representation review – casey city council – response ... · to review the council planning...

Representation Review – Casey City Council – Response Submission

Paul Richardson – Endeavour Hills – 23 February 2020

Endeavour Hills

Victorian Electoral Commission

Level 11, 530 Collins Street,

Melbourne 3000

Submission City of Casey Council Electoral Representation Review 2020

Date; 11 February 2020

Dear Management,

I forward this updated Submission RE; The Review of The City of Casey Council Representation Review 2020, relating to the three Options A, B and C.

Of the three City of Casey Council Options, I can only consider Option C consisting of 6 Wards, with the 2 elected Councillors placed in each ward, similarly to the current ward structure we have at the current time. I do however have serious considerations that the elected Casey Councillors should remain at 11 in total or a reduction to 9 Casey Councillors as included in my previous submission enclosed with this documentation. Unfortunately, my earlier submission was received a day later namely 5 December 2019 and therefore not documented, tabled or considered. This time I have included them and I do intend to refer to them on the 11 March 2020 when I speak on this submission at Bunjil Place, Narre Warren.

I attach this previous submission, along with the Recommendation Submission to this updated submission to be read out during the public hearing as emphasized above.



I don’t believe as a Former Casey Councillor 2005-2008 that these changes go far enough and hence the cleaning up of the corrupt practices within the City of Casey IBAC Investigation and those in the remaining 78 Local Municipal Councils Victoria State-Wide will never be cleaned up as long as the current Minister for Local Government Victoria, Adem Somyurek MP and The premier Daniel Andrews, Labor Government remains in power at the State Government Level. They may occur under a Liberal State Government.

In reviewing all Options A, B and C, the VEC, the favoured support of its elected Casey Councillors and The State Politicians have overlooked the key vital issues who is to pay for the additional Elected Councillor and other specific costs, will it be the State Government or its Casey Ratepayers via higher rates annually, not excluding the additional costs as travel allowances, computers, mobile phones, overseas travel and the additional costs forced onto the Casey residents and Ratepayers annually. Did the Victorian Electoral Commission consider these additional costs and financial burdens onto its people when these options were drawn up and considered by the State public servants, administrators and Management. Are the Victorian Voters and Casey Constituents Victoria Wide only milking cows to supply the state governments with its demands and finances? Why is this so? How can these burdens be enforced onto its State Politicians? Consider!

In reference to the IBAC Investigation involving The City of Casey and its majority of 9 named Councillors excluding and , it is my recommendation that this Casey Council Representation Review be officially deferred to a later date as this Council could very well be sacked under 2024, allowing the administrator additional time to review the Council Planning Documents and the Decisions made across the Department. How can the City of Casey Council be simply investigated in a few short months and allowed to hold its Council Elections in October/November 2020?What a joke and a full embarrassment to the Democratic Process. Get the drift!

I stand by the details and the content in this submission as well as the additional attached earlier submission.

I emphasize my commitment to speak at this public hearing at 6PM, Wednesday 11 March 2020.

I can be contacted on

Regards

Paul Richardson

Paul Richardson

Casey Community Watchdog

Former Casey Councillor for Four Oaks Ward 2005-2008

Representation Review - Casey City Council - Response Submission

Paul Richardson - Endeavour Hills - 23 February 2020

A Casey Constituent

Initial Submission

City of Casey Council Electoral Representation Review 2019

Name; Paul Richardson

Full Name; Paul John Vincent Richardson

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Endeavour Hills-

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Date of Submission Due; 4 December 2019

The reason it was not considered was due to the late arrival of the submission on 5

December 2019.



Submission;

Casey City Council Representation Review To the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC)

RE; the Electoral Structure of the Local Casey Council, I fully support and endorse a non-subdivided City of Casey Council Representation Model. My second and third preferences are as follows – A Multi Councillor Ward and thirdly a Single – Councillor Wards. The numbers of elected councillors equally applying to the models above are a total of 9 elected councillors, instead of the current 11 Casey Councillors we have at the present time. Reduced costs to the Casey Ratepayers and residents as well as Local Businesses need to be incorporated; this is one way to initiate the cost cutting. The recommended submissions by the VEC totally abuse the Casey Ratepayers and Residents as they do across all 79 Local Municipal Councils Victoria State-Wide. They don’t pay the rates we the Ratepayers and residents do as the State Government Milking Cows.

