Tom Sharp's
Blog
17-12-2020
SHARP COMMENT 8 - TOXIC CULTURE, WOEFUL LEADERSHIP, CLANDESTINE BEHAVIOUR ON DISPLAY
Put simply, there is not enough space to chronicle the weekly injustices that have been handed out to this region by what is widely considered the worst council in the region’s history.
I recently attended, by invitation, the Tamborine Mountain Chamber of Commerce Special General Meeting that was called by members Ms Caroline Jackson; Mr Peter Rea; Ms Abigail Chaloupka and Mrs Judi Minnikin.
The reason for the meeting was to vote on two resolutions (proposed by Scenic Rim Council):
1. That the Chamber supports the formation of an industry-led Local Tourism Office (LTO) for the Scenic Rim in accordance with Council’s proposal and 2. That the Chamber asks the new industry-led LTO to produce a brochure for 2021 and transfers the ownership of its two websites visittamborinemountain.com and.com.au to the new industry-led LTO for the payment of $20,000.00.
The first resolution was passed while the second was voted down as giving away both major assets was a no-brainer.
King and Co informed the Management Committee that there was no need to give away the LTO, nor change the constitution. First red flag to note is that King and Co. are the No. 1 legal services company for local government authorities in Queensland, including the SRRC and previous to that what was Beaudesert Shire Council. This begs the question: Who approached King and Co and who funded the engagement? Was it ratepayers?
There were two main speakers on the night: Mrs Minnikin speaking for and Ms Alison Rip speaking against. Both speakers presented strong arguments for their respective cases which no doubt made it all the harder for the voters in the room to decide.
Mrs Minnikin shared with the room anecdotal evidence of the past relationship between Chamber and Council via an officer named Tony Magner, a relationship that was toxic at best and that council would not assist the Chamber by way of funding or other forms of support for its tourist promotion endeavours. She went on to advise that with the departure of Mr Magner the relationship between Council and the Chamber had turned a full 180 degrees and that the newly appointed Debra Howe, now General Manager Customer and Regional Prosperity, was totally supportive, was taking action and essentially a breath of fresh air.
I do not doubt Mrs Minnikin’s words and her personal experience for a minute but there is a major problem with this picture – COUNCIL – it is not for the officers to decide who Council will and won’t support and how. Council should not interfere in Chamber matters from the sidelines.
The strategy, direction and funding are to be decided by our elected representatives i.e., councillors, in an open public forum, not an unelected bureaucrat behind closed doors with a select few. The job of the officer is to execute the collective representatives’ resolutions in a timely, professional and efficient manner.
It is past time for the tail to stop wagging the dog.
When was the public Council meeting that resolved the two proposals in the first place, along with a resolution to spend ratepayers’ money on acquiring the TMCC digital assets?
The next major red flag is the lack of full and proper disclosure. Mrs Minnikin failed to inform the membership of her conflict of interest.
On 9 November it was announced by Council that a person by the name of Minnikin was awarded from Council $3300 by way of an environmental grant.
Mrs Minnikin had a duty of care to make a full disclosure to the membership. Surely, her position on the newly formed interim committee of the TMCC is untenable. This would also apply to any other committee members who have not disclosed any conflict of interest as a beneficiary for their business or public organisation from Council.
On the other side of the debate,
Ms Rip focused on the achievements of the Chamber working on behalf of Tamborine Mountain Tourism and the brand we well know as the “Green Behind the Gold”, and the dilution factor of centralisation and the “one model fits all”. She went on, giving further supporting evidence of what the Mountain has achieved by way of its digital assets that significantly outperform other Scenic Rim platforms.
It is known the world over that government cannot compete with the people or the private sector in terms of “business smarts”, productivity, efficiency and return.
Yet Council proposes as part of its strategy to employ a full-time tourism officer for a cost of $150,000 a year to be funded by money from bushfire recovery grants.
How is this bureaucrat to be funded into the future? Via the ratepayer?
A great example of political destruction in building up an administrative empire and removing where possible grass roots funding is on full display courtesy of the Australian Rugby Union (ARU). “The Game They Play in Heaven” is pretty well a bust in this country and all thanks to bureaucracy, greed and power, taking away the funding from the local grass roots level and denying the country of developing its future talent.
Returning to the meeting, the night was capped off with a question from Ms Rip directed to local councillor Derek Swanborough who was asked if he was aware of the proposal before Chamber members were made aware. Councillor Swanborough replied by admitting he knew the answer to the question but could not respond as he would be in breach of Council policy. This Council policy is what is known far and wide as the “SRRC Gag Order” on councillors which prevents them from being able to discuss business that has not yet been discussed in a public Council meeting versus say Council confidential briefings. Welcome to Russia 1917 and the establishment of our very own Politburo.
This sort of destructive government interference in our local communities and their organisations is being witnessed right across the region.
It divides a community, creates distrust and erodes its values to the core.
While we hope for a brighter future, the action of change it would appear, will not come from Council, meaning we the people will need to take action.
Thank you all for your wonderful feedback and support over the course of the year and on a lighter note might I suggest while you take some time out over the festive season, you listen to the words of the late and great Tom Oliver’s “An Independent Bloke” brought to life in song by the equally late and great Slim Dusty. The story of a Bushman applying for a job on council and his dealings with a bureaucrat.
