When ‘your right to know’ about council information turns into ‘their right to NO’

Adelaide’s largest council has imposed a new policy of secrecy – it won’t answer pesky questions and residents are up in arms.

Adelaide’s largest council will no longer answer questions from councillors on behalf of ratepayers if they are not important enough, critical of staff, or too time consuming.

Residents’ group Onkaparinga Council Watch has criticised the new “secrecy policy” as heavy handed, anti-democratic and an attempt to control the work of councillors.

“Staff having the discretion to determine what information sought by elected members will and will not be released, and what their ‘role’ is isn’t progress in democracy,’’ said spokeswoman Yvonne Wenham.

“The ability of our community to be heard via our elected representatives is at risk from this secrecy policy.”

In seeking councillors’ support for the plan – Adelaide’s largest council has more than 175,000 residents and 51 suburbs – administration argued resources were being tied up and staff stressed by the current system.

Following an independent review, council voted to;

■ Refuse to answer questions which are not of “strategic importance” to the council

■ Ignore questions which are critical of council staff or other councillors

■ Allow for delays in fixed response times as long as a due date can be provided, and

■ Force councillors to seek a majority council vote if they wanted answers to questions which would take too much effort.

Cr Alayna de Graaf, who voted against the plan, said as the council was run by a majority faction, any questions rejected by bureaucrats could then be rejected in a subsequent council chamber vote.

“I will be seeking legal advice on whether it is even legal to block the questions of elected members in a democratic council,’’ she said.

Fighting about the scheme first broke out when Cr de Graaf tried to make correspondence with Mayor Erin Thompson included, and fought with council staff over the release of information about the environmentally controversial Witton Bluff coastal walk.

Onkaparinga’s council inquiry system is considered a benchmark in SA local government because questions and answers are resolved within five days and are available on a council dashboard, removing secrecy.

Erin Thompson, the mayor of Onkaparinga Council, at Noarlunga. Picture Dean Martin

Council director Jessica Tucker said; “The revised ‘elected member enquiry procedure’ means we can continue providing information to elected members in connection with their functions or duties, within an agreed time frame, while ensuring council’s resources are being used fairly, effectively and efficiently’’.

The independent consultant’s report by Adrian Skull, also reveals pro forma responses developed by “senior management” at the council.

They show in some cases councillors will also be told to use the FOI system to answer their questions, as the quick turnaround time for inquiries of 3.2 days on average was too difficult, was stressing staff and diverting them from their council work.