DECISIONS made behind closed doors by councils will be investigated by the Victorian Ombudsman after complaints to the public watchdog.
Ombudsman Deborah Glass said all 79 councils in Victoria were the subject of at least one complaint in 2014-15 amid 3,410 council issues referred to the watchdog.
The Ombudsman investigation will look at closed council meetings and special meetings, determinations around the handling of confidential matters, delegations relating to decision making and the nature and quality of records kept and the public availability of records.
“Secrecy in government can create conditions in which improper conduct and poor administration can flourish. It also fuels suspicions of wrongdoing and erodes community trust,” Ms Glass said.
“Members of the public who complain to my office about council decisions occasionally mention the fact that decisions were made ‘behind closed doors’ or ‘in secret’ as evidence to support their concerns.”
The Ombudsman’s 2015 annual report showed Frankston Council was the subject of 28 complaints last year. Neighbouring Kingston Council and Mornington Peninsula Shire were complained about 27 and 29 times respectively.
A Know Your Council website launched by the state government late last year reveals Frankston Council’s made more decisions in private compared with other councils with councillors discussing and voting on 16 per cent of decisions in confidential meetings compared to a 12.2 per cent average across the state and 8 per cent average for similar sized councils.
Frankston mayor Cr James Dooley defended council’s record of decision making in private and said council is happy to assist the Ombudsman with its investigation.
“The rules about what must be considered in closed council are quite strict,” he said.
“In line with the Local Government Act, Frankston City Council only considers personal hardship of any resident, or matters relevant to personnel, proposed developments, industrial, contractual or legal matters in closed council.
“Council must approve contracts of $550,000 or more – a lower threshold compared to the $1 million common in other municipalities. Council maintains this level of scrutiny to ensure it remains accountable for these significant decisions. We believe that this is the fundamental reason behind the highlighted difference in percentages.
“Any topics being considered in closed council are listed in the open council agenda, which is available on Council’s website.
“Unlike many other councils, Frankston City Council includes a release date on most recommendations considered in closed council so details about closed council items will be included in the minutes of a future open council meeting following this release date.
“A quick review of the items discussed in closed council between July 2014 and December 2015 shows the majority of matters discussed in Frankston City’s closed council were contractual. We are proud to be a city where a lot of progress is taking place.”
