COUNCIL ELECTIONS

I'm pleased to be back on www.cherylarnol.com to announce that I am standing for Councillor and Mayor. GSBC is being reduced to a 7 member council for the next four year term. I'm not going to do a lot of electioneering because the simple fact is that in local government there are few promises that can be made or probably more to the point achieved when you are one vote in the chamber.  

I will do some posts over the next 3-4 weeks and share to Facebook as we progress through the election period.  

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to send them to cheryla298@gmail.com or give me a call on 0419 533 615.

All the best,

Cheryl

I'M BACK!

 

Sometimes I take a step back and realise just how quickly time is rocketing by.  It seems no time at all since we entered summer and it's about to come to an end!

Then I realised that it has been some months since I last posted a blog.  No excuses, it has just been a very busy time.  Here is my first Mayoral Moment (blog) for 2025.  Enjoy

MAYORAL MOMENT FOR FEBRUARY

A belated welcome to 2025 Mayoral Moments.  I had leave of absence in January to visit our son in Adelaide in what turned out to be 40+ degree heat!

At the February meeting on Tuesday 25^th February there were no planning matters to be dealt with.  Council continues to see strong growth right across our municipal area, but that comes with challenges for our budget especially if we are unsuccessful in achieving grant money.  As a result, Council considered the revised budget that officers presented.  As an elected member group we are most grateful to have such competent staff at GSBC who keep a watchful eye on the budget.

Many of you will know that there has been a government inquiry into the future of local government.  Council has been offered the opportunity by Government to participate in the collection of data to allow us to better inform our communities of the benefits or otherwise of some form of boundary adjustment or amalgamation. At the forefront of Council’s position are the Minister for Local Government’s established principles that reform outcomes should always

- Be in the best interests of the community.

- Reserve and maintain local representation.

- Ensure financial sustainability of Councils.

- Improve the level of service for communities.

 

GSBC looks forward to working with our neighbouring councils and the Local Government Division on these important principles in coming months to enable robust community consultation to occur and informed decisions to be made.

Council supported a request from the family of Mr Adrian O’Leary for a commemorative seat at the Triabunna Marina.  Adrian, who sadly passed away last August, was a long-standing employee of GSBC and played an important role in the marina project.

There were some policies for review and two requests for event support and a community grant application to be considered.  Council welcomes applications for both community grants and event support.  As our Communications Officer, Eliza departs for maternity leave, we have welcomed Bernadette to the community engagement team.  Reach out to Bernadette by email community@freycinet.tas.gov.au if you are considering applying for a community grant or your organisation is hosting an event that you may want to advertise through our social media networks.

Have you heard of the Spring Bay Community Food Hub in Triabunna?  It commenced operations in August last year and has an amazing coordinator and a group of wonderful volunteers who are committed to easing the burden of food insecurity in our community.   There is no pre-condition for a pension card or the like to access the hub.  They are currently opening Wednesday 3pm till approx. 6 pm, Thursday and Saturday 10 am to 2pm.  Everyone is welcome.

MARCH MAYORAL MOMENT

 

Welcome to the Mayoral Moment for March. 

The Council meeting held on March 26th dealt with the usual statutory matters as well as leave of absence for two councillors.  One of the statutory matters was the Determination of a Code of Conduct that had been lodged against me in relation to a planning matter that we dealt with almost a year ago.  I have accepted the Panel’s determination, but moving forward I welcome the Office of Local Government’s review of the Code of Conduct provisions that hopefully will provide some clarity around the declaration of a conflict that is non-pecuniary in the context of Councillors involvement in community groups. 

The questions on notice section provided some interesting reading, particularly in relation to the question around the costs of planning appeals held over from the February meeting.  Council welcomes questions from the public and encourages people to lodge them as ‘on notice’ so that a response can be provided in the agenda.

Council was pleased to support some event funding for Bicheno Beams and the Van Dieman’s Band as well as a community small grant for the Spring Bay Maritime and Discovery Centre.  It is becoming a very popular experience in Triabunna for locals and visitors alike. 

The Swansea Court House Management Committee provided their annual report to Council.  This group has done an amazing job caring for what is one of our most precious historical buildings.

Have you caught up with the surveys from Council in recent times.  The surveys are very important in that they provide us with a snapshot of the community and your expectations.  There is considerable value in the surveys as we move into the budget discussions for the coming financial year.   Council has had some early discussions around potential rates increases.  I would like to assure you that we have listened to your concerns about the current economic climate and as we head into the last quarter of this financial year, we will work closely with staff on budget matters. 

