Tag: transparency

Maroondah Leader: Councillors enliven proceedings

Posted on by alex

Maroondah Councillors recently conducted a workshop designed to improve the proceedings of public meetings and improve the transparency of Council.  These changes began at the June Council meeting and will provide debate and insight into the decisions that are being made by Council.

Maroondah Mayor Alex Makin said the move was a result of a “collective process” between councillors.  “It is certainly an improvement and clarifies how Councillors make decisions,” Cr Makin said.

It is encouraging that all Councillors agreed on the need to improve the transparency of Maroondah City Council’s public meetings and further changes, including the ability for groups or individuals to formally present as a deputation to Council will be undertaken from July.

Media Release: Proposed Budget and Council Plan on public exhibition

Posted on by alex

Maroondah City Council has released its proposed Budget for the 2010-2011 financial year. It underpins the released 2010-2014 proposed Council Plan, which is the blueprint Council follows to achieve the community’s vision as set out in Maroondah 2025 – A Community Planning Together.

Mayor of Maroondah, Councillor Alex Makin said both documents would go on public exhibition to provide the community with the opportunity to offer any feedback or forward written submissions.

“The proposed Budget outlines the provision of financial resources for the next 12 months, and details how these resources will be applied to delivering the many services Council provides to the community,” said Cr Makin.

“In determining the level of rate income, Council carefully considers all sources of non-rate income, such as government grants and fees and charges; what capital works and services are required throughout the year; and the long-term vision, aspirations and needs of the community,” said Cr Makin.

As in previous years, Council ensures financial sustainability in accordance with its rolling 10 year long term financial strategy. Council has always kept its rate income at the lower end of local government when compared with other like Victorian Councils, however the result of this approach has meant that Council operations would not come into surplus until the 2015/16 financial year.

“The 2010/11 budget provides that this operational surplus will now be brought forward to the 2012/13 financial year (three years earlier) and will require an associated comprehensive review of operations to ensure Council maintains its high community satisfaction scores as well as streamlining efficiencies,” said Cr Makin.

The Budget is based on a proposed general rate and charges increase of 9.8 per cent. This increase balances a range of community enhancements (2.5%), annual Infrastructure Levy (2.5%) with CPI increases of 3 percent. It also takes into account funding for the new landmark Regional Aquatic and Leisure Centre (1.1%) to be built at the current Ringwood Aquatic Centre site, as well as funding the State Government imposed Landfill Levy increase (0.7%).

For the average ratepayer living in a median priced house in Maroondah this represents a $98.10 increase in annual rates and charges, or $1.88 extra per week.

“The community enhancements identified in this year’s Budget include an additional $126,000 in funding for libraries, $150,000 for fire hazard reduction in our bush reserves, an additional $250,000 to ensure powerline clearance of trees throughout Maroondah and $445,000 to fund ongoing maintenance for new capital works completed in recent years,” said Cr Makin.

“We are also putting $50,000 towards developing a Heathmont Structure Plan which will identify and plan for residential and community needs around this transport hub and local shopping precinct,” said Cr Makin.

“Council is also managing the impact of a 233 (two hundred and thirty three) per cent increase in the State Government Landfill Levy, an increase of $400,000 for 2010/11, resulting in a total cost of $570,000 per annum,” said Cr Makin.

“Council’s established policy is to fully recover all waste and recycling costs through the application of a Garbage Charge, which this year will see an increase to offset the increased costs of the State Government Landfill Levy,” said Cr Makin.

The new garbage charges will be $204 – based on a 120 litre bin (an $11 increase on last year) and $172 – based on an 80 litre bin (a $9 increase on last year).

Council introduced a Municipal Charge in 2004-2005 which is equal to the amount of the contribution it is required to pay to the Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board (MFESB). This is designed to add transparency to the rating structure and to emphasise the impact of costs to Council over which it has no control.

