Full Council Meeting 25th March 2013

The Agenda is  as follows;

• Deputation regarding the removal of a tree in Ada St, Goodwood This was a plea from a resident to gain Council support to have the regulations regarding significant trees changed. In the case of the tree in question no development application was required.
• Endorsement of the minutes from the 4 new committees. None of these were reserved for further discussion
• Mayors Report; I had a bit of trouble with this one as the Mayor was having a shot at education standards and citizenship. The question is are people reluctant to be on committees because they don't understand process or because they believe they are time poor? My guess is the latter and in any case the new National Curriculum has compulsory citizenship components.
• Election of Local Government Association Executive. Lots of names to choose from some with little local government experience to old veterans that seem to want to be on everything. Eventually a list was chosen  that the Mayor moved even though I had placed my preferred motion on the table. His list contained only mayors and few women. It is poor practice for the mayor to move a motion from the chair when alternate motions have been provided and sets a precedent that I'm not happy with. I hope other Councils take a better approach than we have and the people chosen are more representative of both Council and the community.
• Register of Interests; Independent Members; There was some debate about this but ultimately those prepared to be on these committees will have to follow the same rules as everyone else. The disclosure is not as onerous as it sounds.
• Review of Committees Terms of Reference; this was passed with very little debate.
• Audit Committee; Change of Structure
• Reference Groups; the proposed reference groups were Community Sustainability, Goodwood Oval Reference Group, Road Safety, Unley Gourmet Gala, Unley Oval and Unley Rail Freight. After much debate the Rail Freight Group was disbanded. It is likely that my role on the wider freight diversion committee will report back to Council.Councilors were selected for each committee through consensus. The Goodwood Oval Group will continue but be driven from the community rather than Council. I will now take my turn on the group, I respectfully allowed my co-councillor to take the position for the first two years of this Council term.
• Delegations Update
• Centennial Park Cemetery Performance Report
• Question on Notice from me about any possible precedent that providing sound screens at Goodwood Junction might expose Unley to in the future.This was the same question that I asked without notice in February that after a month I had not had answered. I will now be given an opportunity to get a legal opinion on this and will report on the outcome.
• Motion on Notice from Cr Hughes to provide access to the pool free of charge after 5 on Fridays until the end of the season to increase patronage.Free Fridays will begin immediately until the end of the season. So enjoy.

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