Borough rejects call to lift lid on G21 dealings

A PUSH to provide greater transparency around the Borough of Queenscliffe’s involvement with the G21 Geelong Region Alliance has been knocked back, with the council voting against a motion to keep the public updated on the new-look partnership.

At its July meeting last week, Cr Isabelle Tolhurst called on her fellow councillors to provide residents with an “accurate update” on the “significant” changes the lobby group has undergone in recent months and the nature of the borough’s relationship with the organisation.

She also requested the council commit to providing ongoing updates on its involvement with G21, a move she said was “in the spirit of transparency and good governance”.

But the motion was quickly rejected three votes to two, with deputy mayor Brendan Monahan delivering the casting vote in mayor Di Rule’s absence, continuing what has become a familiar pattern of silence from the borough on its dealings with G21.

Cr Rule gave notice of the borough’s intention to withdraw from the alliance in January – information only made public as a result of Cr Tolhurst’s motion last week – initiating the end of a more than 20-year relationship, in a bid to reallocate its limited funds towards other projects.

A memorandum of understanding requires G21 member councils to provide 12 months’ notice of their intention to leave the alliance, committing the borough to maintain a funding commitment of $5,200 until February.

The alliance itself has since undergone a major shake-up, with a new operating model introduced in June that saw G21’s long-standing structure scrapped in favour of a slimmed-down version led by a sub-committee of council representatives.

This sub-committee, Cr Tolhurst’s motion revealed, met for the first time on July 4, and an invitation was extended to the borough to participate. This sub-committee is scheduled to meet regularly as it works to develop a new direction for G21, with Cr Donnie Grigau to serve as the borough’s representative.

It remains unclear if the borough will continue a relationship with the alliance beyond February.