What to do about the Councils bad reputation ?

Simply admit it has one --would be a start.

We know the executives performance pay is linked to their evaluations,  so there is little reason for a change in perception on the executives part .  But you blokes ?
Something seems to be wrong with senior executives  assessment  method  when over 400 people turn up a public meeting and focus on the executive .  
We know  Mr Small left last time after VCAT severely criticized him and his team for allowing a house (and a non conforming 3 lot subdivision) be built on a prominent ridgeline less than I kilometre and adjacent to Red Rock. http://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/sinodisp/au/cases/vic/VCAT/2004/1485.html
Mr Brian Crook invited him back , but on what basis and with what performance guarantees ? When will Mr Small  leave us this time,  and at what cost ?

Whose really running the show at Rae street ? Is it the lawyers or rule makers who constantly threaten some called serious rule breakers in  our community .Will blaming the outsiders work when so many can see the accountability problems are NOT being dealt with internally . Mayor speaks for so many who perhaps  she should ask to speak for themselves- that might clear the air a bit .

Why does Mayor Mrs Russell  not  seem to accept that accountability from those highly paid "public servants" who stand behind is her responsibility - especially before they jump ship after a few year of well paid private service ?

After extensive consultation we are not told the truth

Recieved Barwon Water's letter telling us that after "extensive consultation" they will be doing what they like with our water . I accept that they are going to take some of our water and give to Geelong,  but do they have to pretend that we are the ones that benefit from the new pipeline?

What disrespect and dishonesty !. The document is full or errors and is highly misleading . Its complete rubbish as our end is the one with security of supply .

Where are our representatives to hold these manipulators of the truth to account?. Where are the representatives to hold these manipulators of the truth to treat us with respect .If The government  can blatantly lie about why they are spending our money,  why have Parliament if no members ASK QUESTIONS  , get up and say so .
Maybe we will have to wait till the next election for someone to say the Liberals are too afraid to do the job wE elected them to do - stand up for the truth down in how and what our money is spent on down here in Polwarth.

Indi and Cathy McGowan our inspiration

Watch out all those who claim to operate "in our interest" . Those of us who have gladly held the responsibility of office as public servants know that today ...right now... in our country there are many who either can't or won't talk about it in their patch . Its tragic and it must stop

• Sometimes its because their parties are paranoid and have been pandering too long to the marginals and sometimes its because "they think they know" when "out into the country they go ",.
• Sometimes its because they have gone into a job they thought was easy but have found they are have been sharing ignorance and arrogance about something that takes real cooperation -and don't want to admit it
• Sometimes its because they are a wonderful young person interested in public issues but overcome by the crap upstairs . 
• Sometimes its because they are being bullied by their CEO and his team (in some sort of ongoing "Kennett curse" of business knows best rubbish ? ) 
• You and I haven't got time for all the reasons 

. All we want our leaders to do is represent us --and that what Cathy has stood up to do . Lets hope our Sarah does the same in Corangamite.

Media watch out.  All this is a surprise to you because you are showing the same ignorance and arrogance of some of those who would jump into our busy and highly productive world and lead us - be sure you too can be as productive...... before you start .......trying to find us partners ( Farmer wants a wife but needs a slave )
Council Execs watch out - if you are listening to State bureaus out of paper chase control , you too are not listening to us .Jeff Kennett and his careless Liberal mates  thought they were clever sacking public servants but little did he know he created and enormous shortage and set the scene for an era of depression and degradation in local government like no other .dumb stuff and dangerous bureau stuff . Lets hope the new Liberals show more respect for the words written in the floor of parliament Watch out Liberal leaders Heaven does not come from ust adopting business principles in every household in the country .Heaven doesn't just arrive when you sell things .
Respect the unique eco environment of Agriculture . We make stuff and because we use the environment to do it ,it means both city and country need to CARE MORE for the careless use of monotheistic economic policy in our patch . No more retail therapy dummies - its not diverse , its not sensitive , its quickfix and doesn't model real resilience ( and stop using that word until you know how it works)
Respect the needs of young people . Our young people WANT and deserve more than asset stripping  . They want and deserve  a sustainable culture of rest recreation and high productivity  ( our patch) . A career in helping farmers understand the environment not another trucked army with mere shovels or Cmas and Departments of Worry and Ignorance that just write  codes about things they don't understand and haven't put into practice . Stop the rot Greg Hunt !

