Brisbane City Council bids for right to secrecy

Eric Frei · 17th May 2010, 02:44 PM

Well, why am I not surprised!

Brisbane City Council bids for right to secrecy | Courier Mail

Quote:

BRISBANE City Council is to become as secretive as the State Government under unprecedented new laws to be debated in Parliament this week.

Premier Anna Bligh's reforms to make government more open and accountable a year ago are already being watered down, with an amendment refusing the public access to possible future plans, problems or issues affecting them at a local level.

Local Government Minister Desley Boyle said Lord Mayor Campbell Newman "mounted a reasonable argument that the scale, size and structure of Brisbane City Council is unlike any other local government in Australia and is in fact more akin to a state government".

Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.

End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.

Cr Newman said the exemption was in the "best interest of Brisbane ratepayers".

"Council is a huge organisation, with a $3.4 billion annual budget, and it needs to be able to protect its core decisions in the same way as similar-sized commercial and public sector organisations" he said.

However, commercial-in-confidence exemptions already exist under the Act.

jmcg.insight.gardens · 17th May 2010, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Well, why am I not surprised!

Does not bode for good.

I suppose they consider themselves bigger than City of Sydney Council?

Sounds like unopposed developments in the wind, or little time to oppose them.

Eric Frei · 23rd May 2010, 05:42 PM

This was in the Courier Mail here on the weekend.

Now the council is not a company or corporation.

It gets it's money via taxes, fines, fees and hand outs. It is a public service not a conglomerate. Imagine the consequences of a coiuncil this bloody big that has no transparency.

I can tell you all it stinks, and there's corruption and boys clubs at play for sure.

jmcg.insight.gardens · 23rd May 2010, 08:04 PM

Suss....pect. Always been that way with Councils, how's some of the expenses though,

$20,900 for a leadership course?, party party.

Treemo · 23rd May 2010, 09:17 PM

I would think it has some negative connotations/paranoid conspiracy for sure but the main reason is to hide the fact on how inefficient Council are at getting things done.

They may want company-like status, but they certainly don't run their business like one. It's embarrassing for them if people found out about any wastage of assets/resources/rate money, which therefore means they are voted out next election.

Eric Frei · 23rd May 2010, 11:48 PM

Have a read of this email war that was leaked, what a joke. Tell you what, that Hinchliffe bloke reminds me of The Dark Knight!

Brisbane Council's war of words: Cr David Hinchliffe vs Lord Mayor Campbell Newman | Courier Mail

Treemo · 24th May 2010, 05:48 PM

Wow.

So much text, so little said. They both weren't prepared to make a stand on anything, though Hinchcliffe was trying his best. He represents the people so in reality, should be as powerless as one. He should of came out and supported the $200 fine for littering though, I can't stand smokers that use gardens as ashtrays.

Council run a skeleton staff on the pointy-end, I doubt one could conjure up the money for 20 new positions, or even 20 people on overtime.

Got any info on the Tree house? Any photos?

Eric Frei · 10th June 2010, 08:23 PM

And they won it, first and only council in Australia to get it too!

Council Cabinet Documents Exempt From Freedom Of Information

Quote:

State parliament has passed legislation that will exempt Brisbane City Council cabinet documents from right to information laws.

Under the City of Brisbane Act passed last night, documents viewed by civic cabinet cannot be accessed for 10 years - similar to a 30-year-rule for state government.

jmcg.insight.gardens · 10th June 2010, 09:20 PM

your joking, no your not. Oh no.

That does not bode for good. I wonder how many Council's will follow suit now?

Done it · 10th June 2010, 09:25 PM

I can't believe that.

Poll says 12% for it and 88% against.

Eric Frei · 10th June 2010, 09:32 PM

Yes, the poll is from the public but it was all politicians that voted eh.... public are excluded, just like when they vote themselves a pay rise.

jmcg.insight.gardens · 10th June 2010, 09:36 PM

that,s bull it is

Eric Frei · 1st October 2010, 08:43 PM

Ombudsman slams plan to make Brisbane City Council more secretive | Courier Mail

Quote:

September 30, 2010

THE decision to make Brisbane City Council as secretive as the State Government has been slammed as a ''retrograde step'' for accountability and transparency by the Queensland Ombudsman.

Releasing his annual report, which details a slew of complaints against the State Government, Ombudsman David Bevan criticised the new laws that allow Council a veil of secrecy over its Civic Cabinet.

The laws, passed in June, effectively exempt council cabinet minutes and documents from public searches.

Mr Bevan said there was no justification for the minutes to be granted a blanket exemption, adding that he saw ''no validity'' in the argument that the Civic Cabinet was the local government equivalent of State Cabinet.

Brisbane City Council Labor Leader Shayne Sutton said the laws were a ''very bad decision by the State Government to bow to Campbell Newman's demands for greater secrecy''.

''The only person who benefited from these legislative changes was Campbell Newman,'' she said.