In recent weeks I have had conversations with various stakeholders about the need for a Food Hub in Orford/Triabunna.  It had been identified by a concerned Triabunna resident that some members of that community have been travelling to the Brighton Food Hub.  Have you experienced times when you have had difficulty providing a meal?  Have you accessed a food hub or other charity? Do you have concerns about feeding your pet?  There will be an anonymous survey done during April both electronically and paper based to gather the data to establish the need.  It is not intended that the food hub would be Council run but rather a collaboration amongst the wonderful volunteer organisations, charities, and churches in our area.  Some of those groups are already providing some food relief but have offered their support to what has become known for want of a title as ‘The Mayor’s Food Hub Project’.    It maybe you or your neighbour or the person down the road that needs assistance so please reach out confidentially to me at cheryl.arnol@freycinet.tas.gov.au if you would rather not speak in person to one of the other stakeholders when the survey is released.

Till next time, take care and stay safe.

Cheryl Arnol

Mayor

FEBRUARY MAYORAL MOMENT

 

Welcome to the Mayoral Moment for February.   I did do one for January but I forgot to post it!  The Great Oyster Bay News did and it is posted on Council's website.

The Council meeting held on February 27^th dealt with the usual statutory matters as well as leave of absence for two councillors.  Councillor Young was on pre-approved leave of absence and so it meant that we only just had a quorum for the meeting. 

Council welcomed Councillor Kenneth Gregson to the Chamber for his first meeting.  He told me afterwards that he found it to be an enjoyable time and he was looking forward to continuing to learn the protocols and processes of life in local government.  From where I sat as chair of the meeting he did very well, and I offer congratulations to him for his obvious dedication to reading his first Council agenda. 

Two planning matters and two requests for grant funding were approved.  Clr Gregson accepted a nomination to be Council representative on the Cranbrook Hall Committee and we thank him for being willing to undertake that role so soon into his tenure as a Councillor. 

One of the statutory matters we dealt with was a review of Council’s strategic plan.  As noted in the report, the strategic plan informs and guides Council’s annual Operating Plan and Budgets that are set and scrutinised by Council and which will provide residents, ratepayers and businesses with a clear sense of what Council is doing and why.  With a change of Council in late 2022, it was important to update the strategic plan to reflect the current councillors and reaffirm our commitments. With the Future of Local Government Review in play, it was prudent for the review to be done in-house rather than involving a costly consultancy. Staff are to be congratulated on the manner in which they undertook this very important process.

Council’s Delegation Register is another important legislated document that must be maintained.  At the February meeting, the Delegations Register was updated to reflect some changes in several Acts of Parliament.  Whilst Council is governed by the Local Government Act 1993, there is a multitude of other legislation that must be abided by, and the Delegations Register provides operational authority to the General Manager and his team. 

 With the recent review of Crown Land leases and licences, it became apparent that the Mobile Food Vans, Pop Up Stalls and Kerbside Vending Policy was no longer fit for purpose, and it was rescinded effective from this meeting.  Staff will over coming months and during the negotiations with the Crown on the leases and licences, undertake a review for a new policy.

Have you checked out the Director of Works and Infrastructure reports in our agenda?  It really does give a snapshot of the enormous workload that our small and very dedicated team undertake.  We are so lucky to have such a wonderful, committed group of people in our various teams. 

I know I have said it before, but time just seems to rocket by me these days!  I hardly seem to have had time to get over Christmas and Easter is fast approaching.  As always, please stay safe especially as we move towards another busy holiday season.  

Till next time,

Cheryl Arnol

Mayor

AND 2023 DRAWS TO A CLOSE

 

One of the joys I have as Mayor is attending the school presentation assemblies.  I have been able to attend Triabunna, Orford and Bicheno but unfortunately not Swansea (due to a conflicting appointment).  All the schools have showcased the amazing work done by students supported by very talented teaching staff.  We are so lucky in our area to have small rural public schools who have the welfare and well-being of all students at heart.

We have so many talented artists and musicians in our school communities.  As someone who can't play a note or draw a straight line, I am always in awe of that talent especially when the kinder/prep students step onto the stage.   Couple this is the academic achievements of students and the future is looking very positive for our area and indeed the State.

One of the exciting aspects of life on the east coast is the number of very successful businesses we have in all areas.  Our industries shine whether on the local or world stage.  Please take the time to shop locally and support those that support us in so many ways.  Many of the businesses step up when asked for donations for community events so the least we can do is support them.  The support by businesses of the various Christmas activities across our municipal area was appreciated by all the volunteer organisers and brought so much joy to so many. 

As 2023 draws to a close, I take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support and wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Stay safe whether you are on the roads or on the water

Mayoral Moment December

 

Welcome to the last Mayoral Moment for 2023 following our Council meeting on 12^th December.

Due to the short timeframe between meetings, there were no planning matters to be considered.  Following an extensive review of the budget by staff, Councillors supported a proposed revised budget to provide certainty to some projects and infrastructure work.

At the meeting we adopted a Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy that is one of the first steps in becoming a child safe organisation in accordance with the newly introduced Tasmanian Child and Youth Safe Organisations Act 2023.  Over coming months, Council officers will be reviewing internal policies and procedures to align them with this new policy and ensuring that we embed child and youth safe practices and culture across all aspects of the organisation.  It will not be an easy task and one that will require whole of local government sector support through the Local Government Association of Tasmania, but Council is committed to continuing this journey.