For 2010-11 the total MFESB cost to Council has stabilised at $905,880. Given the increased number of property assessments since last year, the amount proposed per property will reduce slightly from $20.15 last year to $19.90 for this coming financial year.

“Council has prepared a very responsible Budget which maintains our services to our community, and also takes into account a number of major external costs and reductions in funding from both the State and Federal Governments,” said Cr Makin.

“It also ensures that we are not only maintaining and upgrading our infrastructure, but that we are taking into account future needs of the community and providing the facilities to meet these. The new Regional Aquatic and Leisure Centre in Ringwood will be a landmark project for the Maroondah community, providing a state of the art aquatic and leisure facility that will meet the growing demand into the future,” said Cr Makin.

“As always, our ongoing challenge is to balance the needs of our community, maintain the quality and level of our services and manage the ever increasing costs that Council must incorporate,” said Cr Makin.

The Maroondah community are invited to view the proposed Budget and Council Plan at Council’s Service Centres, Ringwood and Croydon Libraries and Council’s website at www.maroondah.com.au.

Submissions for the proposed Budget and proposed Council Plan will be received at the Maroondah City Council Offices, Braeside Avenue, Ringwood until 5pm on Friday 14 June 2010.

The community consultation process will continue at a meeting to hear and consider any submissions on both documents at 7pm on Wednesday 23 June 2010 at Maroondah City Council Offices, Braeside Avenue, Ringwood.

At a Special Council Meeting on Monday 28 June, Council will adopt the Budget and Council Plan, which may include any recommendations raised as a result of the submissions.

During the public consultation period (15 May to 14 June 2010) residents and property owners may obtain further information by appointment.

For queries about the Council Budget please contact Council’s Financial Services Unit on 9298 4323 and about the proposed Council Plan contact Council’s Planning and Performance Advisor on 9294 5588. Alternatively, please visit www.maroondah.vic.gov.au/ProposedBudget2010.aspx

Maroondah Leader: New local law causes conflict

Posted on by alex

While it is critical that there is accountability and transparency within Local Government recent changes in the Local Government Act have had the unintended result of potentially restricting councillor involvement within community organisations.

The Maroondah Leader has reported on these changes and their repercussions.

Cr Alex Makin said he resigned from the Croydon Conservation Society committee after five years so that he could continue to vote on council environmental policy.

The changes to the Local Government Act now mean that a Councillor is stated to have a conflict of interest if they are a committee member of an organisation that makes a formal submission or request to Council.

He said he would otherwise have been excluded from debating or voting on motions where the society had made a submission.

Previously Councillors were still able to partake in discussing these items, even if they were precluded from voting due to a potential conflict of interest.

As a result this often means that the Councillor who is most aware of the issues brought forward is now eliminated from being able to formally discuss these matters within council.

This meant I had to resign as Treasurer of the Croydon Conservation Society so I could continue to debate and represent environmental concerns within Council unhindered by this legislation.

While I can certainly appreciate the State Government’s intent with the Legislation changes and I genuinely applaud measures that increase the transparency of local government, these changes have had unintended consequences.

Cr Alex Makin called on the State Government to review the laws and distinguish between commercial interests and community organisations. He proposed instead a public register of community groups councillors represented.

The community rightfully expects Councillors to take an interest in the community and work towards towards a better municipality. Likewise many community organisations welcome the involvement of a Councillor to assist them in achieving their aims.

Unfortunately these legislative changes make it difficult for councillors to remain involved within these organisations. A public register would improve transparency while ensuring that councillors can remain involved within the community.

Inaugural Eastern Volunteers Community Conference – Day Two

Posted on by alex

The second day of the Eastern Volunteers Community conference explored the themes of managing volunteers, volunteering diversity, as well as supporting people with mental illness and engaging community engagement.

The conference opened with an address by the Victorian Council of Social Services, which explored the challenges in creating social inclusion during economic uncertainty. The presentation highlighted the difficulties the community sector is facing, particularly in regard to ensuring funding certainty and maintaining a focus on the core vision of an organisation.

