Around the councils: News from Australia’s local councils

  


City of Sydney councillors sworn in

World champion town crier, Graham Keating, officially swore in Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore and nine other councillors on Wednesday this week.

Returning councillors were: Robert Kok (Clover Moore Independent Team or CMIT), Christine Forster (Liberal), Linda Scott (Labor), Clover Moore and Angela Vithoulkas (Sydney Matters).

Five new councillors were also sworn in: Professor Kerryn Phelps (CMIT), Phillip Thallis (CMIT), Jess Scully (CMIT), Jess Miller (CMIT) and Craig Chung (Liberal).

This gives the Clover Moore Independent Team the majority on the new council, with six councillors out of ten.

 

Mosman council considering next move in merger case

Legal eagles acting for Mosman Council are poring over this week’s 127-page court judgement to decide what to do next.

Justice Tim Moore handed down his judgement in the Land and Environment Court earlier this week. In it, he identified flaws in the government-appointed delegates’ reports submitted to the Boundaries Commission, which may mean delegates need to go back and redo sections of the report.

Justice Moore concluded that there was “no proper statutory foundation” for either merger to go ahead at the current time because he said both reports contained errors. Read more here.

Mosman Council held an Extraordinary General Meeting on Wednesday during which it vowed to maintain its independence and continue to resist a merger with Willoughby and North Sydney Council.

 


Hobart Council joins No Business in Abuse campaign

Hobart City Council is the latest council to cut any links to companies with contracts in Australia’s immigration detention camps at Nauru and Manus Island.

Eight councils have signed up to the GetUp campaign so far: Augusta Margaret River, Bass Coast Shire, Byron Bay, City of Sydney, Fremantle, Marrickville and Yarra.

When they sign up to the campaign councils pledge to stop doing business with companies including Wilson Security and Ferrovial’s Broadspectrum (formerly Transfield) that have contracts in Australia’s immigration detention camps.

Hobart Council will also review any current contracts and investments it has with these companies and look into the legalities around excluding them from any future business with the council, including tenders.

 

Shortlist of public buildings revealed for the National Architecture Awards

The Australian Institute of Architects has announced the 2016 National Architecture Awards shortlist, including six in the public architecture category.  Other categories included urban design, commercial architecture and interior architecture.

The  buildings that made the cut in the public architecture category were:  City of Perth Library and Public Plaza (WA) – Kerry Hill Architects; Geelong Library and Heritage Centre (VIC) – ARM Architecture;  St Andrews House (NSW) – Candalepas Associates, Break O’Day;  Community Stadium (TAS) – Edwards and Simpson; Kempsey Crescent Head Surf Life Saving Club (NSW) – Neeson Murcutt Architects and The Condensery – Somerset Regional Art Gallery (QLD) – PHAB Architects.

You can vote online for the People’s Choice Award, which launches on World Architecture Day October 3 October at architecture.com.au/awards-2016

The winners will be announced at an evening ceremony on November 3 at the Ivy Ballroom in Sydney.

 

Northern Beaches Councils trains budding native bee keepers

Northern Beaches Council is helping to address the shrinking population of native bees by hosting two workshops with entomologists Dr Tim Heard and Dr Tobias Smith on Sunday 16 October.

During the sessions Dr Heard and Dr Smith from Sugar Bag Bees will share their expert knowledge of native bees.

“Our workshop introduces people to the broad diversity of Australian native bees and how to work with then,” said Dr Heard.

“They are very seldom seen, but essential for the health of our environment.”

The workshop includes: how to encourage native bees into the garden; how to keep native stingless social bees in hives; hive management including design and protection from natural enemies and how to use them for pollination and honey production.

The workshop will be held at the Coastal Environment Centre at Lake Park Road, North Narrabeen 9am-12pm.

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