Councillors and staff were very pleased to receive the Audit Panel’s report on the year.  We were delighted to note the positive comments of our Audit Panel on the journey of renewal that we have undertaken so far.

Council positively supported the notice of motion from Clr Neil Edwards to have further water quality testing done in the Coles Bay area. 

By the time you read this, the Bicheno Skate and Wheel Park will have been officially opened.  This has been a 20-year journey for the Bicheno community that started when a group of young people fronted up to a Council meeting in the Bicheno Hall and requested Council’s support for a skatepark.  It is wonderful to see it now come to fruition and something for the young, and perhaps not so young, skateboarders and wheel riders to enjoy for years to come.

2024 is shaping up to be another busy year across the local government sector and in Glamorgan Spring Bay.  All our staff are committed to doing the very best they can for our communities and as elected members the Councillors will support them in every way we can. 

On behalf of the Deputy Mayor, Councillors, General Manager and all staff, I take this opportunity to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year.  As the General Manager regularly says, it’s onwards and upwards for Glamorgan Spring Bay in 2024!

Cheryl Arnol

Mayor

Mayoral Moment November 2023

Welcome to the Mayoral Moment following the Ordinary Meeting of Council on 28th November 2023.

It was something of a record that the meeting was over in about 36 minutes.  I’ve never really known an ordinary meeting to go for so little time but as mentioned by a fellow Councillor, we didn’t have anything controversial to deal with outside of the Government’s proposed Development Assessment Panels (DAP’s).  

Council has taken the view that we may support DAP’s, but it will be reliant on the matters in our submission being addressed.    Overall, Council supports reforms that improve the operation and integrity of the planning system, but that support must be earnt through meaningful engagement with the local government sector and the community.

As always, Councillors were pleased to support community small grant applications and events support.  The Swansea Community Christmas Parade and the Pop-Up Bookstall (P.U.B.S.) in Triabunna were recipients of community small grants and the Coles Bay Triathlon received funding under the events support budget.   

Although not dealt with in this agenda, the other matter that is at the forefront of our minds is the latest report from the Future of Local Government Review Board.  The Board has made a number of recommendations for reform of local government but the one that affects Glamorgan Spring Bay the most at this point is recommendation 4.  

It is implied in Recommendation 4 that Council has had significant consultation with our neighbouring Councils and that GSBC is open to reform, but are we?    My personal view is that the reform board has taken our open-minded approach and used it against us. I stress this is my personal view and may not reflect the view of my fellow Councillors.   It is important to note that as a Council, the Mayor and General Manager had one meeting in the stage 1 days with Sorell (and Tasman) and 2 meetings with Break O’Day (BODC); one in stage 1 and one in stage 2.  Both were called by BODC and were very informal discussions.  

The current reform board has accepted that the government must fund an investigation into the potential merger with their recommendation that the government initiate a local government board to undertake the work into ‘voluntary mergers’ of all the named Councils in recommendation 4.  I am not convinced that all the Councils named in the voluntary merger recommendation (as Phase 1) will in fact agree to be included.  There is considerable discussion to be had over the next 6 or 7 weeks between all those parties to enable an informed and well-reasoned submission by the various Councils to be put to the Minister.

In my view, and I stress it is only my personal view, a much better way to reform local government would be giving the sector a Local Government Act that is fit for purpose.  The current Act is now 30 years old and does not provide a sound basis for good governance.   There are some recommendations in the report around mandating certain things for Councils.  Surely it would make sense to provide clear direction in a new Act for the future before mergers occur.   It could well be that the current 29 Councils would be ‘reformed’ by that process.  

The Tasmanian Government is inviting comment and submissions on the report until the 29th February 2024.  You will find the report at Future of Local Government Review – Tasmanian Government (futurelocal.tas.gov.au)

Until next time, stay safe.  

Cheryl Arnol

Mayor

MAYORAL MOMENT - OCTOBER

 I've been very fortunate to have the support of the Greater Oyster Bay News at Swansea since I was elected as Mayor and it has proven to be very beneficial in communicating what happens at a Council meeting.  Council does post it on our website after GOBC News has published it.  It occurred to me that a different audience might be reached through this forum so I have decided to post future Mayoral Moments at the same time as Council posts it.

Here is October's offering - 

Welcome to the Mayoral Moment following the Ordinary Meeting of Council on the 24^th October.  As always, I am grateful to the GOBC News for their support in publishing this column.

This month’s agenda dealt with several administrative matters as well as a request for community small grant support for the Triabunna Christmas Crew.  Council was pleased to support this initiative by a very enthusiastic group of people to make Triabunna ‘Christmasy’ again and reinstate the float parade that used to be a fixture of the silly season a few years ago.

One of the administrative matters was acknowledging the recent declaration of office by Richard Parker who won the recount.  It was my pleasure to welcome Clr Parker back to the Council Chamber after an absence of some years.

