In April 2022 Moira Shire CEO Clare Keenan and Mayor Libro Mustica requested the assistance of a municipal monitor to work closely with council to prevent issues from escalating, best support them to perform their duties successfully and address concerns about governance and councillor conduct.
After working with council for two months, the monitor has provided 11 points of governance advice to council, for which officers have formulated actions, which will give effect to this advice.
Some of these include:
•councillors discussing the most effective meeting arrangements to ensure they are fully informed to make decisions, supported in professional development and are governing for the best interests of the whole of the Moira Shire
•Introduce General Business item at briefings as a mechanism to raise items that councillors would like to be considered either verbally or via reports to council
•Councillors should identify areas where they would benefit from professional development
•Agendas for all meetings should be distributed as least on the Friday before the Wednesday meeting with full reports attached.
•Council meeting agendas should be issued at least on the Friday before the Wednesday meeting, and upload to the public website on the Monday morning before the meeting
•An officer with a detailed understanding of the Governance Rules should be easily accessible to the mayor during the council meeting
•Undertake a full understanding of the capital works that will be delivered completely in the current financial year and monitor the delivery quarterly and before November set financial policy on how to manage carry forward works in future commencing with the balance of the carry forward works from 21/22
•Ensure compliance with council’s community engagement policy
•Invite the chair of the Audit and Risk committee to brief council as least every six months
•Consider inviting community groups, and strategic partners to brief council on matters. Be fully briefed on the survey results from the Community Satisfaction survey and consider actions that can be taken to improve community level of satisfaction in the future
•Keep a close eye on the outcome of the Work Safe investigation and any actions it may need to take in response.
At the July ordinary council meeting the recommendation to note the advice of the Municipal Monitor and endorse the actions to give effect to the advice was unanimously passed with four of the nine councillors speaking on the matter.
Cr Peter Lawless moved the motion which was seconded by Cr Peter Elliott with Cr Lawless saying council welcome the recommendations.
“The report is fairly straightforward, and we welcome the work the monitor has done,” Cr Lawless said.
“It is great to have a review of our performance at any stage and we will genuinely take on board a number of the recommendations.”
Cr Elliott also thanked the municipal monitor and created some heated discussion within the meeting as he mentioned a delicate situation was the reason for a monitor to be appointed.
“We thank the monitor for her recommendations. I believe red tape did overshadow the opportunity to address the delicate situation within council,” Cr Elliott said.
“Council made the brave decision to stick their necks out and put their own reputations on the line.”
Cr Judy Heather quickly spoke after, clarifying why the monitor was asked to investigate council.
“The monitor mentioned it wasn’t just about one councillor,” Cr Heather said.
“The monitor quite clearly indicated the elephant in the room wasn’t me and was asked for by the CEO and mayor about many issues, not just one councillor and with all due respect, I wish for that to stop immediately.
“I congratulate the monitor on this part of the report as more is to come, it is not finished now, and it is not the final report.
“I am looking forward to the result at the end of this where we will all make decisions on the future of the Moira Shire.”
Cr Peter Mansfield then spoke to endorse the recommendations and further clarify reasons for an outsourced party to be involved in council.
“I endorse the recommendations by the monitor. These governance issues have not just occurred overnight, they have been there for years,” Mr Mansfield said.
“It is important that council provide information to councillors in a timely manner so we can make informed decisions on policy regarding council, and this has not been happening.
“I hope these policies and recommendations are implemented so that councillors will be in a better position and will be better informed to make proper decisions.”
Council now aims to implement these with readiness for the benefit of the Moira Shire community and to reduce the financial cost to ratepayers.