I delivered a plenary session focused on harnessing the changing times faced by community organisations through embracing technology and building capacity through governance and professional development.

There is a need for strong governance and consistent policies that are supported through the adherence of procedures. All levels of government, as well as many philanthropic organisations, are expecting increasing levels of governance and accountability from the not-for-profit sector.

Strong governance is critical to creating an environment that harnesses the potential of an organisation and fosters its development. This creates a positive environment for volunteers, as well as staff and board members.

Data compiled by the Australian Bureau of Statistics demonstrates that less are volunteering on a per capita basis and that they are volunteering less of their time. In addition, there is a substantial gap between the rate of volunteering within rural areas versus our capital cities, with volunteering being less common in urban centres.

This demonstrates the strength of community identity, which is more commonplace within rural areas. Given that establishing this sense of community is more difficult within largely homogeneous urban centres, there is a need for innovation.

This is where community organisations need to explore the use of technology, such as interactive websites, using Web 2.0 technology like blogs and Facebook, to establish a new sense of community. Virtual communities are particularly useful in recruiting younger volunteers, who are often seeking opportunities to further their experiences within particular projects.

Younger people tend to be project focused rather than organisational focused and as a result community organisations need to tailor the way they attempt to recruit volunteers.

Technology such as wikis, which allows editable content, can be utilised to retain knowledge within an organisation through encouraging staff and volunteers to document their experiences and freely share information.

The use of technology should not increase the workload of an organisation, but instead should help automate some tasks. As an example, web based content management systems, can replicate web-content onto social networking tools such as Facebook, encouraging interactivity without requiring duplication or increasing workloads.

The conference concluded with positive feedback and a desire from participants for further events. There is strong interest in the sharing of knowledge and it was great that the participants found the conference to be informative and useful.

I have recently formed a consultancy service to assist organisations in meeting the challenges of these changes times. For a copy of the presentation I delivered at the Eastern Volunteers Community Conference please visit my consultancy site at www.alexmakin.org.

VLGA: Discussing advocacy within local government

Posted on by alex

VLGA: Discussing advocacy within local government

The Victorian Local Governance Association (VLGA) is a peak body for councillors, local government and community leaders with an emphasis on governance and sustainability.

As the Deputy Chair of the Eastern Transport Coalition I was invited to speak at the VLGA’s Essential Mayors Weekend, a conference designed to assist newly elected mayors throughout their mayoral term.

The topic was ‘kicking above our weight’ with an emphasis on advocacy within local government. Three organisations formed part of a panel discussion, including the Eastern Transport Coalition, the White Ribbon Day and Regional Cities Victoria.

My presentation covered the background of the Eastern Transport Coalition and the diverse geography and demographic that it covers.

I discussed the importance of policies and procedures to ensure that transparency, such as providing ample time is provided for feedback. The composition of the ETC is also a contributor to its success whereby each council provides an elected councillor and council officer. Council officers provide the day-to-day support for the group as well as undertake research and submission development and it is therefore important that both council officers and councillors are actively involved within the organisation.

I also mentioned the need for a united approach and the strength in advocating as part of a region, since this prevents other tiers of government from trying to divide local governments. This also ensures that projects are viewed in a regional context whereby the benefits are demonstrated across local government areas thus making it easier to advocate to other tiers of government.

I presented the removal of zone three as a case study that demonstrated a number of critical success factors, including a united stance on the issue, a strong presence within the media, proactive advocacy with election candidates and the need to engage all sides of politics. Zone three fares were abolished in March 2007 after there was bi-partisan support for its removal during the 2006 State Election.

While each organisation had a different emphasis a number of common success factors emerged including the need for unity, a positive engagement with the media and constructive advocacy across the political spectrum.

Doing it tough for the community

Posted on by alex

The following article was written by a journalism student who asked Cr. Jo-anne Taylor and myself about the challenges experienced within local government:

Alex Makin Jo-anne Taylor

While some Maroondah citizens would not know who these individuals are, it’s highly likely that the residents, ratepayers, business owners and community groups of Maroondah have witnessed the outcome of their hard work on a daily basis.

