Transparency might reduce Council stuff-ups

Redland City Council’s lack of transparency increases the risk of decisions continually being made which are foolish, incompetent and not in the public interest

A community satisfaction survey commissioned by Redland City Council found that almost two thirds (63%) did not think Council was doing a good job at managing growth and providing housing choice.

There’s a clear disconnect between what the majority of the community wants which is large houses on large blocks and the the council’s actions which serve to maximise property developers’ yield from every acre of the Redlands.

Much of the Council’s discussion about planning, approval of developments and deals with developers is done behind closed doors.

Closed to the public

There were 87 confidential items listed for discussion at general meetings of Redland City Council in 2019.

For a small to middling local government area, Redland City scores above average on closed sessions per capita in comparison with Noosa Shire and Sunshine Coast councils.

From April 2016 to 31 August 2019 Noosa Shire (population about 55,000) had 15 confidential items, Redlands (population about 155,000) had 177 confidential items and Sunshine Coat (population 312 000) had 199 confidential items.

Informal discussions “yesterday” reduce transparency

At general meetings of the Council, councillors regularly refer to discussions among themselves during informal non-public meetings which took place “yesterday”.

Concerns about local councillors having informal non-public meetings were raised in February 2020 by the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC).

Following extensive investigations into the Moreton Bay Regional Council, the CCC said that it had identified “a practice where on occasions informal meetings of elected officials occurred in private prior to council meetings”. The CCC noted its understanding that “discussions or decisions at these meetings were not minuted or recorded”.

To address corruption risks, the CCC recommended that the Moreton Bay Regional Council “discontinue the practice of having private meetings before council meetings because it lacks transparency and has the potential to influence council decision-making”.

If the CCC were to spend a bit of time investigating the Redland City Council, what’s the likelihood that they would make the same finding and the same recommendation?

Incompetence is the real worry

But the risk of corruption is not the only cause for concern.

The most fundamental risk if decisions are made without transparency is the inevitability that councillors and council officers will from time to time make foolish, inept and inappropriate decisions which are not in the public interest.

Some examples of Redland City Council making foolish decisions without the benefit of public scrutiny include:

• Signing agreements with Walker Group to allow construction of 3,600 apartments in the Moreton Bay Marine Park
• Giving Chefs Inc. the right to have a food market in the Cleveland Library car park
• Establishing the Redland Investment Corporation

A few years ago, Redlands2030 exposed the Council’s secretive forum for interaction with local players in property development industry, the Development Industry Reference Group. Once the spotlight of public attention fell on this group the need for regular meetings seemed to disappear.

Council decision is likely to be deemed legally invalid

Just this week, we have been told that the Council’s decision to approve a development application (on car parking land at Cleveland Train Station) is likely to be deemed invalid because the approved development is on land which was not part of the original development application.

This incorrect decision was made ‘under delegation’ by a council officer on 31 January 2020 even through the original preliminary approval decision was made by the full Council.

If the matter had been brought back to the full Council and discussed in open session then the obvious flaw might have been noticed.

Perhaps the problem would have been pointed out to one or more councillors by members of the community who read agenda items before the meetings.

Local government principles call for transparency

Queensland’s Local Government Act 2009 is underpinned by five local government principles which, if followed closely, would surely result in Redland City Council doing a better job for residents and ratepayers.

Here are Queensland’s local government principles

4(2)(a) transparent and effective processes, and decision-making in the public interest; and

4(2)(b) sustainable development and management of assets and infrastructure, and delivery of effective services; and

4(2(c) democratic representation, social inclusion and meaningful community engagement; and

4(2)(d) good governance of, and by, local government; and

4(2)(e) ethical and legal behaviour of councillors and local government employees.

Vote wisely, and expect your elected representatives to understand and comply with all of these local government principles..

 

Redlands2030 – 25 March 2020