residents & ratepayers of the Bega Valley supported them, when they didn’t even know what they were.
The full text of this Media Release is available here …
John Richardson Secretary/Treasurer
Bega Valley Shire Residents & Ratepayers Association
