Rate Capping Support but make Councils responsible.

Rate Cap but make Councils responsible.

The evidence from Unley council is that the State Government is correct to ensure councils operate with a program of rate capping. 

However to remove from Councils the responsibility and authority to set their own rates is to the disadvantage of rate payers. Councils can, and some will just blame government for poor services or over borrowing leaving future ratepayers in debt.

Unlimited money is unlimited waste. I support each Council being required to set a rate cap and cut their costs to fit the income. Unley Council in this term set a target rate and the cost of rate increases fell over the full four years. The June 2016 motion to ignore the rate cap against which the 2017 budget drafted was defeated and rate capping in this council term held.

From June 2016 Council Minutes 

My suggestion would be to recommend to Government that Councils be required to introduce rate capping and that each Council is required to set the rate cap for three years ahead. Each year Council sets the cap for the third year out. The cap would be informed by each Council’s long term financial plan. This way each Council is both responsible to set the rate and is accountable in a very public way each election because the forward rates against the long term financial plan is known.

During the four years that Unley council set a rate cap, debt was paid down and services improved. Real financial efficiencies were found now totalling over 3.5 Million per annum.

Unley Council should …….
                Advise the LGA and State Government to separate the two issues.
1.  The first is the responsibility and accountability of local Governments to set their own rate and
2.  the second is a requirement to set rate caps. If two Councillors had changed their vote in 2016 Unley council would not have capped rates.


Council Meeting Minutes June 2016

Cr Schnell seconds Cr Boisvert amendment to raise the rate by 0.5% from a 2.2% increase to 2.7% for the 2016-7 rates and the vote is lost. 4votes in favour and 7 against. “Those voting in the negative: Councillors Smolucha, Hewitson, Palmer, Hughes, Lapidge, Sangster and Rabbitt The AMENDMENT was declared LOST “

Written and authorised by Michael Hewitson 10 Ramage St Unley SA 5061

Michael Hewitson

Really thrilled to be opening my campaign for Mayor of Unley.

Thanks to my family for their support - and for helping post out the flyers which will be hitting your letterbox in the coming weeks.

Please give me a call for all things Unley!

Scooter-post with Ala

Michael 

Voting is postal late in October. We have started now so that you can contact me with your thoughts and ideas. My newsletters and actions in Council have largely been your ideas, my listening and then "getting it done". Click on the website for the opening campaign themes.

 https://www.michaelhewitsonmayor.org  Please Click on this link and visit the campaign website. I would love to receive your feedback, ideas and suggestions.

The links in the news letter are

The Highgate Primary Story

https://www.michaelhewitsonmayor.org/research-blog/naplan-online-crashes-at-highgate

The draft Parking Policy

https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/a54bdf_0994e387752a4e43b036f3a6608a8ab2.pdf

King William Road.... have your say

https://yoursay.unley.sa.gov.au/design-king-william

The ABC Radio with David Bevan on trees in Unley go to 1 hour 12 min

 http://www.abc.net.au/radio/adelaide/programs/mornings/mornings/9765408

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Silencing of Councillors

Our Council staff asked for a legal opinion on what Councillors are allowed to put into their reports. The legal opinion is not allowed to be shared with the Unley Community.  

"The purpose of EM reports as part of a Council agenda is to contribute to the openness, accountability and transparency of Local Government, to provide information about the activities of Elected Members undertaken in the conduct of their office...…"   

This is the report I submitted after we were told what was legal. It is quite different to the one published in the Council May agenda which our staff helpfully prepared...… no photos allowed..... no opinions allowed.... and no reports on the opinions the small sample of traders gave on King William Road. Hence I am moving a  motion to reinstate items of interest or concern. I believe it is vital for open and transparent government that elected members are able to present matters of concern or interest..... even if I disagree.
Authorised by Michael Hewitson 10 Ramage St Unley

Dear Friends and Owners of Unley,

           

Once again five of the stories in the newsletter are initiated by you… the owners of Unley. It is a privilege to serve our Unley Community with so many great ideas coming from you, and working with me to see our community improved. Listening… getting it done…. Delivering.

AI

The world is on the cusp of a revolution greater then we have seen to date. The Heywood park story hides the dramatic impact it will have on the way we live. Artificial Intelligence, Robots that learn like Children, and the low level example of autonomous cars we dial up and the car takes us to our destination are also hints of the coming revolution. Heywood Park with smart city technology

20% Tree cover loss

We have just lost 20% of our tree canopy across Unley since 2013. We had 26% cover and now it is 22% in 2017!  Please click on the link in my website where you will find a copy of my presentation to Council to come up with real solutions…. Not just words with targets.

For Michael’s presentation to Council on saving and growing our tree canopy click the link below.

Michael's Council workshop… saving our Tree Canopy

Authorised by Michael Hewitson 10 Ramage St Unley

Autumn 2018 newsletter

Listening… getting it done…. Delivering.

Our tree canopy cover in Unley has dropped from 26% to 22% in just four years.

We know that without this cover Unley will be 3-5 degrees hotter in Summer. Council granted me the privilege of running a workshop to turn this around.

To open the presentation right click on this link

Michael's Council workshop on Saving Unley's tree canopy

•Councillor Hewitson has given notice of intention to move the following motion at the Council meeting to be held on 23 April 2018:

MOTION

•That staff develop a paper exploring options to enable Council to achieve its tree canopy objectives as set out in Council’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy, and the target defined in the 30 Year Plan for Greater Adelaide, with a particular focus on strategies related to private land.

•This paper should include, but not be limited to, ideas suggested at a Council workshop on 3 April 2018, such as:

•Mandatory percentage of tree cover for planning approvals;

•Better design rules and increased penalties (for noncompliance and/or damage to regulated/significant trees);

•Establishment of a pre-significant tree register;

•Rate remission for planting trees on private land (commercial);

•Rate reduction for properties with over 52% tree canopy cover (residential);

•Provision of free/subsidised trees for planting on private land (commercial & residential)