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