Here is a taste:
“It's the likes of you pen pushing gentry
Who bring out the laughter in me
You little tin gods of the office
You’re too pumped up with power to see”
Merry Christmas and See You Round the Ridges in 2021.
I recently attended, by invitation, the Tamborine Mountain Chamber of Commerce Special General Meeting that was called by members Ms Caroline Jackson; Mr Peter Rea; Ms Abigail Chaloupka and Mrs Judi Minnikin.
The reason for the meeting was to vote on two resolutions (proposed by Scenic Rim Council):
1. That the Chamber supports the formation of an industry-led Local Tourism Office (LTO) for the Scenic Rim in accordance with Council’s proposal and 2. That the Chamber asks the new industry-led LTO to produce a brochure for 2021 and transfers the ownership of its two websites visittamborinemountain.com and.com.au to the new industry-led LTO for the payment of $20,000.00.
The first resolution was passed while the second was voted down as giving away both major assets was a no-brainer.
King and Co informed the Management Committee that there was no need to give away the LTO, nor change the constitution. First red flag to note is that King and Co. are the No. 1 legal services company for local government authorities in Queensland, including the SRRC and previous to that what was Beaudesert Shire Council. This begs the question: Who approached King and Co and who funded the engagement? Was it ratepayers?
There were two main speakers on the night: Mrs Minnikin speaking for and Ms Alison Rip speaking against. Both speakers presented strong arguments for their respective cases which no doubt made it all the harder for the voters in the room to decide.
Mrs Minnikin shared with the room anecdotal evidence of the past relationship between Chamber and Council via an officer named Tony Magner, a relationship that was toxic at best and that council would not assist the Chamber by way of funding or other forms of support for its tourist promotion endeavours. She went on to advise that with the departure of Mr Magner the relationship between Council and the Chamber had turned a full 180 degrees and that the newly appointed Debra Howe, now General Manager Customer and Regional Prosperity, was totally supportive, was taking action and essentially a breath of fresh air.
I do not doubt Mrs Minnikin’s words and her personal experience for a minute but there is a major problem with this picture – COUNCIL – it is not for the officers to decide who Council will and won’t support and how. Council should not interfere in Chamber matters from the sidelines.
The strategy, direction and funding are to be decided by our elected representatives i.e., councillors, in an open public forum, not an unelected bureaucrat behind closed doors with a select few. The job of the officer is to execute the collective representatives’ resolutions in a timely, professional and efficient manner.
It is past time for the tail to stop wagging the dog.
When was the public Council meeting that resolved the two proposals in the first place, along with a resolution to spend ratepayers’ money on acquiring the TMCC digital assets?
The next major red flag is the lack of full and proper disclosure. Mrs Minnikin failed to inform the membership of her conflict of interest.
On 9 November it was announced by Council that a person by the name of Minnikin was awarded from Council $3300 by way of an environmental grant.
Mrs Minnikin had a duty of care to make a full disclosure to the membership. Surely, her position on the newly formed interim committee of the TMCC is untenable. This would also apply to any other committee members who have not disclosed any conflict of interest as a beneficiary for their business or public organisation from Council.
On the other side of the debate,
Ms Rip focused on the achievements of the Chamber working on behalf of Tamborine Mountain Tourism and the brand we well know as the “Green Behind the Gold”, and the dilution factor of centralisation and the “one model fits all”. She went on, giving further supporting evidence of what the Mountain has achieved by way of its digital assets that significantly outperform other Scenic Rim platforms.
It is known the world over that government cannot compete with the people or the private sector in terms of “business smarts”, productivity, efficiency and return.
Yet Council proposes as part of its strategy to employ a full-time tourism officer for a cost of $150,000 a year to be funded by money from bushfire recovery grants.
How is this bureaucrat to be funded into the future? Via the ratepayer?
A great example of political destruction in building up an administrative empire and removing where possible grass roots funding is on full display courtesy of the Australian Rugby Union (ARU). “The Game They Play in Heaven” is pretty well a bust in this country and all thanks to bureaucracy, greed and power, taking away the funding from the local grass roots level and denying the country of developing its future talent.
Returning to the meeting, the night was capped off with a question from Ms Rip directed to local councillor Derek Swanborough who was asked if he was aware of the proposal before Chamber members were made aware. Councillor Swanborough replied by admitting he knew the answer to the question but could not respond as he would be in breach of Council policy. This Council policy is what is known far and wide as the “SRRC Gag Order” on councillors which prevents them from being able to discuss business that has not yet been discussed in a public Council meeting versus say Council confidential briefings. Welcome to Russia 1917 and the establishment of our very own Politburo.
This sort of destructive government interference in our local communities and their organisations is being witnessed right across the region.
It divides a community, creates distrust and erodes its values to the core.
While we hope for a brighter future, the action of change it would appear, will not come from Council, meaning we the people will need to take action.
Thank you all for your wonderful feedback and support over the course of the year and on a lighter note might I suggest while you take some time out over the festive season, you listen to the words of the late and great Tom Oliver’s “An Independent Bloke” brought to life in song by the equally late and great Slim Dusty. The story of a Bushman applying for a job on council and his dealings with a bureaucrat.
Here is a taste:
“It's the likes of you pen pushing gentry
Who bring out the laughter in me
You little tin gods of the office
You’re too pumped up with power to see”
Merry Christmas and See You Round the Ridges in 2021.