NEWS DESK
‘Shaky mandate’ for CSIRO cuts Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au OPPOSITION to budget cuts and job losses at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation’s climate change research laboratories in Aspendale is back on the agenda in the aftermath of July’s federal election. The CSRIO Staff Association claims the Coalition government has “a shaky election mandate” after seeing its winning margin reduced to just one seat, pending a possible legal appeal by the Liberal Party in the ultra-marginal Queensland seat of Herbert. Former federal Liberal Environment
Minister Greg Hunt was appointed Industry, Innovation and Science Minister - with responsibility of oversight of the CSIRO - last month by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in a postelection cabinet reshuffle. His predecessor in the portfolio, new Defence Minister Christopher Pyne, insisted any decisions on staff cuts and reallocation of scientific research away from climate change into other areas is a matter for the national science body’s board and CEO Larry Marshall. “The Staff Association will write to the Minister and Assistant Minister as soon as possible seeking an urgent meeting to discuss CSIRO funding and
jobs and the union’s concerns regarding the performance of the executive team and the level of staff morale,” Staff Association secretary Sam Popovski said. The union says the election result shows many voters “want a different style of government with a different set of priorities”. Federal Isaacs Labor MP Mark Dreyfus said he will urge Mr Hunt to “reverse the restructuring of the CSIRO”. “Mr Turnbull has only just scraped to victory. A true test of his leadership will be whether some of his unpopular policies will now be re-examined,” he said. “The sacking of CSIRO climate
Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au
Heading off: Longbeach PLACE manager Lorna Stevenson is heading off to Pottsville to enjoy retirement with husband Hugh. Picture: Gary Sissons
months to test the waters.” She credited the neighbourhood house’s “committee and lovely staff” for making her decide to stay for longer. “I’ve really appreciated the friendships I’ve made,” Ms Stevenson said. The help of council and politicians to establish a community renewal funding partnership with state government for the Chelsea area was an important step forward for the community according to Ms Stevenson. “The community got behind it and there’s been some outstanding achievements.”
New Science Minister: Greg Hunt
Meetings to stay ‘out of sight’
Change of leadership in PLACE ONE of Kingston’s “great community leaders” has headed off to new pastures in retirement but says she will still keep in touch with the Chelsea community. Lorna Stevenson, the outgoing manager at Longbeach PLACE, finished a 16-year stint at the neighbourhood house on Friday (29 July) and was awarded a certificate of appreciation at this month’s Kingston Council public meeting in recognition of her service to the community. “Lorna has done so much for Kingston but her positive impact has been felt really very much around Chelsea where she has made a huge difference to the lives of many of the locals there,” Mayor Cr Tamsin Bearsley said when presenting the certificate. Starting her neighbourhood houses career in 1993, Ms Stevenson worked her way up to become manager of the then Chelsea Neighbourhood House in 1999. “She successfully advocated for the House’s relocation to a new facility established by Kingston Council in 2004. Lorna secured the name of Longbeach PLACE,” Cr Bearsley said. The PLACE in Longbeach PLACE is an acronym for Professional Local Adult Community Education. “Lorna has been a great advocate for supporting Kingston’s vulnerable youth and has strived to provide them with additional and alternative education opportunities,” Cr Bearsley said. Ms Stevenson said she and husband Hugh are moving to Pottsville in New South Wales, “another seaside place”, but will regularly return to visit family and friends in Chelsea. “It’s been a very rewarding time representing the community of Chelsea,” Ms Stevenson told councillors. “When I was originally employed I said I’d only be there for three
change scientists, including in Aspendale, was one of those extremely unpopular policies.” Mr Hunt’s spokesman John O’Doherty said the “CSIRO is a wonderful organisation”. “Minister Hunt has already met with Dr Larry Marshall, [CSIRO chair] David Thodey and the Chief Scientist. “The Minister will have further meetings with CSIRO staff, Friends of CSIRO and the broader scientific community in the near future.” Mr Dreyfus said: “It is not too late to save climate science in this country, and save the Aspendale centre from closure.”
After such a long time in charge at Longbeach PLACE Ms Stevenson said a successor as manager will not be immediately decided upon but she knows the community centre will keep kicking goals in its work and partnerships with organisations such as Kingston Youth Services, Youth Connect, Chelsea Community Renewal and Family Life. “Change is always good and it is hard but if we don’t accept change and we don’t work positively with it then we will never move on in life.” Neil Walker
COUNCILLORS have backed away from becoming transparency trailblazers by voting down a proposal at the latest public council meeting to record confidential Kingston Council meetings. Cr David Eden had urged fellow councillors to support his proposal, first raised at June’s public council meeting, to record confidential meetings between councillors for possible future public release if a matter being debated behind closed doors is subsequently deemed to be made public as often happens (‘‘Let there be light’ on decisions, The News 20/7/16). Four councillors at the latest council meeting backed a council officer report recommendation to maintain the status quo and not record in camera meetings that are generally held after public council meetings. Crs Tamsin Bearsley, Ron Brownlees, Geoff Gledhill and Paul Peulich voted to not record confidential meetings while Crs Eden, Steve Staikos and Rosemary West supported the suggestion. Cr John Ronke did not attend the meeting and Cr Tamara Barth left earlier in the evening. Cr Brownlees said council officers and legal advice had highlighted “the potential for risk … for officers and councillors” if in camera meetings are recorded involving personnel or staff discussions, private matters for community members or commercial in confidence debates. “The issue gets raised about transparency and accountability and I keep say-
ing we’re all accountable and we’re all fairly transparent and this council I think has the record of being a council with one of the lowest number of items discussed in camera,” he said. “Quite often a lot of those get revealed in time anyway.” Cr Geoff Gledhill said council would have to ask any parties mentioned in confidential discussions to give their permission to release any recordings. Mayor Cr Tamsin Bearsley believed voting by councillors on in-camera matters should be noted and released so the public knows how councillors voted but actually recording the meeting itself is a step too far at this stage. “At the moment it’s complex and we need to figure out a way forward and we haven’t done that yet.” Cr Eden said legal advice had dealt with several of the points of contention raised by councillors against the recording of confidential meetings. “It’s disappointing we can’t go through the legal advice because it’s confidential,” he said. “If the public ever had access to that legal advice they would see that almost every issue that has been raised has a solution or there are current provisions to protect people’s privacy.” Cr Brownlees highlighted council’s existing commitment to transparency around council meetings. “We’re the first council locally to start recording our meetings and streaming them live. That showed our commitment to being transparent and accountable.”
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BLAIRGOWRIE • DROMANA • MORNINGTON • ROSEBUD • SEAFORD • TOORAK Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News 3 August 2016
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