Resident groups, a resource not a problem

Mayor of Ku-ring-gai, Elaine Malicki opens Planning Committee meetings to the general public.

Councillors being briefed by staff on unit development applications before council meetings.

At the council meeting on 18 October, new Mayor of Ku-ring-gai Elaine Malicki opened Planning Committee meetings to the general public — a move which broke a convention of secrecy set two years ago when the current council voted to close a number of committee meetings.

Previous Mayor Cr Adrienne Ryan, who chairs the Policy, Finance and Infrastructure Committees, has told Cr Malicki that she will only open these committees if a majority of councillors support the move.

Opening committee meetings was one of the main priorities outlined by Cr Malicki upon her election to the role of mayor. The move indicates the first steps in a return to a grassroots style of leadership and open government.

"I had been pushing to open committees from the start of this council when councillors accepted the General Manager's advice that we were better-off having informal committees that were closed. Being informal committees, there was no legal requirement to open them, and to that end I understood that it would take a vote of council to open them to the public."

Cr Malicki says she "phoned the Director General of the Department of Local Government for his advice on the matter and was putting a case together to help me convince the councillors."

"But at the council meeting on 18 October, General Manager said that these committees had never been formally closed, so I took that opportunity to open the Planning Committee now that I am the chair."

Cr Malicki is also forging a new dialogue between the Council and community groups after feedback from a community consultation held in early October revealed deep-held grievances among the local community about the current council's consultation processes.

Feedback showed that the resident groups felt they were regarded by council as a "problem rather than a resource." Responses from working groups said information disseminated by council had "too much 'spin' and not enough facts," indicated the need for a "culture change", "sincere leadership", and said there was a general "difficulty for the community in getting their views heard."

According to the feedback results, residents had the perception that this council is trying to close meetings and keep residents out. Discontent stemmed from the fact that there are now "fewer council meetings that the community can attend."

Cr Malicki has acted by writing a letter inviting members of community groups to an informal gathering to discuss these problems.

"I think we need them [resident groups] on board with us. Change can only occur if you carry the community with you. I know the amount of knowledge these groups hold and I'd prefer to harness that knowledge rather than alienating them."