If you are going to tell us what to do - know how things work or just sit and learn for a while longer 

Indi you are the countries inspiration and McGowans deserve full accreditation !

Campaigns for the people by the outsiders

So much propaganda by our Council spokespersons  in recent years lacks depth and credibility , Take the outside funded "Colac promotion"  combined with the high rates .  How long can the facade of spending money,  as outsiders think we should , dictate how we keep this place going ?
Surely  If we keep and attract businesses,  rather than just " people " we keep professions and people.two wins
How can we keep good teachers if our students study in Geelong ? If Council officers don't actually live here  they can be expected to  keep employing outside professionals to tell us how to live and improve our lot . Take the overly simple dumb campaigns to just attract "people "recently in TV ad campaign .The money could have made a lotta signs !  " Just come here to cruise eh ?" 

If our leaders don't want to live here,  how can they decide why others should ? People come here , not because there is work here,  but because houses are cheap -     shallow and unsustainable leadership thinking.

Sometimes I wish Brian Crook would take himself seriously ( prove that locals are just as professional as anyone ) and say " no more outside dictation , or at least,  " explain yourselves instead of this old rhetoric that we have consulted and noone  came ( = not interested ) or "  we must trust those we made commitments to …….on behalf of the people "  " they know something we don't " even Cheeseman left town.and paved the road outta ere . Not very credible when Colac Otway is indeed a great place to live . 

Performance pay is NOT appropriate

Senior management and the Mayor are very happy with our planning executives and CEO's  performance, but the people of the area are not ( public meetings in June ) . Our Council spends 1.5 million dollars on Information management and still manage to lose lots of files
Here is  another issue they don't seek to resolve conflict -not even talking about the above uneccesary disasters waiting to happen ALL over the Shire .
Our roads are disaster areas and noone on Council has acted to change the dangerous situations occurring all over the Shire . Clearly some Councillors take more notice of closet conservationists than they do of practical ones.This is plain obviuos to any objective observer.
Its not clear therfore ,  in their rush to put through another overlay imposing vegetation controls (C70 ) on their roads that the Colac Otway shire really have control over their own roads .
I wonder if their information management system has this problem even listed . These unresolved edge issues all around the Shire could cost a life or two if they don't finally DO something to stop others from telling them what to do.
 In some sort of strange paradox C67 is the Shire telling the long suffering ratepayers how to prevent damage to their own infrastructure. as if they don't already know about soils

How can you justify performance pay when no objective performance evaluation has occurred

Councillors ; It all very well saying your staff are doing a great job.
It may be only words and  impressions ; if the people don't believe you , you need to check yourself .Find out what is really going on .Ignorance is no excuse . Maybe you are too afraid to ask questions that threaten those in power,  but whose weapons are information but who are supposed to be our servants ( and propely answer questions) . Information is power and you are entitled,  if you don't know - to get a straight answer ; One that you know both You and the member of the Public can understand , even if they don't accept .

1. What you need to do is make sure the process is working efficently  ( The time it takes and the  public and private cost  it takes to get permits and answers  for example);
2. Does dissatisfaction registered at the counter register up the top? . You can STOP reading right now if you can tell me the place where these facts are dealt with  .
3. Then convince the people of the Shire that they are listening and acting on specific concerns , not just running random and expensive surveys  that may well mistarget areas of real need for improvement .

Lets face facts : none at the time of writing really believes you are really properly acting on genuine concerns expressed by sensible citizens in relation to delays in processing applications.Tell us about 1 , 2 or 3 or all three .
Have your surveys identified for you where the real need for improvement is ? , which Departments / tasks are performing most poorly  and then - esp the executives who are ultimately responsible;
The people want objective review and objective lists of what staff do and what they have achieved .
Monday nights meeting is too late - too little,  too late.