There will be advertisements placed shortly for land that Council can see no future use for.  Any funds generated will be far better utilised in much needed infrastructure than retaining some under-utilised land.  There is a process that allows members of the public to lodge representations if you feel that this is not the right outcome.

As always, acting as a planning authority was a difficult and at times emotive part of the Council meeting.   I think it is fair to say that all four development applications had a degree of community concern, some more than others. All four applications were passed albeit reluctantly in some cases by the planning authority. 

The proposed Bicheno Ambulance Station has been the subject of much discussion in the community and a request was made by Council planning staff to the developer to defer the matter to enable more robust community consultation to be undertaken.  That request was denied and due to legislated planning timeframes, Council had little choice but to debate the matter at this meeting.   I understand that the new Minister for Health may have stepped in and asked his department to defer processing the development application to enable further discussion with interested stakeholders. As the planning authority, we have obligations to meet under the Tasmanian Planning Scheme and staff put a compelling argument to approve it under the provisions of the Scheme.  It does not mean that Council endorsed the project on the proposed site.

There has been some conjecture about the large Eucalyptus Globulus tree at the back of Morris’ store and how the new development may impact on it.  Some concern has been raised that Council did not take the tree into consideration when officers assessed the application.  Investigations have been undertaken and the tree is on the crown reserve and therefore not part of this development application as the development is all within the developer’s own boundary.   If the developer wanted to take any action in relation to the tree, then they would require a number of permissions.  My own investigation with staff indicates it would be unlikely for Crown or Council to give any permission, unless it was declared a dangerous tree by a suitably qualified person.

On other matters, we are hopeful that the Local Government Board Reform paper will be released at the end of October.    Will we be ‘boundary adjusted’?  Who knows!  If you have an interest in this matter, keep an eye out for the paper.   Personally, I am not convinced that GSBC won’t be targeted for boundary adjustment.

Of greater concern is the Draft Fire and Emergency Services Bill currently before State Parliament.

In summary the key points of the Bill reform are;

Tasmania Fire Service TFS and State Emergency Service SES will combine under a            single entity Tasmania Fire and Emergency Service TFES.

 The newly formed TFES will be headed by a Commissioner reporting directly to the                  Minister for Police and Emergency Services.

The authorities legislated for the current State Fire Commission will be transferred to the      new Commissioner.

 A State Fire and Emergency Service Committee will be ministerially appointed.

Council shares the concern of the broader local government sector that this will mean the current residential fire levy will likely double under either option.  The impact on businesses is worse.  The short timeframe for submissions on the Bill was a major concern for the sector.  We received some welcome news that the submission deadline has been extended to 1^st December.  Please remember that this fire levy is only collected by Council for the State Government through the rates process.  If you are of a mind to review the Bill, please consider putting in a submission.  You will find it at What is changing - Tasmania Fire Service

Now the good news, it is only about 60 days to Christmas!  I think I have blinked and missed a large portion of this year.  Time goes by so fast these days.

Until next time, stay safe

Cheryl

 

LIFE INSIDE LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORM!

 As I said in my last post in January, I had grand plans to do more posts.  I started doing a column in the local paper after each Council meeting that seems to have taken over a bit from my blog.  

Having said that there is so much happening in local government at the moment and at the forefront is the Future of Local Government Review and the potential for reform of the 29 Councils that I thought a blog post might be opportune   There is a lot of data available that is all a bit overwhelming for me and I'm in local government so what is it doing to the community.

Please be aware that this is my personal blog. The comments may not necessarily reflect the opinion of my fellow councillors. 

One matter that is weighing heavily on my mind is whether the communities across Glamorgan Spring Bay (GSBC) want to be split up or boundary adjusted which really is only a nice way of saying amalgamated in my view.  The underlying principle of GSBC over many years of potential amalgamations and boundary adjustments has always been that any reform must have advantages for our communities.  Right now, I am struggling with what the advantage would be if the whole of GSBC was in a newly created south-east council or Bicheno was sent to a new north-east council.  The maps in the community catchment information packs are not really clear on where Coles Bay would end up! 

Some of the data that has been provided appears to be flawed.  Why is 7-year averaging being used when all councils have a legislated requirement to have 10-year financial management plans and asset management plans?  One Mayor has suggested to me that they believe the data has been cherry picked to provide an outcome that suits the Board, not necessarily the communities of interest.

It all becomes a bit more perplexing when the Minister for Local Government says on ABC Radio that he doesn't have a problem with 29 Councils if they can prove their sustainability.  The Board on the other hand has stated that the status quo is not an option and mandated reform is the only way to go.  Which one is right?  In the information packs, the Board has given Councils the opportunity to provide other options. 

Boundary changes are apparently only one part of the equation.  Councils and communities are being urged to think about options for complementary supporting reforms such as shared services and partnerships with potential models of engagement and representation.  In the main, Councils across the State are doing that now.  I don't think there would be one of the 29 Councils that does not have some form of community engagement strategy. Whether we do our community engagement well or not is probably a debate for another time. The issue of course is what will 'representation' look like in a new larger council?  There is a school of thought that wards or electoral districts might be an opportunity, but some don't agree with that. What is the optimum representation in a new larger council.  It is one of many unanswered questions.

