Playspace officially named Wombat Waterhole - City of Burnside

Mayor’s report
The new financial year brings a new
Annual Business Plan and Budget.
Thank you to the many citizens
who participated in the community
consultation process associated with
the framing of the Budget. The projects
proposed for 2011/12 will bring benefits
over a broad spectrum of locations and
activities.
74 projects or programs were scheduled
to be undertaken last year in the
2010/11 Annual Business Plan. 57 are
complete and a further 8 well underway
but not yet complete. Work on the 9
projects not yet commenced will occur
in 2011/12. This is a good achievement
by Council staff in a busy year.
The Minister for State/Local
Government Relations, the Honorable
Russell Wortley, announced that he
will conclude the Independent Inquiry
into activities of the previous Burnside
Council. Your Council is disappointed
that Burnside residents will not get
so see some form of a report on this
matter. Nevertheless, we will work with
the Local Government Association and
the Minister to identify and remedy
shortcomings in the Local Government
Act exposed during the term of the
previous Council to ensure that lessons
learned during this unfortunate episode
are not lost.
None of this recent history has any
bearing on your present Council,
which has moved on. It is working
cooperatively and effectively for the
Burnside community.
Council recently appointed four
new Independent Members to our
Development Assessment Panel, which
makes decisions on development
applications in accordance with the
requirements of the Development Act.
Three Elected Members make up the
balance of the seven member Panel.
There were many high quality applicants
and nine were short listed for interview.
Thank you to the former Independent
Members Mike Canny, Peter Dungey,
Don Donaldson and John Hunt for their
considered and intelligent contributions
over the past two years.
Council recently decided to increase
the Independent Members of our Audit
Committee from one to two. We also
had a very strong field from which to
select for this Committee. I thank retiring
Independent Member Laurie Koslovic
for his guidance during his term of office.
I have been surprised and profoundly
impressed by the calibre and number
of experienced professionals prepared
to offer the benefit of their skills and
experience to the City of Burnside as
Independent Members of Committees.
I have been equally impressed by the
large and diverse programs run by
Burnside that are totally dependent on
volunteers. Community spirit is alive
and thriving in Burnside.
David Parkin
Mayor of Burnside
New Audit Committee Members appointed
Council welcomes newly appointed
Independent Members Peter Agars and
Lisa Scinto to the Audit Committee.
With strong backgrounds in financial
reporting, internal controls and auditing,
they will assist the Elected Member
representatives in providing guidance
and review in relation to Council financial
and risk matters, and as a group, provide
recommendations for adoption by
Council.
Elected Member representatives include
Mayor David Parkin, Councillor Mark
Osterstock (Chair) and Councillor
Michael Capogreco.
The Audit Committee meets bi-monthly
on the first Tuesday of that month in the
Mayor’s Parlour at 6 pm.
The next Audit Committee meeting will
be held on Tuesday, 6 September 2011.
Council thanks retiring Independent
Member Laurie Koslovic who served on
the Committee for the past four years.
New DAP Members
The Burnside Council has appointed
a new Presiding Member and three
Independent Members for the next
two years to the City’s Development
Assessment Panel (DAP).
Those successful were Paul Leadbeter,
who becomes the new Presiding
Member, and Stephanie Johnston,
Bruce Harry and Andrew Hillier who
become Committee Members.
The interview panel believed the skills
and experience of Leadbeter (Lawyer),
Johnston (Planner), Harry (Heritage
architect) and Hillier (Engineer) would
be the most desirable mix for their role
on the DAP.
They join the Burnside Council Elected
Member representatives of Councillor
Helga Lemon, Councillor Grant Piggott
and Councillor Robert Hasenohr.
Council also thanked the services of
former Independent Members Mike
Canny, Peter Dungey, Don Donaldson
and John Hunt for their contributions
over the past two years and assisting
in a smooth transition since the
November Council elections.
The DAP makes decisions on
development applications in
accordance with the requirements of
the Development Act and provides
advice to Council on trends, issues
and other matters relating to planning
or development that have become
apparent during the assessment of
development applications.
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