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7.40pm
The council meeting has moved on to confidential matters. Thanks for your company tonight.
7.34pm
Horsham bypass. Purpose: to provide background information to assist Council to consider its position in relation to the Horsham Bypass.
Second bypass motion of the night. Cr David Grimble has distributed a proposed amendment.
Cr Mark Radford asked for clarification on the amendment to delete item 4: “That this Council undertake an independent review of the draft Aerodrome Master Plan before determining its view on the potential impact of the Bypass on the current and future operations of the Aerodrome.
Cr Grimble said he wanted to explain the whole amendment at once.
Cr Grimble said we wanted to pass a motion that Horsham council not endorse bypass options with impacts on land reserved for Horsham Aerodrome.
“The conflict with the aerodrome remains quite significant,” he said.
Cr Grimble said VicRoads had a clear preference of option D and Horsham council needed to make its own representations to the planning minister.
“We need to give the minister very clear direction on what this community is looking for and not worry about VicRoads,” he said.
Cr Radford said the public gallery must be wondering what councillors are doing.
He said council officers and councillors had been working since early last week to get the wording right on the motion.
Cr Radford said he was behind the amendment except for removing item four.
“That is a critical statement,” he said.
“If we are going to have a vision for the aerodrome for the next 50 years, having a third independent review is a blingin’ good idea,” he said.
Cr Alethea Sedgman has asked Cr Grimble if there would still be a review.
“Everybody I’ve talked to has said the last review was inaccurate,” she said.
“I would prefer that we still have a review.”
Cr Grimble said he would be happy to have point four restored.
Cr Robinson said councillors needed a full understanding of the motion to get behind it.
Cr Clarke said she would not back the amendment as the original motion had been discussed and the new changes had confused councillors.
Cr Grimble said he had a good understanding of the range of opinions in the community . He said not all councillors were included in email chains or other meetings about the motion.
“This chamber is around for debating. There is nothing in the amendment that will cause you undue duress,” he said.
Division called: Crs Sedgman, Robinson, Power, Grimble and Koenig support amendment.
Cr Radford has moved a motion to put back in point four. Chief executive Peter Brown suggests an amendment. Cr Grimble has moved an amendment along those lines.
Cr Robinson said councillors should wait until the meeting with the planning minister before moving towards a potentially expensive and time-consuming review.
Cr Grimble is now intending to vote against his own amendment.
Cr Radford said the independent review did not have to be done before Horsham council meets with the plannig minister but it needs to be done.
The amendment to put back in point four is passed with votes from Sedgman, Radford, Power and Koenig.
6.56pm
Concern over possible loss of federal funding for 15 hours of early childhood education
Cr Alethea Sedgman said she hopes media in the Wimmera will pay more attention to the issue.
“The brain’s development from age one to five is vital,” she said.
Cr Sedgman said she had a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education.
Cr Clarke said an extra five hours of early childhood education made a huge difference.
“When you spend money on early childhood education, you save money elsewhere,” she said.
“Working families could end up with an extra $2000 per year in costs. This is really important.”
Motion carried unanimously.
6.52pm
Contract for internal alternations to council chambers.
Cr Koenig said there was a chance that council spending money on itself would not be well-received. He points out the work is required to bring the chamber up to disability access standards.
“We’re not just giving ourselves an upgrade,” he said.
Cr Clarke said the works would also make the second half of the civic centre more useful instead of just being used for council meetings.
Unanimously carried.
6.42pm
‘Wilde’ has been added to the list of potential new street names.
From Horsham council's report:
“Mr Brian Wilde has submitted the name Wilde in honour of his father, Harold Wilde. Harold and his wife have spent most of their lives living and working in the Green Park area with their twelve children. Harold was a stock carrier and a general carrier between 1944 and 1956 and owned the longest semi-trailer in Victoria. As Harold had a vested interest in the transport area, he was one of the first people to be on the Transport Regulations Board which later became known as VicRoads. As well as being a stock carrier, Harold also spent many years shearing sheep and helping out wherever he could.”
6.33pm
Cameron Oval upgrades.
Cr Mark Radford said it was a good new story and the oval served as a bushfire shelter.
Cr Radford pointed to the move to allocate $340,000 from the infrastructure gap fund, supported by a one per cent above cap rates rise.
“Without this funding, I don’t know where this project would be,” Cr Radford said.
Technical services director John Martin said he was looking forward to contractors bidding for the project.
In response to Cr David Grimble, Horsham council chief executive Peter Brown said the infrastructure renewal fund had $2 million and rated infrastructure out of one to 10, with nine being in desperate need for renewal.
“I’d say the Laharum changerooms are in a disgraceful shape and are more suited to 40 years ago,” Mr Brown said.
Mr Brown said Horsham council had applied for money from the state and federal governments, and he was more confident of success with the state government.
Motion carried.
6.24pm
LGBTI roadshow.
Cr Clarke said that, as community leaders, councillors needed to support all community members.
“There are some young people who feel they have to leave the area, which is a shame,” she said.
“The suicide rate among young regional LBGTI people is alarming.”
Cr Koenig said it’s a shame that such a pro-tolerance campaign was necessary, but he welcomed it.
“It’s the year 2017,”
“Some of the stories you hear at Wimmera Uniting Care just break your heart.”
Cr Sedgman said it would be a good addition to the other youth services that have started in the region.
6.16pm
Cr Grimble has moved a motion to develop a code of conduct around emails sent by councillors through official Horsham Rural City accounts.
