What is it with Labor governments and public transport? First we have the myki billion-dollar debacle, now we have Jacinta Allan and our bus timetables. All they had to do was add routes not change or cancel them.

COUNCILLOR Peter Cox’s recent comment that “it’s great to see candidates coming forward for the 2016 local government elections” deserves a response.

I  admire Peter’s enthusiasm, though I am not attaching much importance to new candidates standing at the forthcoming election; more fundamentally, is there any point in the election?

In the last four council elections, councillors have changed, but has anything really changed? No. Senior officers still dominate. Can you recall any inspirational initiative any councillor initiated? Will the result of the 2016 election produce change? Going on history, I think not.

Elected councillors, like in business, should act as a board of directors, bring ideas to the table, and set the plan and budget. They direct the CEO, their only employee, to implement that plan using senior officers and staff he alone employs.

Also councillors must monitor the CEO’s performance against the plan’s measurable targets; it’s called accountability. Our council goes through the motions, but fails the expected standard.

In reality, senior council officers’ ideas dominate the plan and budget. Councillors and community have little meaningful input. Under pressure and complex processes, councillors invariably follow officer recommendations. All then pretend it is the community’s plan.

Sure, councillors have the final say, have pyrrhic victories and occasionally reject officer proposals, but in the main, they sign off on what the officers want. This raises the question of councillor relevance under a flawed local government model.

The present state government, aware of management problems within local councils, is conducting a review into the Local Government Act 1989. 

Without consulting residents, council officers prepared our community’s review submission.

Surprise! They chose to preserve the existing system ensuring continued undue officer influence over councillors.

Appallingly, the majority of councillors supported the officers, guaranteeing continuance of this lopsided model of local government.

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for council to stand up for the community and redress the power imbalance was blown.

Councillors abdicated their responsibilities, seemingly oblivious to the self serving agenda of the executive officers; a very disappointing performance by our purported representatives. 

Hopefully, there are more consultative and perceptive councils out there seeking positive change, and it is not left to individuals such as myself, who presented submissions that pushed for real change.

Legislative changes resulting from the review are not due until 2018.

Therefore, it seems to me our community should press the government to suspend the 2016 elections and appoint community conscious commissioners to govern the City of Greater Bendigo until a better governance system is introduced, ideally in 2018.