Monday, 14 August 2017
Monday, 3 April 2017
Autumn News and Council reports
Dear Friends,
The silencing of elected members is so important that I gave detailed reports in the official agenda for the council meetings in February and March.
The details can be all found in my report to Council and can be found in full on the link below and scroll to pp 258 - 260. I have copied in the opening paragraph.
http://www.unley.sa.gov.au/CityOfUnley/media/CoU-Media-Library/Agendas-Minutes/Full-Council/FCM-Agenda-30-March-2017.pdf?ext=.pdf
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The silencing of elected members is so important that I gave detailed reports in the official agenda for the council meetings in February and March.
The details can be all found in my report to Council and can be found in full on the link below and scroll to pp 258 - 260. I have copied in the opening paragraph.
http://www.unley.sa.gov.au/CityOfUnley/media/CoU-Media-Library/Agendas-Minutes/Full-Council/FCM-Agenda-30-March-2017.pdf?ext=.pdf
Cr Michael
Hewitson March Report to Council.
Silencing of
Councillors
Twice:
On UNLEY CENTRAL
On ensuring competitive tender processes.
State Government rules
specific to Elected members of Local Government are not preventing corruption
but are silencing elected Councillors.
Unley
Central
The residents to Unley Ward had no Ward Councillor
allowed to represent them in the final stages of the Unley Central DPA. We had
been advised by council’s legal advisors that under new state rules I had a
material conflict of interest in dealing with the Unley central DPA. The matter
was too important just to accept. It seemed crazy. Yes, my son and his family's home lies on the border of Unley Central DPA and this I thought should be
declared as a perceived conflict of interest and not a material one. No
decisions on the agenda were to affect the value of their home. I confirmed
this in writing with our Principal policy planner after the agenda was
published.[i]
[i] Principal Policy Planner on Friday
10/03/2017 3:02 PM that
“The presented SCPA
Report in the CS&DPC Agenda is not recommending any amendments to the
original draft DPA policy changes released in September 2016 in regard to the
north east section of the DCe Zone on Unley Road north of Frederick Street.
However,
the outcome overall would be an affirmation of the proposed changes that were
part of the original draft DPA and whatever value change they may have.”
Ensuring
a competitive tender process
In my report to Council in February I gave the
explanation as to why I sent the email which was not marked as confidential saying how Council was ensuring a
competitive tender process. (click on link and scroll to p 233)
In this report were my concerns about the isolation I as an elected member had legally
enforced on me, preventing the collection of evidence to defend my actions. It
is vital to our ratepayers that our Council has competitive tender processes
that encourage wide participation of tenderers.
My thanks to Councillors who have given strong support and
encouragement and indicating that they too believed the content to be
non-confidential and worth sharing with those who had raised concerns.
I am committed to an open and transparent Council..... one our community can trust.
Cr Michael Hewitson AM
Monday, 26 December 2016
Dear Friends and owners of Unley,
Please find below Michael's Summer 2016-17 newsletter,
Being the only Councillor to vote against our draft Unley Central DPA being
approved for public consultation, I owe to those who elected me to say why. In the December 2016 Council meeting I published on pp 67 - 69 my full reasons with details to show why.
We need to
protect the HERITAGE and the LIVABILITY of Unley by ensuring we have a cool
green and sunlit city with a gentle transition to the high density areas
from our heritage zones we are seeking to protect.
Sunday, 4 September 2016
Letter for spring newletter
Email letter for Michael’s “Spring 2016 Newsletter”
Dear Friends and owners of Unley,
Once
again I had too much material to fit in the newsletter to be printed. It has
been a pleasure to be the presiding officer of the Infrastructure and Sustainability
Committee and I have reported many of the outcomes of this work which was
unanimously endorsed by Council. I have attached the links to the reports and
strategic planning documents.
DOGS:
Changes to Dog access to parks were open for
consultation. “HAVE YOUR SAY!” I have attached this advice.
The
parking and traffic:
Community feedback has now been received from the consultation (June
2016) on the draft LATM plan - Unley Wayville and Goodwood. A report on the
matter, is scheduled to be provided at the next Council meeting.
Unley
Central
Thank you to all those who have responded with ideas
and critiques of the documents being planned. http://yoursay.unley.sa.gov.au/your-say-unley
contains more information and links on the Unley Central planning.
The elected Councillors of Unley take their role
seriously and I thank again the staff for their support and professionalism in
preparing the budgets, and the staff who have worked with the Infrastructure
and Sustainability Committee in including the public feedback when shaping our
strategic plans.
With my good wishes
Michael
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