Correcting Inaccuracies

Council is committed to correcting inaccuracies that arise in our community during the election period. This is to ensure community members are provided with factual information to help make an informed voting decision.

Procurement at Council	In accordance with Council’s Procurement Policy, the purchase of goods and services (including works) to the value of $250,000 or more is usually undertaken by an open public tender process. Tenders are evaluated by a panel who assess each tender according to set criteria and weighting which is determined before the advertising of the tender. Councillors are not permitted on the evaluation panel, and do not influence or determine the recommendations of the panel. The CEO has a delegation to approve and execute contracts in accordance with an Instrument of Delegation. This delegation helps to expedite projects and is necessary for the day-to-day operation of Council. Any publicly tendered contracts that are approved under delegation are presented at a following Council Meeting and noted by the Councillors.
Municipal Office Project	Council recently completed a refurbishment of its main municipal office located in Leongatha. The refurbishment was required to modernise the office space and improve accessibility. External cladding works were also undertaken to remove asbestos-containing materials and update the façade. The total project cost was approximately $4M. There is no other Municipal Office Project either planned or occurring.
Variations on Council contracts	Council’s Procurement Policy allows for variations to be approved for a variety of reasons, not just urgent or unforeseen works. Variations must adhere to the Procurement Policy or any relevant Council resolutions. If the revised contract amount exceeds the CEO’s delegation, the CEO is authorised by Council to approve any necessary variations to allow the proper fulfilment of the contract and to ensure delays to key projects are avoided, following consultation with the Mayor and subject to this variation being reported to the next practicable Council Meeting. Council’s policy is in-line with other local government procurement policies.
Redundancies in the Infrastructure Maintenance team	Earlier this year a restructure occurred within the Infrastructure Maintenance team. The restructure was undertaken to enhance efficiency and service delivery, and focus more resources on road maintenance. It was the first substantial realignment to occur in many years. Key objectives included optimising resources, adapting to environmental and financial challenges and meeting evolving customer expectations. During the restructure 15 positions (of which one was vacant) were disestablished and 18 new or vacant positions were made available. All of the new positions were within the Infrastructure Maintenance team (sometimes referred to as the outdoor works area or Council depot).
Engagement with the Korumburra Senior Citizens group	During development of the Korumburra Town Centre Framework Plan in 2008 a significant engagement process was undertaken which resulted in feedback from over 300 people. This helped to shape the final report in 2013 which included an action to “co-locate community services in the town centre”. Following release of the Framework Plan, Council continued to progress the Korumburra Community Hub concept and, in 2017, released a discussion paper for public consultation. This attracted 52 submissions. The Korumburra Community Hub was identified in the 2017 – 2021 Council Plan and in the 2021-36 Blueprint for Community and Economic Infrastructure. The project was listed as an advocacy priority in 2017/18 and 2018/19 and circulated broadly. The preferred location for the Community Hub was the Korumburra railway yard site, but due to funding issues and land tenure restrictions, the project was moved to the Little Commercial Street site, which was the location previously identified in the initial Korumburra Town Centre Framework Plan. Council has undertaken engagement with the community and local service groups, including the Korumburra Senior Citizens. Council met with the group on numerous occasions to talk through their concerns and Councillors have also met and corresponded with members of the group. When the new Korumburra Community Hub was being designed, consideration was given to the needs of the Senior Citizens and some items were purchased specifically with them in mind, and to address their concerns. Council is open to continuing discussions to support the Senior Citizens group to relocate to the new Community Hub.
Sale of 14 Radovick Street, Korumburra (former site of the Senior Citizens group).	Council resolved to commence engagement related to the sale of a number of properties, including the property at 14 Radovick Street (the former site of the Senior Citizens Group) at the December 2023 Council Meeting. One submission objecting to the sale was received. Following a lengthy and considered discussion at the April 2024 Council Meeting, a recommendation to proceed with the land sale was endorsed. The building will not be sold prior to the Local Government election.
Incorrect Ballots	The VEC is aware of a social media post indicating that 50% of ballot material received for this election will not be counted due to incorrect or missing information on the ballot paper envelope. This is not true. To date, almost 2,000 ballot papers have been received by the election office, and less than 25 have been set aside due to issues with the information provided on the declaration on the ballot paper envelope. Clear instructions are provided to voters on how to complete their ballot paper and the declaration on the ballot paper envelope. The VEC will be responding to the social media post to correct this. It is important that all voters have accurate information, and you are welcome to reach out to the election office if you have any questions.