What about rates?  There would seem to be an underlying expectation from communities that their rates would not go up significantly in a new larger council, but services would still be provided.  So, the Minister said on the same ABC Radio program that this reform was not about reducing rates.  To some extent I agree with the Minister.  If a new larger council was to provide improved services then it is logical that they would need more funding.  Where does the main of the funding come from?  The local government funding model is built on charging rates which is defined in the Local Government Act as a tax, not a fee for service.

What about staff?  It is contended that a larger council could attract a highly qualified skill set of staff to meet all the mandatory requirements, but will it?  There is a shortage of qualified people across all areas of planning, engineering, accounting just to name a few and that is not just in the local government sector. Engaging staff to continue providing services is particularly difficult now with the uncertainty around the future of any/all of the 29 Councils.  Why would anyone want to start a new job in the current uncertain landscape of local government reform?

Recently a member of our community who is very experienced in the local government reform space suggested that without the potential economic and practical benefits being identified, there can be no proper process that will lead to a good outcome.  To the best of my knowledge, there has been no economic modelling done as to what the optimum number of Councils for Tasmania should be.  As my correspondent said, is it 10, 15, or 6?  

As Councils, there is no clear direction from Government as to what the target number of Councils is.  All I know is that as elected members and staff, we are spending significantly more time in briefings and workshops within the sector and with our neighbouring Councils.  It is not only costly time wise but there is an impact financially as well.  

There has been no indication of the transition process to a new council.  Who is going to fund that?  It is going to be a very costly exercise just in the establishment of new identities alone.  What about acting as a planning authority.  That part has been taken out of the terms of reference of the Board and given to the Minister for Planning.  There has been no communication with Councils that I am aware of around who or what will run planning and yet we are being expected to offer suggestions on how we would provide this service to our community either as a stand-alone Council, shared service or amalgamated.  

We seem to have a very ad hoc process going on in the local government sector in this reform process.  Too many options with no economic objectives have been suggested.  It is going to be difficult to achieve an outcome to reduce the number of Councils that will deliver the services we all want from our local council without robust economic modelling and the establishment of clear economic objectives.  As my experienced correspondent said, it can't be just a 'feel good' exercise.  It has to achieve an outcome that is beneficial primarily to the ratepayer and overall to the communities of interest. 

It doesn't look like that right now!

GRAND PLANS!

 

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and New Year.  Do you do New Year resolutions?  I gave up on those years ago.  Whilst not a New Year resolution, I had grand plans to write a weekly blog but it is now more than a month since the last one and we have had the January council meeting a week ago!

The elected Council has been very busy with approaches from residents and ratepayers, workshops, Council meetings and the myriad of other things in the life of a local government Councillor.  It has been a bit of a baptism of fire for our newly elected Councillors but they, and the returning Councillors, have all jumped in with enthusiasm.

The Councillors have established a relationship and collaborative approach with staff that is seeing some positive outcomes.  The General Manager and his senior staff have been very patient in answering all the questions that have arisen! 

It is important to continue discussions with our communities as we enter the review stage of the Strategic Plan and start the formulation of the budget that will shape the coming financial year.  I encourage everyone to speak or write to your Councillors if you have an issue that you want raised.   

I don't know where the saying originated from, but I have often said that too many times on any matter, people 'kick the gravel in the carpark' instead of raising their concern.  It applies to many aspects of our life whether its sport or community or Council and often we don't raise a matter because we don't want to be seen as serial complainers or we may feel that we will be victimised. 

Operational matters become a bit problematic as elected members cannot direct staff to fix that pothole that is bugging you or do whatever else might be on your radar but we can raise it for you and get it on a list.  Unless we are told or asked about something then we really are at a loss as to what your issue is.  Don't forget you will contact all Councillors by email to Council  (council@freycinet.tas.gov.au).   

Another avenue for complaints is available on the Council website.  WORKS & WASTE MANAGEMENT SERVICES – GLAMORGAN SPRING BAY COUNCIL (gsbc.tas.gov.au)

Look for the Works Request tab and submit a request

Check out the other On-Line Request tabs on the website as well.  There just might be one that suits your specific request or complaint.

On Australia Day this year we celebrated not only our Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year and Emergency Services Worker of the Year, but welcomed new citizens as well in a formal Citizenship Ceremony that I had the privilege of being the Presiding Officer.

Covid has impacted on so much of our life over the past couple of years and placed enormous stress on our health system.  Like me, I'm sure you will be looking forward to a relatively Covid-free year.  I know the virus is still out there so please take precautions that suit you and your lifestyle.

