What really matters?

When I speak to people about the role I currently play in observing Council meetings, conversation invariably turns to the subject of the behaviour of individual councillors. Boorish behaviour is totally unacceptable in any public arena, all the more so at the heart of a service organization such as a council. It is said that charity begins at home. For our Council to deliver on its service commitments, it must first function effectively itself.

Fixing Problems

Every individual community can identify specific Local Government issues that need to be addressed, and many of these extend beyond the traditional areas of rates, roads and rubbish. Some of these issues are related to budgetary restrictions, but for the most part the issues that cause the most anxiety are ultimately the result of inadequate community engagement and a lack of transparency in Council’s decision-making process.

With my professional background in problem resolution and service delivery, these are two areas in which I feel I can make an immediate contribution. Many of the specific issues facing individual communities will be solved as a matter of course when these root causes are addressed.

Community Engagement

Too often, the interests of affected communities are not being given due consideration when making decisions in Council. The Macs Reef Road waste facility, water management at Captains Flat and the Braidwood staffing issue are cases in point. As a member of a community that has been on the receiving end of poor Council decisions, I understand the importance of community engagement prior to making decisions that affect the communities in question.

While most of the current Council made a commitment to community consultation during the campaign for the last election, there has not been the collective will to follow through on this commitment. The result is too many decisions where the initial direction is not in line with the aspirations of the broader community, leading to anxiety and mistrust.

There is also the natural tendency to ‘oil the squeaky wheel’. Services might be more equitably delivered if Council created more opportunities to listen for the squeaks that exist within the various Palerang communities.

Transparent Governance

Transparent governance is really just one critical aspect of the whole community engagement process. Council must not only make good decisions, but it must be seen to make good decisions. Our Council’s decision-making process is still not sufficiently open. The new Integrated Planning & Reporting requirements introduced by the NSW State Government are a critical component of the solution to this problem. To have any real impact, however, these processes must be implemented in the spirit of their intent, not just in the letter.

As Council responds to its IPR responsibilities, I have the experience to help ensure that this response meets with the expectations of the broader community.