editorial Welcome to this week’s editorial, The ques6on this week is “How do you talk about elephants in the room if the elephants are si:ng there and the rules say you can’t talk about the elephants?” Vol 16 September 15th 2017 28 April December 7th, 2017 Vol 48 27th 2018
This week saw the first Public Access session held by the new Eurobodalla Councillors. There were eight presenters to the session that lasted around an hour and a half. And what a session it was. Chaired by the new mayor, Mat Hatcher, the Public Access session was streamed on Zoom for anyone who wanted to tune in. It was a breath of fresh air in comparison to how it had been conducted by the previous council. For a start all the councillors were present. Not only were they present but, with the excep6on of one, appeared to be genuinely engaged in the presenta6ons. The new Council will cast their first vote next Tuesday to a Mayoral recommenda6on that Public Access and Public Forum sessions be live streamed, recorded and archived. This will overturn the shu:ng down of community engagement that was set in place by the last Council, based on a staff recommenda6on. This vote, possibly unanimous, is bound to infuriate those who were complicit in the intent to disengage the community from being included and informed in the democra6c process; but these are new days with new ways and the new Council is moving forward rapidly to bring the community back to the chamber and to the decision making process in an open and transparent way that ensures them being informed and included. In 6me the Code of Mee6ng Prac6ce policy will also be reviewed and that too will see considerable reform. For example Councillors and speakers are advised that they are not, as described as an Act of Disorder, to say anything that is likely to bring the Council or the commiEee into disrepute. So how does one present to Council raising concerns around apparent failures of process that have seen community consulta6on and agreement over planned subdivisions made a mockery of, or to reveal that staff have possibly failed in their du6es, or taken maEers into their own hands, and as a consequence have caused considerable disadvantage to the community, and considerable embarrassment to Council. The new Councillors will need to reconcile the long term gagging of the community who have been under threat of never men6oning ‘the elephants’ (who are more than oHen ‘in the room’) with the legisla6on (LGA Sect 10B(4) )that in determining whether the discussion of a maEer in an open mee6ng would be contrary to the public interest, it is irrelevant that the discussion of a maEer may cause embarrassment to the Council or commiEee concerned, or to Councillors or to employees of the Council, or cause a loss of confidence in the Council or commiEee. So long as it isn’t a personal aEack everything, and everyone including employees, can be challenged, ques6oned and brought to account. Most likely Congo Road and the proposed Broulee subdivision extension will lead the way with a new transparency. There are a herd of ‘elephants’ that need to be brought out into the public eye and under a new council the chances are that they will be. When this happens there may well be embarrassment to the Council or commiEee concerned, or to Councillors or to employees of the Council, but should it happen I am sure it will serve to restore the loss of confidence in the Council that has brought the Eurobodalla Council to an all 6me low in public favour and the loss of the respect that it once had well before the last term took office. Let the new days begin. Un6l next—lei beagle weekly : Vol 245 February 4th 2022
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