As we age, it is fair to say that we all become a little more realistic about what each new year will bring to us so live your life to the fullest.  Each day is a blessing that we must grasp with both hands.  I saw a quote from the American actor Clint Eastwood recently where he was asked about his age and why he still is making movies at 92.  He said he wakes up each morning and doesn't let the old man in!  What a great way to look at life.

“Believe in yourself. You are braver than you think, more talented than you know, and capable of more than you imagine.”
― Roy T. Bennett, Author The Light in the Heart

Until next time......

Loo with a View

 

I wasn't really expecting to do another post so soon but a few people have asked about the Loo with a View Survey so here goes!

Concern has been expressed by Councillors that the survey probably wasn't indicative of the sentiment of the Swansea area.  It is recognised that we have an aging demographic in the Swansea area and the Facebook forum may not be the best way to run a survey.  

 How do we get the message out about surveys and other communications in the changing world of print media.  As a society, we do seem to be gravitating towards electronic means of communication in all forums but is it fair?   To answer my own question, probably not!  We seem to assume that everyone has an email address but that really isn't the case either in some areas.  It is evident that there is a shift away from electronic transactions of various sorts with all the hacking and scams going on so it is a real dilemma. 

At the last Council meeting, it was decided that the General Manager should bring a report to the January meeting with a suggestion for the siting/use of the Loo with a View building that was constructed some time ago. We do have to get the best outcome for the use of the building.  Do you have a preference but didn't participate in the survey for whatever reason? If you have an email address, drop Councillors a line - council@freycinet.tas.gov.au before the 10th January.  We'd love to hear from you.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

I can't believe that it has been 5 weeks since the declaration of election of Councillors and my last blog!  It seems that 2022 has managed to rocket by in the blink of an eye.  

The new Council has been very busy with an induction day that presented as much as possible about the legislation, acting as a planning authority, Code of Conduct and the myriad of other things that form the steep learning curve of being elected to Council.  Despite being on Council for 20+ years, I found the induction very valuable with the changes that included the Statewide Planning Scheme and some changes to the Local Government Act.  

There's more change on the way and community members are encouraged to check out the State Government's website - https://engage.futurelocal.tas.gov.au/   There's a couple of options papers out right now that may prove interesting to ratepayers.  The review is due for completion in June 2023 and whilst it is not really using the A word (amalgamation), it is talking about boundary adjustments and making Councils more sustainable.  I confess to not having read all the documentation as yet.  It will probably form some not so light reading over the Christmas break.

Council supports our local schools with a citizenship award that is known as the Mayoral Medal.  It is always a pleasure to attend a school and see the wonderful work that the dedicated teachers do for the younger members of our community.  Triabunna District School has had enormous success this past year with academic achievements across National and State education testing programs.

What are you doing for Christmas and New Year?  I hope you get to spend it with those you love this year free from the dreaded Covid.  Whatever you do, stay safe in whatever activity you undertake.  

Christmas is a very special time for families and friends from all walks of life.  Whatever your faith may be, enjoy this Festive Season.  We can only hope that 2023 gives all of us a break from Covid or poor weather.                          

                                 

                    MERRY CHRISTMAS and SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

DECLARATION OF OFFICE AND REMEMBRANCE DAY

 

Well, what an exciting week!

On Tuesday, the new Council all signed the Declaration of Office to officially make us Councillors.  It has allowed Mike Symons and I to use the title of Mayor and Deputy Mayor as well. 

Councillors then got down to business by attending their first workshop as a briefing on some matters.  Next Tuesday, they will attend an induction workshop that will be very extensive in its content and cover the myriad of matters that make up local government.  It can be daunting but we have a committed group of people to serving the GSBC municipal area for the next 4 years. The induction will equip them with the knowledge to undertake the role in a sometimes volatile environment.  

Being a local government councillor takes commitment to your values of integrity and ethics. I have no doubt that the Councillors elected for the next 4 years will uphold those values to the highest degree.

There were lots of phone calls and emails that filled the rest of the week until today - Remembrance Day.  I am fortunate that I was appointed to the role of Co-Ordinator for Anzac Day and Remembrance Day by the Spring Bay RSL some time ago and that gives me the privilege of being MC on those ceremonial days (as me; not the Mayor).  Today we were fortunate to have the Minister for Veterans Affairs the Hon Guy Barnett attend our service and deliver the Remembrance Day address.  Minister Barnett is a strong supporter of all veterans and their support services.  

One of the roles I hold is as a member of the Veterans Reference Group (VRG) due to being the parent of a current serving defence member.  The VRG plays an important role in providing information to the Minister about the many issues that our veteran and current serving members experience.  If you are a veteran who is in need of assistance, I encourage you to contact your local RSL sub-branch for support.  Alternatively, please don't hesitate to contact me.

So to the end of the week and it is Onwards and Upwards from here for GSBC (this is me plagiarising the General Manager's favourite saying!) 

Stay in touch.  Until next time....

