Transparency matters!

Just when you thought our council could not be anymore dysfunctional, it appears to have sunk to an all time low.

At last nights special council meeting the CEO had an notice of no confidence moved against him which was passed 4/3

Councillors Gaston, Neoh, Cassidy and Owen voted to remove the CEO from his position after only 18 months in the job. The same four councillors also voted to keep confidential the payout that will be required.

The residents of Warrnambool will now be expected to pick up the bill without knowing why the CEO was sacked or the amount of his payout.

Where is the openness and transparency these councillors keep spruiking? Ironically the council has recently released their draft “transparency policy,” what a joke.

Why does transparency matter? Simply put, secrecy breeds suspicion. Decisions made behind closed doors, not published on council websites or otherwise exposed to the public gaze, make people suspicious about whether the decision was fair or, where money is involved, whether it is a good use of public funds. Debra Glass, Ombudsman 2016