Cr Grimble said a code of conduct would boost accountability and transparency. He has also called for more decisions to be made in open meetings.
Cr John Robinson said he had been concerned by recent emails that could have constituted an non-inclusive debate on council policy.
Motion carried unanimously.
6.01pm
Cr Mark Radford said there had been a lot of ratepayer interest in the new CCTV cameras for Horsham’s CBD.
5:58pm
Cr John Robinson, who attended the 75th anniversary commemorative service for the Wimmera’s Darwin Defenders with Cr Clarke, said it was amazing to see at the ceremony a serviceman who was there in 1942.
5.52pm
Cr Les Power said he accidentally walked into the old Horsham Town Hall ahead of the 1st anniversary of the $20 million refurbishment.
“I wondered where all the money went,” he said.
Cr Power said he then found the new part.
“It’s fantastic. it’s a real selling point of Horsham,” he said.
“I was one of the people who thought we shouldn’t do it.”
Cr Power said he also attended the 140th anniversary of the Horsham Agricultural Society.
5.48pm
Crs Alethea Sedgman and David Grimble have noted their presence at a reception for Western Bulldogs AFL players today.
Cr Grimble said he would like fewer decisions made in non-public briefing sessions and more in public council meetings.
5.40pm
Horsham council Mayor Pam Clarke has urged residents to take advantage of free parking on Friday ahead of Tidy Towns judging but to be aware that time limits still apply.
5.38pm
Cr Grimble has been asked to clarify point two of his motion, which calls for greater council involvement in the process.
Cr Grimble said it was more about getting community buy-in.
Cr Robinson said he would support the motion as he needed more information and a lack of information had been a problem throughout the process.
Motion carried.
5.33pm
Cr David Grimble has moved a motion requesting the Victorian Roads Minister intervene in the planning application for the Horsham truck bypass.
Cr Grimble has read out a list of issues he believes have yet to be dealt with, including extracts form the reports of the planning panel.
Cr Grimble said proceeding with option D would have an impact on the Horsham Aerodrome.
“Net community benefit has not been proven at this stage,” Cr Grimble said.
5.30pm
Welcome to the Mail-Times Horsham Rural City Council live blog for February 20, 2017.
On the agenda tonight (full documents available here)
10.1.1 LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, INTERSEX (LGBTI) EQUALITY ROADSHOW
Purpose: This report outlines a proposed Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Equality Roadshow (LGBTI) visiting the Wimmera on the week commencing Thursday 16 and Friday 17 March, 2017. 10.1.2
UPGRADE OF FACILITIES AT CAMERON OVAL LAHARUM
Purpose: To provide an update to Council on proposals for upgrades to facilities at Cameron Oval Laharum following the completion of the Laharum Precinct Plan in June 2015, and to recommend arrangements to fund these works.
10.1.3 COUNCIL COMMITTEES OF MANAGEMENT
Purpose: To amend the appointment of Councillors to various Council Committees of Management.
10.2 DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE SERVICES 10.2.1 REVIEW OF DELEGATED POWERS
Purpose: To update Council’s delegations to staff with changes arising from the Maddocks Delegation Service.
10.2.2 CHANGE OF GOVERNANCE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE HAVEN RECREATION RESERVE COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT
Purpose: To dissolve the Special Committee of Council known as the Haven Recreation Reserve Committee of Management and replace it with an Advisory Committee.
10.2.3 LOCAL GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE REPORTING FRAMEWORK (LGPRF) HALF YEARLY REPORT
Purpose: To provide a half yearly report on Council’s results from the data collection to date, for the half year July – December 2016 of the mandatory Local Government Performance Reporting Framework (LGPRF).
10.2.4 COUNCIL PLAN - HALF YEARLY REPORT
Purpose: To provide Council with a half yearly report on Council’s performance against the Council Plan, strategic priorities and indicators, for the 6 months ended 31st December 2016.
10.2.5 QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORT
Purpose: To provide Council with the quarterly financial report for the quarter ended 31 December 2016.
10.2.6 REQUEST FOR INCLUSION ON COUNCIL’S STREET NAME LIST – WILDE
Purpose: To request the name Wilde be added to Council’s Street Name list.
10.2.7 REVIEW OF COMMUNITY GRANTS AND COMMUNITY DONATIONS POLICIES
Purpose: To review and update the council policies, Community Grants Policy and Community Donations Policy.
10.2.8 CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY
Purpose: This report proposes the adoption of a Council Conflict of Interest Policy, applicable to Councillors, staff, members of special committees and, wherever practicable, to contractors and volunteers.
10.3 DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND ECONOMIC 10.3.1 CONTRACT FOR INTERNAL ALTERATION WORKS IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS
Purpose To advise Council that a contractor has been appointed to undertake internal alterations in the Civic Centre.
10.4.1 COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENT CONTRIBUTION TO 15 HOURS OF KINDERGARTEN K
Purpose: To advise Council of the uncertainty of funding of the 15 hour Kindergarten program by the Commonwealth Government beyond December 2017 and recommend advocating to the Commonwealth Government for this funding to continue.
10.5.1 HORSHAM BYPASS – PLANNING SCHEME AMENDMENT C72
Purpose: To provide background information to assist Council to consider its position in relation to the Horsham Bypass.
10.5.2 ROAD MANAGEMENT PLAN REVIEW
Purpose: To provide an outline to Council of the process proposed for reviewing the Road Management Plan. 10.5.3 ACCESS TO DADSWELLS BRIDGE PROPERTY