But State Minister for Local Government Desley Boyle defended the legislation, saying wide public consultation was undertaken and she denied the legislation eroded access to information.

She said the Attorney-General still had power to publish guidelines for Brisbane City Council to proactively release civic cabinet material. The guidelines are still being developed.

Deputy Mayor Graham Quirk said the laws ''cemented'' a long-standing custom and practice of both parties.

The annual report also revealed Queenslanders made 8717 complaints against public sector workers, with Queensland Health and Legal Aid racking up the biggest surge in dissatisfaction rates. Complaints against QH soared by 50 per cent, up 26 per cent the year before.

The spike was put down to the movement of offender health services to QH from Corrective Services.

Complaints against Legal Aid rose by 86 per cent, mainly about refusals of service.

State deputy opposition leader Lawrence Springborg described the increasing secrecy as ''alarming''.

''These . . . increases in submissions to the Ombudsman reflect a significant level of dissatisfaction with service delivery under this toxic Bligh Labor Government,'' he said.

The Ombudsman declined 7003 complaints. Of the 1260 investigated, wrongdoing was established on 53 occasions.

23rd May 2010, 05:42 PM	#3
Eric Frei Admin - Owner Palm & Tree Services in Brisbane Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Brisbane Posts: 12,993	Re: Brisbane City Council bids for right to secrecy This was in the Courier Mail here on the weekend. Now the council is not a company or corporation. It gets it's money via taxes, fines, fees and hand outs. It is a public service not a conglomerate. Imagine the consequences of a coiuncil this bloody big that has no transparency. I can tell you all it stinks, and there's corruption and boys clubs at play for sure. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Protect your rights to work - Join Australian Tree Association My businesses:- Qualified Brisbane Palm and Tree Lopping \| Stump Grinding Brisbane \| Brisbane - Gold Coast Consulting Arborist

23rd May 2010, 08:04 PM	#4
jmcg.insight.gardens Over mature heritage tree Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Mannering Park, Australia Posts: 623	Re: Brisbane City Council bids for right to secrecy Suss....pect. Always been that way with Councils, how's some of the expenses though, $20,900 for a leadership course?, party party.

23rd May 2010, 09:17 PM	#5
Treemo Former Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Brisbane Posts: 44	Re: Brisbane City Council bids for right to secrecy I would think it has some negative connotations/paranoid conspiracy for sure but the main reason is to hide the fact on how inefficient Council are at getting things done. They may want company-like status, but they certainly don't run their business like one. It's embarrassing for them if people found out about any wastage of assets/resources/rate money, which therefore means they are voted out next election.

24th May 2010, 05:48 PM	#7
Treemo Former Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Brisbane Posts: 44	Re: Brisbane City Council bids for right to secrecy Wow. So much text, so little said. They both weren't prepared to make a stand on anything, though Hinchcliffe was trying his best. He represents the people so in reality, should be as powerless as one. He should of came out and supported the $200 fine for littering though, I can't stand smokers that use gardens as ashtrays. Council run a skeleton staff on the pointy-end, I doubt one could conjure up the money for 20 new positions, or even 20 people on overtime. Got any info on the Tree house? Any photos?

10th June 2010, 09:20 PM	#9
jmcg.insight.gardens Over mature heritage tree Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Mannering Park, Australia Posts: 623	Re: Brisbane City Council bids for right to secrecy your joking, no your not. Oh no. That does not bode for good. I wonder how many Council's will follow suit now?

10th June 2010, 09:25 PM	#10
Done it Over mature heritage tree Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Australia. Posts: 780	Re: Brisbane City Council bids for right to secrecy I can't believe that. Poll says 12% for it and 88% against.

10th June 2010, 09:32 PM	#11
Eric Frei Admin - Owner Palm & Tree Services in Brisbane Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Brisbane Posts: 12,993	Re: Brisbane City Council bids for right to secrecy Yes, the poll is from the public but it was all politicians that voted eh.... public are excluded, just like when they vote themselves a pay rise. __________________ Protect your rights to work - Join Australian Tree Association My businesses:- Qualified Brisbane Palm and Tree Lopping \| Stump Grinding Brisbane \| Brisbane - Gold Coast Consulting Arborist

10th June 2010, 09:36 PM	#12
jmcg.insight.gardens Over mature heritage tree Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Mannering Park, Australia Posts: 623	Re: Brisbane City Council bids for right to secrecy that,s bull it is

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Dirty Tricks By Brisbane City Council	Eric Frei	General Tree Chat	66	13th September 2011 10:56 PM
Brisbane City council $14000 of palms drowned	Eric Frei	General Tree Chat	0	10th May 2010 07:57 PM
Brisbane City Council	Eric Frei	Local law regs, start thread with County then State then Country	7	20th September 2008 11:12 PM
Brisbane City Council expedience	Eric Frei	General Tree Chat	1	27th January 2008 01:17 PM