Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of the Greater Geelong City Council held at the Council Conference and Reception Centre - City Hall on Tuesday 13 November 2012, commencing at 7:00pm.
Neil Jaksic
Peter Linaker
John Cottle
Colin Wallace
Cr K Fagg (Chair)
Crs:
T Anset
L Elli
J Farrell
K Fisher
B Harwood
M Heagney
S Kontelj
R Macdonald
R Nelson
A Richards
S Griffin (Chief Executive Officer
J Wall (General Manager Corporate Services
P Bettess (General Manager Economic Development, Planning and Tourism)
G Van Driel (General Manager City Services)
J McMahon (General Manager Community Services)
D Frost (General Manager Projects, Recreation and Central Geelong)
J Brown (Manager Administration and Governance)
R Bourke (Governance Co ordinator)
D Chiller (Co-ordinator Communication & Marketing)
The Mayor declared the meeting open at 7:00pm.
The Mayor acknowledged that we are here today on the land of the Wathaurong People and we pay our respects to Aboriginal elders past and present.
Cr E Kontelj
Cr J Irvine
Cr Macdonald moved, Cr Richards seconded -
That Leave of Absence be granted to Cr Irvine from 13 to 23 November 2012, inclusive.
Carried.
Cr Harwood moved, Cr Abley seconded -
That the Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held on 23 October 2012 and Statutory Meeting of Council held on 5 November 2012 be confirmed and signed.
Carried.
Cr Farrell declared an Indirect Interest by Close Association in Agenda Item 1 – Proposed Boundary Realignment – Drysdale/Clifton Springs and Curlewis in that her son and his family own a property within Area 1 which will be affected by the boundary realignment.
Cr Harwood declared an Indirect Interest by Close Association in Agenda Item 5 – Consideration of Tender Submissions for Tender T1200183 – Provision of Tree Services in that he has a potential business relationship with one of the tender applicants.
Neil Jaksic submitted a question but was not present at the meeting. A written response within 14 days will be provided.
Peter Linaker asked two questions:
Are Councillors aware that the involvement provided for ratepayers at meetings of Council, i.e. (that questions may be asked) is onerous and severe limitation on ratepayers?
Jeff Wall, General Manager Corporate Services, responded that question time is required by the Act and those meetings are not all participative. Council has a local law that provides for the operation of the meeting and includes question time. However, the Local Law document will be under review in the near future.
Ratepayers also have access to Council’s website should they be experiencing any concerns or complaints.
Are Councillors aware that in the six years that Butadiene storage has commenced in the Geelong site of Terminals Pty Ltd no emergency procedures have been provided for the public, even though the hazard from chemical explosion extends well beyond 1.5km, the separation to the residential boundary?
Communication to the nearby public, schools and residents, with annual rehearsal, is essential to minimize the impacts of any serious accident with carcinogenic compressed gases stores at 40 Wharf Road. Safety in this area has been neglected by the City for many years.
Peter Bettess, General Manager Economic Development, Planning and Tourism, responded that he completely rejects the suggestion that Council doesn’t care about safety.
The situation is the Terminals facility is a major hazard facility and controlled under licencing regime WorkSafe. There is a requirement to have a safety plan – a summary of which has been distributed to the public. At the last meeting of the Terminals Geelong Community Engagement Group, Craig Lapsley, the Fire Services Commissioner, made a presentation to the committee, focussing on emergency communication to the community.
It should be noted that once an incident extends beyond the site itself control of the incident is transferred to the fire authority and is no longer the responsibility of Terminals.
John Cottle asked questions in relation to the Proposed Boundary Realignment: Drysdale/Clifton Springs and Curlewis:
What is the specific geographic/topological/cadastral reason for the need to so grossly realign the Boundary in Zones 3 and 4?
Jeff Wall responded in terms that the proposed boundary realignment has been a long process. Growth of the Drysdale area and the instruction from the Registrar of Geographic Names are the reasons for the boundary realignment proposals being developed.
In Area 1 we have been required by the Registrar of Geographic Names to alter the boundary due to issues with emergency services. In Area 2 following considerable feedback we are not proceeding and will wait for further developments.
For Areas 3 and 4 we are proceeding with boundary realignments to cover the subdivisions that are happening to the west of Jetty Road. Jetty Road was selected as a clear boundary rather than where the existing boundaries are in open areas that will change with the subdivisions.
Colin Wallace asked:
May I, together with my wife Mary, have a meeting with you, Mr Mayor, and our ward councillor, Cr Heagney, preferably with both of you together?
The Mayor responded he would arrange a day and time through his office to meet and would contact Mr Wallace to confirm details.
Cr Heagney acknowledged she would be present.
Would the Mayor and other Councillors please note the following?
When Councillor Barbara Abley in The Geelong Times of 24 October 2012 gave this advice, “You learn also that council are a board of directors that don’t interfere with certain operations and most of the mayoral wannabes don’t realise that,” she served up a red herring.
Councillors have one employee – the chief executive officer who is responsible for all the operations of the organisation and employs the staff to carry them out.
The staff, through a hierarchical structure – team leader, co-ordinator, manager, general manager – is responsible to the chief executive officer for their conduct.
The chief executive officer, presently Stephen Griffin, is responsible to his employer, the group of councillors, for his conduct which includes taking responsibility for the conduct of the staff.
It is not a matter of councillors ‘interfering’ in the activities of people who are not their employees – the staff. Rather, councillors should civilly but firmly and with perseverance if necessary be holding their employee, the chief executive officer, responsible for the conduct of the staff under his authority and his own conduct.
The Mayor noted the comments.
Nil.
Cr Fisher presented the Mayor with an award presented to the City of Greater Geelong in recognition of the 2012 Seniors Festival – Aged and Disability Services.
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