These photos are of Alex Makin and Joanne Taylor, two local councillors who are dong it tough for Maroondah. They spend up to 30 hours a week on council duties yet face daily obstacles from their colleagues and receive little recognition from the community.

Representing residents and ratepayers is an overwhelming commitment which requires intense passion and impacts on the lives of councillors, including their family and friends. As Cr Alex Makin stated, “council, has made it difficult to balance a career outside of council, as well as other commitments.”

Privacy or the lack of it, is another issue faced by councillors “apparently I don’t have a private life anymore. My family, including my children know what has been put in the paper about me,” Cr Joanne Taylor added.

With council elections looming over Maroondah, it appears that political rivalry is rife. “The gang of four have made it difficult to encourage public discussion and debate, but it has been possible to work around such difficulties, through local community groups and supportive council officers,” Cr Alex Makin stated.

Despite these obstacles Cr Alex Makin and Cr Joanne Taylor are running for the upcoming council election because both believe there is still work to be done. “I am standing so I can continue to make a difference to Maroondah, particularly in regards to improved accessibility, sustainability and the accountability of council,” Cr Alex Makin commented.

“I particularly want to see council meetings conducted in the view of the public, so that debates occur in the open. This would prevent the current political divisions since the public can see the discussion,” Cr Alex Makin added.

“I have survived two terms – despite some councillor’s best effort to have me removed, this has only made me more determined, and I now know enough to make change happen,” Cr Joanne Taylor said.

Both councillors are excited with the prospect of the new council structure which will introduce a new generation of local councillors to Maroondah. “Prior to this structure being in place Maroondah councillors were being elected unopposed, which weakened local democracy,” Cr Alex Makin stated.

The last three years have laid numerous foundations for Cr Alex Makin and Cr Joanne Taylor. Both are thrilled with their achievements to date, which have included the prevention of the sale of parkland and the removal of zone three, through advocacy that involved local council.

With it being compulsory for residents and ratepayers over the age of 18 to vote from Wednesday 12 November to Sunday 29 November, it is important that Maroondah is represented by councillors that are committed to making a difference.

For further information on Cr Alex Makin and Cr Joanne Taylor please visit their websites at www.alexmakin.com.au and www.jo-annetaylor.com.au.

Maroondah Journal: Ringwood Station upgrade a hot issue

Posted on by alex

The Maroondah Journal, as part of its election coverage has examined the issues relevant to the new Mullum Ward.

Cr Alex Makin said the Government commitments must go further to ensure accessible public transport. “The ramps at Ringwood Station fail disability compliance standards,” he said.

While the State Government announced $39 million to redevelop the station forecourt and bus interchange, it has failed to deliver the funding necessary to create an accessible station that can be used by all people within our community.

Advocacy for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station so it becomes a safe and accessible transport interchange is one of my priorities over the next four years. In addition the relocation of North Ringwood Community House, Ringwood Aquatic Centre and improving the accountability and sustainability of council are also my priorities should I be re-elected.

We need to continue making a difference and ensure that Maroondah becomes an accessible and sustainable municipality.

Media Release: No show candidates proves lack of commitment

Posted on by alex

Alex Makin, a candidate for the Mullum Ward has slammed the council candidates who failed to attend a community forum at North Ringwood Community House.

“It is bitterly disappointing that a council candidate would choose to ignore a designated candidates’ forum”, Alex Makin, candidate for the Mullum Ward said. “This lack of attendance clearly demonstrates that some candidates lack the genuineness and sincerity required for council.”

The candidates’ forum was held at North Ringwood Community House on Wednesday the 5th of November. Several topics were discussed, including the relocation of North Ringwood Community House, Ringwood Station and climate change.