The reduction of two elected Casey Councillors( and three in the updated 3 Models Options A, B and C to 12 Councillors) is a direct result of the negative deviations across the three Council Ward pf Four Oaks – 15.43%, River Gum – 11.18% and Spring Field Ward – 9.81%.

The other three wards have a positive + Deviation namely; Mayfield +6.62%, Balla Balla +22.19%, and Edrington +18.70%.

The One Vote, One Value Principles still applies whatever the new model that is adopted under this Casey City Council Representation Review by the VEC.

Chart A

Current Councillors Casey representation Review

2019

Four Oaks 2 1

River Gum 2 1

Mayfield 2 2

Balla Balla 1 2

Springfield 2 1

Edrington 2 2

Total 11 9

PS Include this with the Submission.



At this point it is worth noting the following points.

Next Page.

A The Allowance of Councillors does not increase; a reduction of Councillor Allowances to be considered and enclosed in The Local Government Act 1989 and amended Acts. Council Perks, excluding Travel Costs be kept. All other costs are to be met by the individual Councillors through Taxation. The same costs should be considered at the CEO and Management Levels;

B Council Elections be changed to 3 year terms, not four and the Council Performances (over the 2.6 year period) be assessed every 3 years by Local Government Victoria. The IBAC Investigation with the City of Casey in 2019/2020 depicts these Council Concerns;

C That LGV concentrate on working with all Councils forming a close association to the CEO’s, Mayors and Councillors to avoid favouritism to its Council Contacts.

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The recommended number of Councillors as per the second and third models are as follows;

Chart A

Current Councillors Casey Rep Review 2019

Four Oaks 2 1

River Gum 2 1

Mayfield 2 2

Balla Balla 1 2

Springfield 2 1

Edrington 2 2

Total 11 9

Limit the maximum number of Casey Councillors to 9, as per the selected model under the Review.



A further option is as follows; It is;

Follow the recent National and Local Newspaper Issues as published in The

Herald Sun, The Age, The Star News and other local papers RE; The IBAC

Investigation on The City of Casey

Councillors named in the . understand

and have been exonerated. It

would be wise once the Casey Council is sacked by the Minister for Local

Government Victoria to defer the VEC Review of this Council until a later date

in 2022/2024.

The published articles speak for themselves and widely identify a disgraced,

corrupt and dysfunctional City of Casey Council. It is my strong

recommendation should you wish to consider it following the sacking to

replace the elected councillors with an administrator for a possible period of

5 years to November 2024, as well as to defer the VEC Review of Casey

Council (since it is not urgent any longer) to 2023 at the latest. It is

understood the VEC and IBAC will need an additional length of time to fully

thoroughly investigate all Council Planning Decisions and possibly others so

the City of Casey can be cleansed and disinfected permanently. It cannot

occur within a12 month period given the wide extent and range of the

Council corruption ranging from Local Council to the State Government

Politicians (Via to Federal Parliament involving

Staff as . Let us not exclude

who are involved in these financial

I acknowledge the severity and the complexity of this IBAC Investigation; however it cannot be dealt

with by an administrator within 23 months and under a 5 year period.

The City of Casey should be ready to operate properly, effectively and appropriately under the Act

after 2024 but not before.



I stand by this detailed Submission and its enclosed contents as a Former Casey Councillor for Four Oaks Ward, The Casey Community Watchdog and a Casey Resident and Ratepayer of this specific named Council.

My contact details are stated at the commencement of this Submission. It is my intentions to speak on this Submission at the date of this hearing. Please include me on the list. Thank You.

Regards

Paul Richardson

Paul Richardson

Dated Friday 28 November 2019



Recommendations Submission Page 1

Endeavour Hills-

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RE: Review local Government Victoria Councils - Use of Councillors/Permanent

Administrators.

Date; 19 February 2020

Dear Management,

As the Minister for Local Government Victoria supports the VEC Representation Review of the following Councils; Hepburn Springs Shire, Northern Grampians Shire, Cardinia Shire Council, Casey City Casey, (although recently reported sacked because of the ..

-Controversy, bully practices and the concealed other serious issues yet to beidentified by the Administrator), Mitchell Shire Council, and Whittlesea City Council,including the other 72 Local Municipal Councils State-wide, perhaps it is now time to fullyreview and make the necessary changes to the administration and planning decisionsmaking and operations of the Councils. Perhaps these changes need to be made permanentin the Amended local Government Act 1989 and related protocols and practices of the LocalGovernment Victoria Structure for the future.