Cheryl

ELECTION AND THE FUTURE

Following a recount,, I have been confirmed as Mayor for the upcoming term of Glamorgan Spring Bay Council.  I am so grateful to everyone who voted for me particularly the 1550 people who marked 1 in the Mayoral first preference box.  With some returning Councillors and three new councillors, the future is looking very bright for Glamorgan Spring Bay.

Clr Michael Symons was overwhelmingly voted in as Deputy Mayor and I could not be more delighted to have him in that role.

Former Deputy Mayor Jenny Woods returns as a Councillor and will bring her extended experience and governance skill to the Chamber. Former Mayor Robert Young and Clr Rob Churchill round out the returning councillors.  

Three incoming Councillors with no local government experience in Neil (Teddy) Edwards (Orford), Carole McQueeney (Orford) and Greg Luck (Swansea) have been elected.  All three Councillors bring to the Chamber a broad skill set of business, governance and life experiences that will be invaluable to the debate.  Of course, it will be a steep learning curve in terms of the legislation and other governance matters as well as becoming familiar with the many issues that come to council from time to time.

I have said consistently that being a Councillor is not an easy gig.  It can be distressing and mentally challenging.  An election can be even worse!  It is easy to abuse those in public office. All Councillors put up their hand to take on an often thankless role and sometimes controversial one so any form of abuse is not deserved.  

We were elected by the community to serve the community but we can only do that with clear and concise communication.  The incoming Council is committed to opening lines of communication and I would encourage everyone to communicate with the Councillor of your choice if you have an issue.  Talk to us.  One of my favourite sayings in relation to complaints is 'kicking the gravel in the carpark'.  It means that people will often do just that when amongst others and not actually raise the matter with those they may have an issue.  Kicking the gravel in the carpark rarely achieves anything other than angst for either or both parties so let's talk! 

I have no doubt that the new Council will have spirited debates but rest assured the best interests of the ratepayers and residents will always be at the forefront of minds.

Thank you once again to everyone who voted in this election.  Your support of all the candidates who were elected to Glamorgan Spring Bay is very much appreciated.  

RESPONSE TO LETTER IN LOCAL PAPER

In a local paper recently, Council Candidate Kenneth Gregson made some statements that required a response.  The paper determined that because I had named the candidate any response would be in breach of the Electoral Act as I didn't have the candidate's permission to name him.  Whilst that is accurate if one is spruiking a particular candidate for election, my response was hardly doing that!  I amended to generic terms in the letter but with no publication success so I've decided to self-publish here in the original format.

Council Candidate Kenneth Gregson made several comments in the last issue of GOBC news that cannot go unanswered.

The amount of pensioner rates remission is not a decision that is made by Council.  The amount of the pensioner rates remission is the sole decision of the State Government.  It is a reasonable assumption that there should be a whole of sector submission put to the State Government on the matter and LGAT may well be the forum for that to happen.  It is a matter that not only affects GSBC pensioners but the whole local government sector.

The change from AAR to AAV is not a decision that I agreed with.   It was very poorly implemented by Council with seemingly little regard for the plight of older ratepayers who now have the good fortune to reside in homes that have a high AAV.  The reasons given for the change were flawed and as such I voted against the decision.

When did Mr Gregson become an expert on planning matters in relation to the Prosser Plains Raw Water Scheme (named as Tassal pipeline)?   The matter was dealt with by full Council in accordance with qualified advice presented at the time.  The Solis development is still an active DA.  It should be noted that Tassal is currently meeting all financial obligations (principal and interest repayments) in accordance with their contract.

Why were previous GSBC’s allowed to operate outside of the Local Government Act, and by whom? What evidence does the writer have to support such an allegation?  I seriously doubt the Local Government Division would allow a Council, any Council, to operate outside of the Act if this is an evidence-based statement.

Again, when did Mr Gregson become a planning expert without the benefit of the qualified advice reports presented to Council at the time?  Cambria will be dealt with by Council acting as a planning authority when/if the necessity arises.  Should Mr Gregson be elected to Council, he can put all his planning expertise to good use!!

(Authorised by Cheryl Arnol 10 Aubin Court Orford)

SO THIS IS ME

 

Gender	Female (She/Her)
Occupation	Director
Location	Tasmania, Australia
Introduction	I have had a long involvement with local government; becoming a Glamorgan Spring Bay Councillor in 1996, Deputy Mayor in 1997, Mayor 1999 - 2005 and Deputy Mayor from 2014-2018. Served continuously as Councillor from 2007 till present. Awarded a Centenary of Federation Medal for Services to GSBC. Current panel member with the Marine Farming Planning Review Panel (5 year appointment)  Currrent Member Veterans Reference Group. Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD) and Member Institute of Community Directors (MICDA). December 2021 completed two terms (6 years) as a Director of the Forest Practices Authority. 2019-2022 Lay Member Legal Profession Disciplinary Tribunal I have been a club, State, National and International administrator over a 40-year competition clay target shooting career. In 2012 awarded the Australian International Shooting Ltd Fellowship Award for services to international shooting which included being Chair of Selectors for London and Beijing shooting teams. I have won numerous titles including National Ladies High Gun and Macintosh Ladies Team High Gun.
Interests	Reading crime novels, sewing, clay target competition
Favourite Films	Anything with Richard Gere in it!
Favourite Music	Roy Orbison, Luke Bryan, Bruce Springsteen
Favourite Books	Anything by John Grisham, Linda LaPlante, James Patterson. In fact, any crime or law based!

