Budget concerns stall borough’s reconciliation action plan

THE Borough of Queenscliffe has put its Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) on hold, as its newly elected council grapples with a “tight budget” and seeks time to determine the “true value” of each of the actions outlined in its annual plan.

The motion to halt the plan was presented by Cr Donnie Grigau at the borough’s January 29 meeting, with the council voting 4-1 in favour of the proposal.

The motion was seconded by Cr Hélène Cameron and all councillors spoke to the motion, with only Cr Isabelle Tolhurst voicing opposition to the move.

“At the start of each new council term, it is essential that the newly elected council has the authority to review past decisions to ensure they align with the best interest of the community and ratepayers,” Cr Grigau said.

“Survey results clearly indicate that the council’s direction has been moving the wrong way, and a thorough review of all council actions, including pausing certain initiatives for proper evaluation, ensures that councillors are making informed decisions rather than approving actions without scrutiny.”

Borough mayor Di Rule said most of the work in the first part of the four-stage RAP, known as the “reflect” stage, had been completed and placing further progression of the plan on hold would not unravel this work.

But, she said, the borough raises limited funds each year.

“We need to make sure every dollar is spent carefully on doing what matters on the delivery of services that improve our lives, on the management of our coastal and marine areas, and we need to fund more capital works by trimming costs,” Cr Rule said.

She confirmed the second stage of the plan, known as the “innovate” stage, would be “on the list” when the council considers the actions that should be included in its next annual plan.

This will follow “extensive and deliberative community engagement”, a review of the plan’s costings and an audit of the plan’s first stage to “check the achievements and outcomes against expectations”.

Cr Isabelle Tolhurt, who voted against the motion, said the decision to put the reconciliation action plan on hold fails to deliver on the borough’s commitment to the community and criticised the move as singling out an issue for scrutiny.

She agreed the council had a duty to reassess projects that “are not working, failing on purpose or costing the council too much”, but said there was “no evidence” that this was the case for the RAP.

“If reassessment of all projects for financial reasons is something council want to undertake, then why does our RAP stand alone in a list of projects suggested to be put on hold?” Cr Tolhurst said.

As part of the motion, the installation of signage at the entrance of the borough that includes recognition of the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners will also be put on hold, as will the installation of a new heating and cooling system at the Queenscliff Town Hall.