I intend to be specific, direct and concise at this time as I feel on past occasions when I have submitted changes to the Local Government Victoria Structure, I have been ignored and ridiculed, hence my determination to deliver my message to this Minister, Adem Somyurek MP at this time. The State Opposition will also receive this document as well. I refer to the following;



1. The removal of elected Councillors and replacement with one administrator to makethe decisions of Council. As demonstrated examples I refer to the South GippslandShire Council, The City of Casey, Darebin City Council and those sacked in past years.

A. Its benefits include the reduction of Councillor Allowances, Perks and otherassociated costs connected to the current councillor expenditure costs. Let us not

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exclude the vast wastage of Council Expenditure Costs on overseas travel, Sister and Friendship Cities. Casey Council is a good example of how not to waste Council Rates! Have Councils only deal with the 3 R’s Roads, Rates and Rubbish as it was originally set up to operate, not to act as a Miniature State Government;

B. Removal of costs of computers, mobile phones etc as per current associated costsfor the election of Councillors;

C. The removal of overseas travel as widely endorsed by The City of Casey Councillorsi.e. etc and the unnecessary wastage of Councillor ExpenditureCosts, travel, and financial savings resulting from Sister and Friendship Cities theamounts saved would be in the thousands and millions of dollars across all Councils,hence reduced rates for its ratepayers, residents and local businesses.

D. A further benefit are the reduction of annual rates possibly below one percent,making it affordable for the Ratepayers to pay their rates and hence the removal ofthe threat by Local Government Victoria and the 79 Councils to forcibly sell andpossess the homes of the Local Community Members and Families. The employmentand costs of one administrator per Council, replacing its Councillors (if not less underthe current VEC Local Council Representation Review), is an ideal financial saving.Imagine having administrators appointed to all Local Municipal Councils VictoriaState-Wide.

Recommendation;

Referring to the replacement of the elected Councillors with one administrator, it is strongly recommended a trial period of 3 Council Terms 2020-2024, 2025-2028 and 2029 -2032 be allowed to test out this idea. The definite benefits are enclosed in Points 1(a) to (d) which is stated above. Of course the process of democracy will be tested. Look how the process of democracy has suffered and has been practiced with the City of Casey under this IBAC Investigation and its , including its other 6 Casey Councillors and the various court cases The City of Casey has done taking me to court under falsified charges of Trespass and Resisting Arrest in 2014, another involving and . The list is endless, so what have you to lose. Give it a go!

The issue of the three Principles and Practices, Accountability, Visibility and Transparency as well as the process of Democracy would seriously be implemented and practiced by the



Administrator as are the same practices and protocols within the Minister’s Office and The Premier’s Department. We hope this is the case! This also includes The Code of Conduct Procedures as applicable to the Monitors, Administrators and The Minister. In the past The City of Casey Councillors, Former CEO and Management have deliberately failed to address these practices for many Council Terms.

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This suggestion would definitely work ceasing the use and allowing the practices of dummy candidates at Council Elections and the interferences of the political parties as The ALP and The Greens at the Local Government Victoria Level. These changes need to be incorporated in The Act.

If the Minister for Local Government Victoria, Adem Somyurek MP is serious about cleaning up The Councils as The City of Casey, The Melbourne City Council, The City of Monash and remaining Councils – here is the golden opportunity to act and make the necessary changes effective and stabilize its Councils. The Opposition Leader, Michael O’Brien MP, including all State Politicians should endorse these changes if they are to represent Victorian Voters now and into the future.

As a Former Casey Councillor for Four Oaks Ward 2005-2008 and political Active Victorian Voter, I send these valued suggestions and changes to you and other recipients on my mailing list.

I can be contacted on

Regards

Paul Richardson

Paul Richardson

Casey Community Watchdog

Former Casey Councillor for Four Oaks Ward 2005-2008

PS I intend to address these matters at the VEC Hearing on 11 March 2020.

A further recommendation to this Minister and The Opposition Michael O’Brien is as follows;



The Local Government Victoria Minister support and endorse the changes that every third Council Term be automatically administered by Administrators rather than elected Councillors. By doing this it will send the clear message home to all elected Councillors at the Local Government Level that they must act within the Act at all times, otherwise they will face a full investigation and a Review in the case of the inappropriate Behaviours and Conduct and a full sacking that has recently occurred with The City of Casey Councillors in February 2020. I strongly encourage the

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Minister for Local Government Victoria and The State Opposition to seriously consider this Recommendation and included in The Act. Can we afford another Casey Council Corruption Scandal?