NEWS DESK
Watchman keeps eye on councillors Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au FRANKSTON councillors have been under investigation for the past few months. An independent observer has been shadowing their every move at council meetings to put together a report on their behaviour. However, the surveillance has been at councillors’ own request. A governance expert has been hired to advise how council meetings can be “more effectively” run. Maddocks lawyer Mark Hayes has been hired to run the rule over councillors’ conduct as part of a council review of meeting procedures under local governance laws. The mayor, Cr Darrel Taylor, said council had invited Mr Hayes to “come in and see how we ran our meetings so he could get a better understanding of our processes before making recommendations”. “Council is reviewing its meeting procedures and Maddocks is part of that review,” he said. Cr Taylor said the way issues such as the presentation of petitions and joint letters to councillors had become “a bit vague” but he did not envisage “dramatic changes” to the way council went about its business. “It’s all about tightening up things rather than making wholesale changes,” he said. Maddocks’ website states Mr Hayes “is an acknowledged authority on the
legislation and common law principles peculiar to local government”. Cr Taylor said Mr Hayes had attended three council meetings and had watched proceeding from the public gallery. He said it was normal practice for a council to undertake such a review of meeting procedure local law. This month, neighbouring Kingston Council discussed hiring an independent observer to monitor their meetings to provide advice on councillors’ behaviour but councillors decided against the move. Councillors had noted Mr Hayes had been tasked with monitoring Frankston Council meetings. Kingston councillor Rosemary West said she had attended a Frankston Council meeting late last year and had noted the meeting was “really well chaired and it was impeccably polite”. Cr West said she met Mr Hayes in the public gallery as she was leaving and said he told her he was advising Frankston councillors about their behaviour at meetings. “If it’s good enough for Frankston Council to have someone come and monitor the conduct at their meetings, I think it should be good enough for us,” she said. Frankston Council was unable to advise how much Mr Hayes’ expertise would ultimately cost. A statement from council provided to The Times advised: “This process is ongoing and therefore timeframe and cost have not been finalised.”
Capital idea: Pearcedale Primary school principal Simon Anderson with Education Minister Martin Dixon and Hastings MP Neale Burgess celebrate news of the funding announcement with staff and students at a school assembly last week.
Primary school celebrates $1m bonus PEARCEDALE Primary School teachers, parents and pupils were last week celebrating news they will be receiving almost $1 million dollars in funding from the state government. Education Minister Martin Dixon last week visited the school with member for Hastings Neale Burgess to announce the school would receive $970,000 under the 2014-15 state budget to improve facilities. Mr Dixon said that under the funding
deal, the school would be left to decide how best to spending the money, in line with the Coalition’s “commitment to local decision making”. “This is a welcome announcement for students and teachers at Pearcedale Primary School and the Hastings community,” Mr Dixon said. “In addition, Pearcedale Primary School has received a Polycom videoconferencing unit, which allows teachers and schools to connect, share
and collaborate over distance with high definition video and audio connections.” Mr Burgess said Pearcedale’s students and staff could now enjoy first-rate learning and teaching opportunities thanks to the government’s investment. “I know the local community will welcome this important funding, which will ensure Pearcedale Primary School has the very best facilities for students and staff,” Mr Burgess said.
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Frankston Times 30 June 2014
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