Community activist Kevin Brooks has labelled the now-cancelled public forum trial by Central Coast Council a “costly flop”.
The three-month trial, which saw the public forum traditionally help immediately prior to each Council general meeting moved to the evening before the meeting, was abandoned by Administrator Rik Hart at the June 27 meeting after just two months.
Brooks was one of eight community activists who put out a joint statement opposing the change in public forum timing when it was first announced.
“Mr Hart did not mention at the meeting that the trial was an expensive flop with each of the first two meetings convened to hear just one five-minute speech respectively,” he said.
“How much did this cost given the whole executive attended plus staff (many on overtime) and the building kept open?
“This trial, designed to undermine the effectiveness of the public forum by separating it from the Council meeting, has been a costly flop.
“We don’t know precisely how much the trial cost because the Administrator announced it without the usual accompanying report setting out financial implications.
“In fact, the change was introduced without any formal resolution or due process at all, and in breach of Council’s own policy.
“The Administrator now needs to be transparent about the cost of this trial and the lawful basis for such expenditure.”
Brooks said with Council still under administration, the public forum had been perhaps the “only authentic part of the Council meeting”.
“It demonstrated the importance of public scrutiny in ensuring that those who govern us are accountable and answerable to the community,” he said.
“If Council executives are unable to respond effectively to forum speakers because they are not across their own reports and briefs, then they need to raise their game.
“That is what public scrutiny is about and why it is important in promoting improved performance and accountability.
“It is disappointing that the Administrator chose instead to undermine the public forum.”
Hart had justified the trial by saying it would give Council staff more time to prepare reasoned responses to questions raised, would allow speakers increased time to address Council and would allow for speakers to raise matters not on the agenda for the following night’s meeting.
Terry Collins