Messy mayor transition points to trouble

MOST people couldn’t give two hoots about what their local council is doing so long as their rates don’t go up too much, the bins get picked up and they get a reasonable response when they apply for a planning permit or engage in some other council service.

And they’re looking for improvement from their councils in many of those areas as identified in the annual Community Satisfaction Survey.

As we know, cost of living pressure is the main issue for many of us, and things like childcare, housing, access to health care and services that directly impact quality of life are front of mind.

But people do get concerned when political pressure is being brought to bear on their local council, taking interest and effort away from the core role of council “to provide services for the benefit and wellbeing of our communities” as seems to be happening at Bass Coast.

The fact that all is not well was underscored during the election of a new Bass Coast Mayor last Wednesday.

While there is nothing wrong with interest groups outside the council, clearly with sympathetic supporters on the council, from applying political pressure to ensure that their particular issue gets the prominence they think it deserves, it’s up to the council as a whole to recognise where such things as action on climate change, reconciliation, and social engineering fits into the broader role of council as expressed in the Council Plan 2021-25.

Here you will find emphasis placed on council activities and services which “improve the lives for everyone” - setting the overall direction for our municipality through long-term planning, service delivery, law-making, policy development and enforcement, maintaining the viability of Council, advocacy and representing our community on matters of concern.

But during Cr Michael Whelan’s term as mayor, the issues around action on climate change, reconciliation, and social engineering including “preventing family violence” (if that’s even a core role of council) received a lot of prominence, more some would say, than the three Rs of local government rates, roads and rubbish, as well as the other core responsibilities of council, and “the importance of transparent and accountable leadership”.

However, if councils don’t get the balance right between having a social conscience and managing the core responsibilities of council, a day of reckoning on that score is coming – in October 2024.