Wednesday, 1 May 2024

 Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (17:16): (853) My adjournment is directed towards the Premier, actually, but I will seek your advice, President. But it is directed towards the Premier, and I am seeking the action of the Premier to inform my constituents as to when the government will hold to account councils which underperform and often act against the interests and wishes of the residents and ratepayers. I address this to the Premier as it covers several portfolios, including local government, environment and planning.

Local councils are the third tier of government in our system and are the one that we encounter most in our everyday lives. Councils deliver many services to the community, such as early childhood education and care, waste management, roads and caring for local car parks, amongst other things. Likewise, councils play an important role in our lawmaking process, as we do here in Parliament, and they develop laws and regulations in response to the issues and needs of the community. To make sure that we are not in breach of these, at times we need to apply for permits from our local councils and in some LGAs for basic things like parking on our own streets or cutting down a tree on our property. Failure to do so may attract severe fines from our council, yet it seems councils are above their own rules they set for themselves. Just last week Yarra City Council admitted to removing several trees along the Burnley Golf Course without applying for the necessary permit under the heritage overlay covering Yarra Boulevard, Richmond and Burnley Park. In their press release Yarra council acknowledged that they made an error and that they will apply for a retrospective permit promptly. On the other hand, if a resident was found to have done something similar without a permit, they would easily be threatened with fines in the thousands or prosecution in the courts.

A simple stroll through any local community Facebook page is perhaps enough to get an idea of the frustration people have with this particular council in the delivery of basic yet critical services, and we see this same council introducing a 30 per cent increase in their rate charge. They are flouting the government’s rate cap by doing this, but it was indeed Jacinta Allan and other government members that prompted local governments to introduce this waste charge.

We have seen councils frustratingly rejecting development plans for arbitrary reasons. The planning committee has previously pointed out the fact that local government lack the necessary expertise and that property owners subject to heritage restrictions are left unfairly disadvantaged and not adequately supported by their own councils. This is an issue that requires multiple departments. Therefore I seek the action of the Premier to outline how government will support local government to better respond to the needs and concerns of local communities and what action will be taken to ensure that councils and residents are held to the same standard.