By Jeremy Sollars
The new Southern Downs Regional Council administration has proposed the re-introduction of ‘Standing Committees’ of councillors which would meet monthly ahead of general meetings, in what appears to be a move towards greater transparency of decision-making.
Transparency and openness of council deliberations was an issue referred to extensively by Mayor Vic Pennisi during his election campaign and by other candidates including Deputy Mayor Ross Bartley.
But the re-introduction of the committee system – abolished during the 2012-2016 term – may not happen until the June general meeting, with council officers today directed to draw up procedures for its implementation to be tabled at the May meeting.
The new council held its first general meeting today – Wednesday 29 April – at the Warwick Town Hall which was live-streamed to the public due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Mayor Vic Pennisi and the eight councillors – Deputy Mayor Ross Bartley, Cameron Gow, Stephen Tancred, Sheryl Windle, Jo McNally, Cynthia McDonald, Marco Gliori and Andrew Gale – maintained required social distancing around the table, but sound quality for those watching the live-stream was poor compared to the first post-election meeting held on 15 April.
A council spokeswoman said this would be improved at the May meeting and Mayor Vic Pennisi today told councillors live-streaming may become a permanent arrangement after COVID-19.
Cr Pennisi spoke to a report to today’s meeting which proposed the establishment of two Standing Committees – ‘Infrastructure and Executive Services’, to be chaired by Deputy Mayor Ross Bartley, and ‘Sustainable Development, Corporate and Community Services’ to be chaired by Cr Cameron Gow.
A final decision on the new committees will be made at the May general meeting but the move has significance as Standing Committees were abolished during the 2012-2016 council term under former Mayor Peter Blundell.
Prior to that Standing Committees met monthly to examine and debate reports from council officers in detail prior to the monthly general meeting – including major development applications – and Standing Committee meetings were open to the public and media.
Votes were taken on all issues with the result either adopted at the following general meeting or overturned following further debate.
Standing Committees were replaced by ‘briefing sessions’ for councillors by council officers, with the sessions held behind closed doors and no minutes made publicly available.
The report to today’s April meeting – added as a ‘late item’ – proposed the following membership of the new Standing Committees, which would also see the councillors who are members responsible for specific ‘portfolio’ areas, as was the case under the previous Dobie administration –
Standing Committee: Infrastructure and Executive Services – chaired by Deputy Mayor Cr Ross Bartley
Reporting Portfolios –
• Engineering, Infrastructure and Financial Services – Cr Ross Bartley
• Asset Management – Cr Jo McNally
• Parks & Open Space, Transport and Information Technology – Cr Andrew Gale
• Water, Tourism, Audit and Risk Management – Cr Stephen Tancred
Standing Committee: Sustainable Development, Corporate and Community Services – chaired by Cr Cameron Gow
Reporting Portfolios –
• Environmental, Waste, Sustainability, and Disaster Management – Cr Cameron Gow
• Community Services, Towns and Villages, Disaster Recovery – Cr Sheryl Windle
• Sport and Recreation, Events, Culture and the Arts – Cr Marco Gliori
• Agriculture and Corporate Services – Cr Cynthia McDonald
• Planning and Prosperity, Executive Services Youth Development, Tourism, Disaster Management and Media and Communications – Cr Vic Pennisi
Council officers told today’s meeting the new Standing Committee system would require “changes to reporting cycles” for council officers but committed to preparing a detailed report on implementation of the new structure to the May general meeting, scheduled for Wednesday 27 May.
NO WORD YET ON ACTING CEO…
The council is expected to make an announcement later today on an Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) following the announcement last Friday of the departure of current CEO David Keenan.
The Acting CEO matter was discussed during a confidential section of today’s meeting – update to follow…