The forum was attended by Alex Makin, Jo-anne Taylor, Peter Feeney and Nora Lamont. Ann Fraser, Mary-anne Lowe, Sam Nahoum, Samantha Marks, Sherlye Griffiths and Tony Dib all failed to attend.

“I applaud the candidates that took the time to attend the forum as this demonstrates that they are sincere about standing for council. I urge the community to support a candidate that speaks to their local community and not someone that hides away and is a no show for public events”, Cr. Makin concluded.

About Alex Makin:

Alex Makin was elected in November 2005 as the Councillor for Loughnan’s Hill ward in the City of Maroondah. Alex, currently the youngest councillor elected within the history of the City of Maroondah, is involved with the Maroondah Citizens Advice Bureau, Croydon Conservation Society, the Ringwood Spiders Football Club, North Ringwood Community House, Eastern Volunteers and the Disabilities Action Group. Alex has a regularly updated website and blog at www.alexmakin.com.au.

ALL MEDIA ENQUIRIES: ALEX MAKIN ON 0409 136 213

– ENDS –

Mullum Candidates' Forum

Posted on by alex

The Mullum Candidates’ Forum was held this evening at North Ringwood Community House. The forum provided an opportunity for the ratepayers and residents to raise their issues and concerns with the candidates of the Mullum Ward.

While it was unfortunate that six candidates chose to snub the community and not attend the forum, it was pleasing to see each of the genuine candidates; Jo-anne Taylor, Peter Feeney, Nora Lamont and myself attend the evening. The failure of the other candidates to attend the forum demonstrates a lack of commitment and proves that they are not genuine in the election.

The need for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station, as well as the relocation of North Ringwood Community House, greater accountability and environmental sustainability were the main topics that were discussed during the evening.

As a candidate I have committed myself to further advocacy to seek the redevelopment of Ringwood Station into an accessible and safe transport interchange, the relocation of North Ringwood Community House, more footpaths and accessibility and sustainability improvements across Maroondah. I am also committed to improving the accountability of council and I will continue to regularly update my website, blog and Internet Journal.

I would like to thank North Ringwood Community House for hosting the only candidates’ forum in this election and to members of the community who attended and asked questions of the candidates.

Maroondah Climate Change Action Group – Questions regarding climate change

Posted on by alex

The Maroondah Climate Change Action Group has sent a questionnaire to all council candidates to confirm their views on climate change. The questions and my responses were as follows:

1. Do you support Maroondah Council:-
a. becoming carbon neutral by 2012?
1a. Yes, I do support council becoming carbon neutral by 2012 but it is critical that council achieves this target through reducing its energy usage and not by merely offsetting its emissions.

b. informing residents and businesses of practical ways to reduce their carbon footprint
b. I certainly agree that council needs to be an environmental leader and educate the community on steps to reduce carbon emissions and increase urban sustainability. I also believe that council must lead by example through using public transport, cycling and walking rather than its car fleet.

2. In what ways do you see the Maroondah Council supporting environmental sustainability?
2. Council needs to undertake community education programs while also reducing its own emissions. Council needs to supplement its energy fund so that it can meet a 2012 target and also reduce its dependence on car based transport. Councils such as Knox provide council Metcards to encourage public transport usage, given that Maroondah is better served by public transport than Knox it could be easily be done here.

Likewise Council needs to advocate for better public transport to build on the removal of zone three fares, through campaigning for an accessible and safe Ringwood Station and better bus services.

Footpaths and cycling paths are also required to encourage walking and cycling.

Likewise council needs to ensure a higher standard of development that meets urban sustainability guidelines. This is particularly important given the Eastland redevelopment.

3. How highly do you place the priority of climate change as an issue to be dealt with by the Maroondah Council?
3. I view climate change and sustainability, alongside accountability and accessibility, as the top three priorities for council. I have been a long committed environmental and public transport advocate and I certainly plan to continue this.

4. Are you attending the Eastern Region Climate Forum on the 18th Nov?
4. Yes I will be attending the forum.