Tom Sharp's
Blog
21-01-2021
SHARP COMMENT 10 - The Scenic Rim Regional Council 14 December meeting agenda
The Scenic Rim Regional Council 14 December meeting agenda contained a report from the executive to councillors on the Water for Warrill Stage 1 Project. Within the report it advises councillors that “the project is being supported under the implementation of the Scenic Rim Regional Strategy and this report is presented to Council to advise of the initiation of the project.”
In other words, no recommendation is being put forward to Council for consideration. The decision has been made prior and all is done and dusted.
The project (a Demand Assessment Study) was initiated on 27 November 2020 and is due for completion sometime in March 2021.
Council officers said that the $80,000 in ratepayers’ money to fund the study would come from the Regional Prosperity Strategy actions due to securing a number of grants and that there are available funds within Council’s adopted budget.
According to the report, the project was awarded to Jacobs Group (Australia) on 24 November 2020; the report goes on to state that Jacobs Group is an approved supplier on Local Buy.
The report suggests that Council has been working with Jacobs Group and local producers since August, with the most recent workshop being held on 13 November 2020. Yet, councillors were first briefed on the commencement of the project on 24 November 2020, according to the report.
This raises a number of questions:
· Who is now governing our Council - our elected representatives or unelected bureaucrats?
· How was this spending authorised outside of a Council ordinary meeting, given Local Government Regulations 2012 Section 173?
173 Unauthorised spending:
1. A local government may spend money in a financial year before adopting its budget for the financial year only if the local government provides for the spending in the budget for the financial year.
2. However, the local government may spend money, not authorised in its budget, for genuine emergency or hardship if the local government makes a resolution about spending the money before, or as soon as practicable after, the money is spent.
3. The resolution must state how the spending is to be funded.
4. If the local government’s budget for a financial year is amended after the money is spent, the amendment must take the spending into account.
· Where is the genuine emergency and hardship?
· What programs have now been dismissed in terms of the budget under the Regional Prosperity Programs?
· If the Council has secured grant funding for certain projects where does the flexibility arise that allows such chop and change?
· What discipline surrounds the budget process altogether, given officers’ ability to change Council decisions, spend such amounts at their whim, on projects of their choosing?
Cr Enright asked the officers what “expertise, involvement and suitability” Jacobs Group had in being awarded the contract. An officer's reply was that that information was contained in the Jacobs Group proposal along with a statement on their capabilities. No such report was attached to the agenda.
Jacobs Group (Australia) formerly Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) was a private Australian engineering consultancy business bought out by American giant Jacobs International in 2013. They are as about as local a company as Deutsche Bank (Australia).
Cr Swanborough asked why the rush in making the decision without referring the matter to Council? The reply was twofold, firstly it had been worked through at a workshop and secondly there was a short window due to the cycle of approval in Canberra and State for future grants.
I wonder what our State and Federal friends will have to say on this one?
In other words, no recommendation is being put forward to Council for consideration. The decision has been made prior and all is done and dusted.
The project (a Demand Assessment Study) was initiated on 27 November 2020 and is due for completion sometime in March 2021.
Council officers said that the $80,000 in ratepayers’ money to fund the study would come from the Regional Prosperity Strategy actions due to securing a number of grants and that there are available funds within Council’s adopted budget.
According to the report, the project was awarded to Jacobs Group (Australia) on 24 November 2020; the report goes on to state that Jacobs Group is an approved supplier on Local Buy.
The report suggests that Council has been working with Jacobs Group and local producers since August, with the most recent workshop being held on 13 November 2020. Yet, councillors were first briefed on the commencement of the project on 24 November 2020, according to the report.
This raises a number of questions:
· Who is now governing our Council - our elected representatives or unelected bureaucrats?
· How was this spending authorised outside of a Council ordinary meeting, given Local Government Regulations 2012 Section 173?
173 Unauthorised spending:
1. A local government may spend money in a financial year before adopting its budget for the financial year only if the local government provides for the spending in the budget for the financial year.
2. However, the local government may spend money, not authorised in its budget, for genuine emergency or hardship if the local government makes a resolution about spending the money before, or as soon as practicable after, the money is spent.
3. The resolution must state how the spending is to be funded.
4. If the local government’s budget for a financial year is amended after the money is spent, the amendment must take the spending into account.
· Where is the genuine emergency and hardship?
· What programs have now been dismissed in terms of the budget under the Regional Prosperity Programs?
· If the Council has secured grant funding for certain projects where does the flexibility arise that allows such chop and change?
· What discipline surrounds the budget process altogether, given officers’ ability to change Council decisions, spend such amounts at their whim, on projects of their choosing?
Cr Enright asked the officers what “expertise, involvement and suitability” Jacobs Group had in being awarded the contract. An officer's reply was that that information was contained in the Jacobs Group proposal along with a statement on their capabilities. No such report was attached to the agenda.
Jacobs Group (Australia) formerly Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) was a private Australian engineering consultancy business bought out by American giant Jacobs International in 2013. They are as about as local a company as Deutsche Bank (Australia).
Cr Swanborough asked why the rush in making the decision without referring the matter to Council? The reply was twofold, firstly it had been worked through at a workshop and secondly there was a short window due to the cycle of approval in Canberra and State for future grants.
I wonder what our State and Federal friends will have to say on this one?