POSTED YOUR BALLOT PAPER YET?

  

Have you posted your ballot paper yet.  This is the return as at 3 pm today

4479  Glamorgan Spring Bay      2616   58.41%

It represents 8% over the State average and 16% in front of Hobart City.  Currently our area is running 4th in returns - Dorset and Kentish are at 59%, GSBC and King Island are neck and neck on 58%

GSBC has traditionally polled well even before compulsory voting and it looks like that trend is continuing.  

Don't leave your ballot on the kitchen bench and risk a fine.

Your No. 1 vote would be appreciated for both Councillor and Mayor.  Don't forget Mayor and Deputy Mayor candidates have to be elected as a Councillor too.  It does get a bit confusing when the votes for Mayor and Deputy Mayor are counted first.  It can then be an agonising wait to see if you have been elected as a Councillor. 

VOTE 1 - CHERYL ARNOL - COUNCILLOR

VOTE 1 - CHERYL ARNOL - MAYOR

(Authorised by C Arnol 10 Aubin Court Orford)

PLAY NICE SAYS MINISTER FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT

 

The headline in today's issue of the Mercury -

Local government minister Nic Street has slammed bad behaviour during campaigning for council elections, urging candidates to be accountable for their actions.

What I find distressing is that candidates across the State are being targeted in one way or another but are they being targeted by other candidates?  Why should the signs of candidates be defaced especially signs of candidates who have never stood before for election?  Why should those candidates who have been on Council for previous terms be subjected to inuenndo and derogatory statements about past decisions?

If that is the case, then candidates need to be accountable but more importantly how do they intend to sit around the table with those who may be elected with them and maintain a good working relationship.

The Minister went on to say - 

“Individuals that hold public office at all levels of government should be held to high standards in terms of behaviour. They are leaders in the community and are relied upon to represent, and make important decisions on behalf of, the community.”

In this week's edition of the GOBC news, there is a letter from a candidate that makes a number of comments about previous councils and how matters should have been dealt with by incumbent councillors.  What is missed by the writer is that individual councillors cannot make decisions in isolation.  All decisions are made by a majority or in some cases an absolute majority.  What is worse is this allegation -

Why were previous GSBC’s allowed to operate outside of the Local Government Act, and by whom? 

Who is the writer referring to as 'by whom'?  Again, in Council there is no one person who can make decisions that would mean Council is operating outside the Local Government Act.  As a long-term councillor, I'd like to see any evidence that the writer may have.

Don't forget to vote.  It is compulsory this year. 

ARNOL/SYMONS - GETTING GSBC BACK TO BUSINESS!

 

 

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                                   VOTE 1 – ARNOL (MAYOR)/SYMONS (DEPUTY MAYOR)

GETTING GSBC BACK TO BUSINESS!

 

In terms of shared values on community consultation, Cheryl Arnol and Michael Symons are on the same page!  A strong Mayor and Deputy Mayor team will be paramount in achieving change.

A Mayor and Deputy Mayor, both with local government experience, and who are committed to working together will provide sound leadership for Council 

Glamorgan Spring Bay residents and ratepayers deserve a leadership team that will encourage Council to listen and advocate for communities.  

(Authorised by G Arnol 10 Aubin Court Orford)

BALLOT PAPERS

 Ballot papers should start appearing in our letterboxes early next week.  Don't forget that this year voting even by postal vote process is going to be compulsory.  GSBC has traditionally had a high voter turn out so it augers well for a good outcome in respect of compliance for our area.

This year, voters will only have to number 1 to 5 on the Councillor election ballot paper and remember that a Mayor or Deputy Mayor candidate must be elected as a Councillor before they can take up that seat.  It does seem somewhat confusing when the Electoral Commission count the votes for Mayor and Deputy Mayor first, or at least that is what they have done at past elections.  It then becomes a nervous wait for those who have been 'elected' to those roles to see if they are in fact elected to Council

GSBC needs a strong leadership team for the 2022-2026 Council 

Consultation is important to our residents and ratepayers.  Council has listened at Community Connects but have we really heard what our communities are saying? It is past time for Council to hear what our communities are saying about our performance, the impact of rate rises and the myriad of other matters that affect our people. 

In terms of shared values on community consultation, Mike Symons and I are on the same page!  A strong Mayor and Deputy Mayor team will be paramount in achieving change so after your preferred vote for Councillor please then

VOTE 1 – ARNOL (MAYOR)/SYMONS (DEPUTY MAYOR)

GETTING GSBC BACK TO BUSINESS!

(Written and authorised by Cheryl Arnol 10 Aubin Court Orford)