By KATHRYN BERMINGHAM
CARDINIA Shire Council has the most transparent decision-making record of any municipality in the region, with just one resolution passed at a meeting closed to the public in the 2014-2015 year.
Data released on the recently launched ‘Know Your Council’ website provides residents with the tools to compare councils against different indicators, including financial performance, roads, planning and governance.
While the average number of council decisions made at closed meetings among similar councils is 19.27 per cent, Cardinia Shire made just 0.35 per cent, or one, of its decisions at closed council meetings.
The figure presents a stark contrast to neighbouring municipalities, with City of Casey recording a whopping 37 per cent of decisions made behind closed doors. In Yarra Ranges, the number is 15.40 per cent, with Baw Baw sitting on 15 per cent.
Statewide, the average number is 12.20 per cent.
Cardinia Shire Council’s manager of Governance Doug Evans said Cardinia had made a conscious effort to keep the number of decisions made at closed meetings to a minimum.
“Council actively tries to minimise the number of decisions made ‘in camera’ (in a meeting closed to the public),” he said.
“This is to ensure that council’s decision making is as open and transparent as possible.”
He added that the guidelines set by the State Government determine when a council can hold a closed meeting.
“The Local Government Act identifies when a council can resolve to close a meeting to the public,” he said.
Reasons for closing may include the consideration of personnel matters, personal hardship of a resident, industrial matter, proposed developments, contractual matters, matters affecting the security of council property, legal advice or any other matter deemed to prejudice the council or a person.
The full set of data and comparison tools are available at www.knowyourcouncil.vic.gov.au.
