Mayor Kristie Johnston and Ald Jan Dunsby will today take up the fight to save Glenorchy City Council’s long-running community precinct system when Council considers a Notice of Motion proposed by Ald David Pearce to shut them down.
Mayor Johnston described the proposal as a blatant attempt to silence the voice of the residents.
Glenorchy City Council established the community precinct system in 1999 and it was the catalyst for Glenorchy being known a “community Council”. Community Precincts are special committees of Council specifically designed to provide feedback to the Council on local issues and to meet the needs of local people.
“As a previous Convenor of a Community Precinct, I know that they are run by volunteers who dedicate hundreds of hours helping to deliver important services to our community – those things that make living in Glenorchy worthwhile.
“These include services such as community libraries, craft classes, eating with friends, civic celebrations, opportunities for friendship and they host a range of interesting guest speakers. But most importantly they provide valuable feedback on Council issues. I am proudly a product of the precinct system” said Ald Dunsby.
Mayor Johnston said “Precinct members frequently attend Council meetings and members will often speak to Council on issues that concern them including rate rises, poor governance, and the Council’s treatment of me as Mayor. I would hate to think that the proposal to shut them down is an attempt to gag the voice of the people and to punish them for being supportive of me personally. Of the approximately 270 precinct meetings that have been held since 2011 I have attend approximately 250 of them. Over that time I have developed a relationship of trust and mutual respect with the precincts – that is something that can only be earned through hard work and commitment”.
The Community Precinct’s motto is “Precincts are People Powered – Your Voice in Your City”. Mayor Johnston said that “this is an opportunity for Council to demonstrate that we appreciate those who volunteer in our community and take the time to provide us with feedback. I hope that common sense will prevail at today’s Council meeting and that other aldermen will join me and Ald Dunsby and save the voice of people in our City”.
• John Green in Media: GCC Shambles; Mr John Green the inaugural Convenor of the West Moonah sub committee of Citizens for Glenorchy Inc. today called upon Aldermen Lucas, Branch-Allen, Slade, Nielsen, Pearce & King to resign. Mr Green said that these long standing Aldermen four of whom stood for Mayor had refused to accept the democratic decision of the ratepayers of Glenorchy when Kristie Johnston was elected Mayor by more than 60% of the ratepayers. Since that election the gang of 6 had at an illegal meeting of the Glenorchy City Council accepted a censored report (allegedly before they had fully read it) restructuring the staffing of the GCC and leading to the retrenchment of some council staff. The meeting was illegal …
