Shake-up for council?

COUNCIL meetings in the Scenic Rim could be in for a shake-up if mayoral candidate Derek Swanborough has his way.

COUNCIL meetings in the Scenic Rim could be in for a shake-up if mayoral candidate Derek Swanborough has his way.

Cr Swanborough has called for meetings to be more "relevant to ratepayers" with opportunities for the public to ask questions of councillors.

He has accused the council of not listening to and being out of touch with its ratepayers.

"It is simply not acceptable that there is no general business allowed in council meetings, the public is denied the opportunity to ask questions and any participation in meetings is frowned upon," he said.

"The latest council meeting in Boonah showed just how frustrating it has become when the mayor will not allow residents' issues to even be raised on their behalf in a council meeting in general business."

Cr Swanborough said the present council had a "culture of control and behind-closed-door decision making".

"There must be opportunity for ratepayers to ask questions of their elected members in council meetings and all council business must be done in public unless there are good reasons to go into closed meetings.

"We must also publish more information in our minutes and agendas so that people understand council decisions."

Cr Swanborough said changes to council meetings were among many changes to operating procedure he believed were needed.

He said the changes were needed to make the Scenic Rim council function as "a true local government and forum for open debate and decision making".

"The chief executive officer must allow councillors to speak to staff freely and not have to wait for permission before they can raise a resident's concern or seek information," he said.

"What we desperately need is a new culture that empowers councillors by giving them access to all the information and to speak to staff."

Cr Swanborough, the sitting councillor for the Scenic Rim's Mt Tamborine-based division one ward, promised to change the existing system he saw as broken and unfair.

"As mayor, I will endeavour to change what is needed so that a culture of open decision making becomes the norm.

"What I will support is that all decisions will be documented and closed meetings will only consider business that the Local Government Act says should be in closed session.

"This may mean that councillors and staff will be working longer and harder, but I make no apology for that. Ratepayers and residents have sent the message to council in the Community Plan consultation that they consider their council is underperforming and they want improvements, and I am going to use all my skills and experience to make that happen."

Originally published as Shake-up for council?