GREATER Bendigo residents have voted for greater consultation and engagement on major decisions
by the new city council, said Bendigo Alliance president Max Turner.
Mr. Turner said election results announced last week saw a majority of councilors elected for the
first time was a strong sign residents expected better for Bendigo and surrounding communities
from their council.
“Voters have opted to retain some councilors but bring new faces to the council table who have
campaigned on a platform of listening to the community,” he said.
Mr. Turner said the new council would face a level of scrutiny not seen for many years from
residents angry and disappointed that previous councils have simply bowed to demands from paid
staff and the State Government.
“This new council has been invested with trust from the residents and ratepayers. That faith will
quickly evaporate if Bendigo is dished up the same distasteful and dismissive menu that
characterized the majority of previous councilors,” he said.
“There is an expectation that the new council stands up and puts Bendigo first, that there is greater
support for our small businesses which employ thousands of local people but are often overlooked
by council when purchasing products and views and concerns they hold dismissed.
“And the new council should end the charade of councilors giving reports at meetings. Be like other
probing and inquiring councils across Victoria and replace reports with questions of the CEO and
directors – return the initiation of new projects and actions back to residents and their elected
representatives.
“There is no place in the new council for an inferior model of democracy that has only served to shut
out questions and concerns of residents. Good Governance, Transparency and Accountability must
be the order of the day.”
