“habsa” News revived for 2009
Also in this issue:
We have used the Bulletin format now for more than seven years when we sent our first electronic ehabsa Bulletin in November 2001. And that was issue number 132. Time for a change and we have resolved to revive the masthead of the tabloid newspaper which we published between 1984 and 1997.
Next year our website will provide a historical section with the covers of those 20 issues and some historic context of where we and local government were more than two decades ago and the things that occurred up until our famous "No Dodgies" issue in September 1997.
Below we reproduce a part of the front page of the July 1996 issue so you can see where the new header for depaNEWS began. While it is evocative of the past, it will accompany and launch us into the future.
In a way it's comforting, if a little distressing, to see that we focus on what was described at the time as "Knowles’ plan to end Council building control". Now more than 12 years and three Planning Ministers later, we see initiatives for the accreditation of council staff that will inevitably lead to a reduced role for councils in development control and, potentially, a complete atrophy of this role just like how things have developed in Queensland.
Our primary task in 2009
There are no surprises here. While we will be rejoicing in the clarity now provided that the Local Government (State) Award and the other NSW industrial instruments at places like Wollongong, Newcastle etc are how industrial relations will be regulated, dealing with moves to accredit council staff must be our primary focus.
Reports from the BPB information sessions have highlighted not only imprecision about the important questions but a contemptuous approach that people had better get used to it because what’s being proposed is what's going to happen. It would be easier to work out a strategy on how to deal with what's going to happen if BPB responses to the major questions didn't change between different people at the information sessions and, famously on the far North Coast, one person who changed their mind between the beginning and the end of the session. What the?
While the BPB’s "Events and news" section on their website was headed "Proposals for Council accreditation - have your say" we know that the last thing the information sessions were meant to do was allow people to do that.
Just as our FOI application revealed that Cabinet had already resolved what to do with planning reform days before releasing their Discussion Paper "Improving the NSW planning system” in November 2007, the BPB's invitation to "have your say" is nothing less than a hoax.
We thank those members who have refused to complete the BPB survey and appreciate those of you who thought it would be funny to respond that you wouldn't be seeking accreditation. Either response works as far as we are concerned.
Because it has been difficult to get straight answers from the BPB Roadshow, we have now written to Neil incorporating edited versions of the questions that appeared in our last Special Bulletin.
Members involved in the drafting of their own responses or responses for their council, this will be a useful resource.
Other councils have written to the BPB explaining that their staff won't be responding to the survey. Well done to those of you who have done that.
In the meantime Neil has invited as, together with other industry parties, to attend a meeting at the BPB office on 28 January. We can't wait and will tell you all about it in our next depaNEWS.
What, no fee rise in 2009? (back)
Our membership numbers are remaining at a level that allowed the Committee of Management in November to resolve not to increase our membership fee to 2009. $7.66 per week for all of the benefits of depa membership will continue at least for another year. Keep in mind that our membership fee has remained unchanged now since 2002.
What other organisation, regardless of what services it provides or what products it sells, can say that?
But we can only keep our fees at this level by keeping our membership numbers up. Ideally, we would like to increase the number of members we have in 2009 and that comes down to members at each council forwarding our publications to people who are not yet members and encouraging them to join.
Welcome to Jim Boyce and welcome back to Andrew Spooner (back)
The two casual vacancies on the Committee of Management have been filled. The vacant position of Committee Member has been filled by Jim Boyce (our recruiter and delegate extraordinaire from Taree) and the vacant position of Vice President has been filled by Andrew Spooner. Andrew has been a vice president for a number of years and returns to this role.
Welcome to them both.
We are closing on Tuesday and wish you the best for Christmas and the new year (back)
The depa office will close at 5pm on Tuesday 22 December and Jody will be there to reopen on Monday 5 January. Ian will be back on Monday 19 January.
We take this opportunity to wish you all a great Christmas and New Year: however you choose to celebrate, keep well, safe and out of trouble.
Ian Robertson
Secretary
