RAINBOW LOCAL GOVERNMENT PLEDGE – A TROJAN HORSE TO AVOID?
These Local Council Elections - the Rainbow Local Government (RLG) Pledge is back. As a gay man, I wanted to share my views and...
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Dean Hurlston
- Aug 22
- 4 min
AGENCY.
It is a term many of us have been conditioned to forget or not taught to use. Agency is our power, not just as an individual but also as...
1,272 views0 comments
Dean Hurlston
- Aug 15
- 1 min
These elections - have your say and make a better Council - WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM CANDIDATES
Democracy is a funny thing. It can often be misunderstood. In addition to the Candidate Questionnaire that we will soon release, we would...
1,669 views0 comments
Dean Hurlston
- Aug 8
- 4 min
Rate capping MUST remain untouched - sign the petition - and let's KEEP the lobbyists away from the money pot
OUR KEEP RATE CAPPING PETITION TO PARLIAMENT IS HERE: https://www.councilwatch.com.au/ratecaps You can read on below. A few weeks ago, I...
1,157 views0 comments
Dean Hurlston
- Jul 18
- 5 min
INVESTIGATION - Citizens Panels & Juries infect Council decisions with bias
Citizens panels are a dud. They use flawed methodology to misrepresent, skew, and "steer" council priorities and funding into majorly social
1,987 views2 comments
Dean Hurlston
- Jul 8
- 4 min
Let the "gRifting" END
Last Thursday I wrote to 30 Councils asking for a copy of their gift registers. Why? Because many of them are not easily accessible...
2,351 views11 comments
Dean Hurlston
- Jul 2
- 8 min
GREEN, PINK, BLAK – It washes all the same
Australia's Local Councils generate more than $45 billion in revenue each year. It’s a LOT of money to provide localised services....
2,267 views6 comments
Dean Hurlston
- Jun 23
- 5 min
Councillors subjected to oppressive State Conduct regime and denied procedural fairness.
This week some of the most "oppressive and restrictive " reforms to Councillor conduct were passed by Parliament. They deny procedural...
2,825 views4 comments
Dean Hurlston
- May 30
- 2 min
PEACE, ORDER, AND GOOD GOVERNANCE
These are the key reasons Councils apparently exist. That is what the law says, at least. So, you will excuse me that I am frustrated...
2,548 views6 comments
Dean Hurlston
- May 12
- 5 min
Does reducing traffic speed save lives? Yes, but there is a LIMIT
Victorians tend to be pathologically concerned with safety. Just look at our response to COVID, the way kids’ playgrounds are designed...
1,763 views7 comments
Dean Hurlston
- Mar 24
- 5 min
How Climate Change has EXPOSED Victorian Council Decision Making as WEAK and BROKEN
This week Bayside Council announced it was the FIRST South Eastern Victorian Council to be certified CARBON NEUTRAL With so much hype and...
2,632 views8 comments
Dean Hurlston
- Mar 10
- 5 min
DEATH BY A THOUSAND COMMITTEES
Why Council Decisions have been compromised. You know how it goes, Council makes a decision, the community is outraged, councillors and...
3,307 views20 comments
Dean Hurlston
- Dec 17, 2023
- 3 min
WANT A BETTER COUNCIL? THEN DO SOMETHING
For years satisfaction with Local Government has declined faster than a Liberal opinion poll in Victoria. (ouch) The Statewide Council...
2,364 views4 comments
Dean Hurlston
- Oct 16, 2023
- 2 min
Local Councils lack ETHICS & VALUES
Our local councils claim to have a values-based approach to their communities. Sadly, thousands of Victorians DO NOT AGREE. Again, this...
1,713 views12 comments
Dean Hurlston
- Sep 4, 2023
- 3 min
What’s ruining our Councils?
The culture of appalling leadership! Local Government employs over 50,000 people in Victoria. That’s more than the Commonwealth Bank –...
2,047 views20 comments
Dean Hurlston
- Aug 2, 2023
- 4 min
There is a SILENT but RAGING WAR within our Councils.
It is an ideological battle between highly-paid CEOs and the elected Councillor group. Every 4 years, Victorians vote for a group of...
1,717 views3 comments
Dean Hurlston
- Jul 9, 2023
- 5 min
Let the People Be Heard
Councillors enter local councils with the best intent, well at least the vast majority do. There are over 600 Councillors across the...
875 views5 comments
Dean Hurlston
- May 20, 2023
- 5 min
PLANNING REFORM – where does the BLAME LIE?
In 2019, IBAC launched an investigation (Operation Sandon) into alleged developer influence in council planning decisions in Casey. It...
544 views3 comments
Dean Hurlston
- May 13, 2023
- 3 min
COUNCIL CULTURE CONTINUES TO HIDE THE TRUTH
The Local Government Act 2020, heralded by many as a step in the right direction for public transparency, was implemented almost 3 years...
874 views0 comments
Dean Hurlston
- Mar 18, 2023
- 5 min
Community or Dystopian Cult? You decide
There is nothing wrong with any organisation, group or individual that wants to get involved with its local Council and question...
1,624 views4 comments
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