From: Launceston Projects
Sent: Thursday, 8 September 2016 9:17 AM
To: Albert van Zetten; Council
Cc: Robert Dobrzynski; Peter Gutwein
Subject: The City of Launceston's Delegated Authorities
Dear Albert and Aldermen,
Since it has been some time now, and that I’ve received no information to the contrary, I’m left with the proposition that the City of Launceston is very comfortable with its record of the city’s Register of Delegated Authorities – namely the one sold to me as such. Moreover, this seems to be so despite it apparently being the least possible record that might be ‘deemed’ to qualify to be the register required under the Act.
On August 29 you informed me that my comments will be given due attention at Council officers earliest convenience – and not yet it seems. This seems to leave the credibility of the register in limbo at least. Would this be so despite it being an important record against which Council may be called upon to rely if the veracity of SECTION 65 of the Act is ever challenged or is deemed challengeable?
Also, rather than being an operational matter as you seem to imply, is this in fact a governance matter and consequently requiring the attention of the elected representatives – the Aldermen?
I have written to the Minister for Local Government alerting him to what I perceive to be issues that challenge the CoL Register of Delegated Authorities. To reiterate ...” Indeed, what purports to be the City of Launceston’s Register of Delegated Authorities:
- Carries no imprimatur that unambiguously identifies the ‘delegation’ with the City of Launceston;
- Carries no date or other identifiable information that links it to, and lends veracity to, the delegation’s appropriate delegator – open Council meeting, or other;
- Carries no recital of the delegation thus failing to provide delegations with ‘context and meaning’;
- Does not identify the person/people to whom an authority to act has been delegated thus rendering the delegation somewhat ambiguous –and arguably compromised ultimately.
It appears to be the case that the city’s elected representatives, as has been put to me, “lacks the ticker to take on management and govern”. This raises the question, are the Aldermen prepared to accept management’s deemings as being sufficient even when the evidence might seem to be otherwise? For instance, is this record/register of delegations an exemplar of ‘best practice’ or ‘the minimum required’ or ‘deemed adequate’ or ‘just what the Act requires’?. Whatever it is there are consequences.
For instance, at each Council meeting Aldermen are informed that the decisions they will be making are in accord with “Section 65 of the Local Government Act 1993” which calls upon “the General Manager to certify that any advice, information or recommendation given to Council is provided by a person with appropriate qualifications or experience” ... and moreover to certify ... “that persons with appropriate qualifications and experience have provided the advice, information and recommendations given to Council in the Agenda Items for [the] Meeting.”
Consequent to the above the following questions arise:
- If the register of delegated authorities is not backed up by documentation of the ‘experience and appropriate qualifications’ of the person’s/people’s experience and qualifications might it be the case, by extension, the trust/investment in the advice be misplaced?
- Furthermore, what would inhibit Council openly publishing the qualifications and appropriate experience of the ‘experts’ upon whose advice Council relies in its decision making?
- If there is nothing to hide why make every attempt to hide it or keep it from the ‘public gaze’?
- Are constituents interests being well served or served well enough?
- In the event of some kind of challenge to Council’s responsibility for some adverse outcome or other, and the authority of a Council officer is challenged, and it is found to be inadequate or ambiguous, where might this leave Council’s constituency?
I pose these questions in the context of recently published DPAC Good Governance Guide – http://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/271170/Good_Governance_Guide_May_2016.pdf – and Council’s own Organisational Values.
I look forward with interest to receiving Council’s advice in regard to this matter.
Regards,
Ray
Ray Norman
<zingHOUSEunlimited>
The lifestyle design enterprise and research network
PH: 03-6334 2176
EMAIL 1: raynorman7250@bigpond.com
40 Delamere Crescent Trevallyn TAS. 7250
WEBsite: http://www.raynorman7250.blogspot.com
CLICK HERE: http://www.launceston.tas.gov.au/lcc/index.php?c=69
“A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody.” Thomas Paine
“The standard you walk past is the standard you accept ” David Morrison
zHu Electronic Communications Policy.
--------------------------------------------------
This email is confidential, and is for the intended recipient only. Access, disclosure, copying, distribution, or reliance on any of it by anyone outside the intended recipients is prohibited and may be a criminal offence. Please delete if obtained in error and email confirmation to the sender. The views expressed in this email are not necessarily the views of zingHOUSEunlimited, unless clearly intended otherwise.
From: Launceston Projects <launcestonprojects@bigpond.com>
Date: Mon, 5 Sep 2016 10:56:17 +1000
To: Robert Dobrzynski <Robert.Dobrzynski@launceston.tas.gov.au>
Cc: Albert van Zetten <mayor@launceston.tas.gov.au>, John Davis <John.Davis@launceston.tas.gov.au>
Subject: FW: Delegated Authorities
Good morning Robert,
I’ve had a query in regard to this email below that I just cannot answer either to myself or to anyone based on the evidence. The question being, at what point is the Local Government Act a trigger for delivery upon, by default(?) the “lowest possible standards” despite what’s set out in the DPAC Good Governance Guide – http://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/271170/Good_Governance_Guide_May_2016.pdf. – and despite the availability of efficiency dividends that allow for the raising of standards – For instance when its Council’s role, by default(?) to “promote accountability, transparency, efficiency and effectiveness”.... and it being ... “not only important [for Council] to understand [its] role, it is important to understand the role of others”.
