A FORMER Brimbank Council administrator has played a key role in the state government cancelling the October 27 elections.
The Weekly can reveal one of the two independent reports cited by Local Government Minister Jeanette Powell in her decision to extend administration until March 2015 was conducted by Bill Scales.
Mr Scales was appointed administrator of the council in 2009 after his own assessment of the council played a central role in its sacking.
He met chief administrator Peter Lewinsky and council chief executive Nick Foa in November 2011 and was provided with information and documents to help his assessment.
Mr Scales was given details of comments from “influential community groups” in Brimbank detailing their strong support for the direction of the current council under Administration.
He made a positive assessment of the council’s operations under the current administrators, noting “financial reports are clear, well-constructed and provide detailed explanations of variations to council’s approved budget.”
He was also impressed by the councils “comprehensive community engagement strategy”.
“Importantly, the council under administration is beginning to establish a pattern of good governance for the people of Brimbank and their early intentions are being translated into tangible results.”
Mr Scales was concerned the council’s “extensive and ambitious” work program would be put at risk by an elected council.
“The administrators have begun the process of establishing a culture of good governance and administration in the City of Brimbank. However insufficient time has passed since the activities of the past two elected councils to be sure that these better practices have become the accepted culture and norm in Brimbank.”
He found good governance was at risk if a newly elected council became responsible for 46 “important and challenging projects” they had no part in planning.
He also claimed it would be naïve to overlook the “very public political tensions” within Brimbank.
“There is every reason to believe that these tensions will be manifested in the outcomes of the upcoming council elections in 2012 and played out once again in the policies, processes and practices of any newly elected council.”
He pushed for administration to continue to 2016.