I look forward to any information you are able to provide and/or any light that you might be able to throw on this matter to put Council’s response below into context.
Regards,
Ray
Ray Norman <zingHOUSEunlimited> PH: 03-6334 2176 EMAIL 1: raynorman7250@bigpond.com 40 Delamere Crescent Trevallyn TAS. 7250
WEBsite: http://www.raynorman7250.blogspot.com
CLICK HERE: http://www.launceston.tas.gov.au/lcc/index.php?c=69
LINK: http://nswmuseumsinquiry.blogspot.com.au/
“A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody.” Thomas Paine
“The standard you walk past is the standard you accept ” David Morrison
zHu Electronic Communications Policy.
This email is confidential, and is for the intended recipient only. Access, disclosure, copying, distribution, or reliance on any of it by anyone outside the intended recipients is prohibited and may be a criminal offence. Please delete if obtained in error and email confirmation to the sender. The views expressed in this email are not necessarily the views of zingHOUSEunlimited, unless clearly intended otherwise.
------------------------------------------------
Message
From: Lisa Doolan <Lisa.Doolan@launceston.tas.gov.au>
Date: Mon, 29 Aug 2016 00:43:56 +0000
To: Ray Norman 7250 <raynorman7250@bigpond.com>
Subject: RE:Delegated Authorities and Discrimination.
Dear Ray,
I acknowledge your correspondence and your comments will be given due attention at Council officers earliest convenience.
Yours sincerely,
Albert van Zetten
MAYOR
Lisa Doolan, Executive Assistant to the Mayor I City of Launceston
T 03 6323 3101 I www.launceston.tas.gov.au <http://www.launceston.tas.gov.au/>
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Forwarded Message
From: John Davis <John.Davis@launceston.tas.gov.au>
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2016 03:04:48 +0000
To: "Ray Norman 7250 (raynorman7250@bigpond.com)" <raynorman7250@bigpond.com>
Subject: FW: Delegated Authorities
Good afternoon Mr Norman
The Delegations Register is not on the website and not required to be under the Act. If you would like to inspect the register please let me know and I will arrange a time to make it available to you at the Council's Customer Service Centre.
Regards
John
John Davis I Manager Corporate Strategy I City of Launceston
P 03 6323 3314 I www.launceston.tas.gov.au <http://www.launceston.tas.gov.au>
-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: Ray Norman 7250 [mailto:raynorman7250@bigpond.com]
Sent: Monday, 11 July 2016 11:27 AM
To: John Davis
Cc: Mayor; Launceston Projects
Subject: Re: Delegated Authorities
Good morning John,
Thank you for your email. Where my research is currently taking me is to do with:
- The number of Delegated Authorities Council has on record and has authorised;
- The scope of the Delegated Authorities in the jurisdiction;
- The nature of Launceston’s Delegated Authorities; and where possible and/or appropriate,
- The professional qualifications of personnel holding Delegated Authorities.
When we were discussing this matter some time/years ago I think that you advised me that Launceston was intending to follow the example of other adjoining jurisdictions and post this information on its website. With this in mind I went looking on the Council website to find that this hadn’t happened yet.
So, to answer your request I’d have to say that I’m looking for the entire list. For the sake of expediency, efficiency and transparency, might it not be best to actually lodge that information on the Council website as indicated earlier?
If you have an alternative suggestion please let me know.
Regards,
Ray
Ray Norman
<zingHOUSEunlimited>
The lifestyle design enterprise and research network
PH: 03-6334 2176
EMAIL 1: raynorman7250@bigpond.com
40 Delamere Crescent Trevallyn TAS. 7250
WEBsite: http://www.raynorman7250.blogspot.com
“A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody.” Thomas Paine
“The standard you walk past is the standard you accept ” David Morrison
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On 11/07/2016 9:12 am, "John Davis" <John.Davis@launceston.tas.gov.au> wrote:
Good morning Mr Norman
Could you please advise which delegations you are specifically seeking and I will provide them for you.
Regards
John
John Davis I Manager Corporate Strategy I City of Launceston
P 03 6323 3314 I www.launceston.tas.gov.au <http://www.launceston.tas.gov.au> <http://www.launceston.tas.gov.au>
--------------------------------------------------
From: Ray Norman 7250 [mailto:raynorman7250@bigpond.com]
Sent: Friday, 8 July 2016 11:29 AM
To: Robert Dobrzynski
Subject: Delegated Authorities
Dear Robert,
The issue of Delegated Authorities for Launceston has arisen again. I’ve done a search on Council’s website and was unable to locate anything that looked like it would provide anything like a list of Delegated Authorities.
Can you please advise me of the best, or most appropriate, way that that I might currently acquire a complete list of Launceston’s Delegated Authorities.
Regards,
Ray
Ray Norman
<zingHOUSEunlimited>
The lifestyle design enterprise and research network
EMAIL 1: raynorman7250@bigpond.com 40 Delamere Crescent Trevallyn TAS. 7250
PH: 03-6334 2176
WEBsite: http://www.raynorman7250.blogspot.com
“A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody.” Thomas Paine
“The standard you walk past is the standard you accept ” David Morrison
END
------ End of Forwarded Message
No comments:
Post a Comment