LETTER TO MAYOR & ALDERMEN

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From: Ray Norman <raynorman7250@bigpond.com>
Date: Tuesday, 3 October 2017 3:38 pm
To: MAYOR <mayor@launceston.tas.gov.au>
Cc: Records <records@launceston.tas.gov.au>
Subject: Letter to Mayor & Aldermen

Dear Mayor and Aldermen,

Having finally achieved ‘trustee acknowledgement’ of a kind in regard to the questions that I’ve been attempting to garner answers to for a rather long time it is now time to ask Aldermen for acknowledgement of their QVCMAG Trustee ‘function’.

Along the way to this point I’ve encountered almost every form of obfuscation and particularly so at the hands of the General Manager. Under SECTION 62 of the Local Govt. Act 1993 he was afforded his actions.

Interestingly, at Launceston Town Hall there is a very high wall to be negotiated and one that is made up of BUREAUCRATIChumbug devised to protect COUNCILfunctionaries. When invoking this SECTION 62 provision General Manager Robert Dobrynski was prone to refer to it as “my friend” just before he circumvented an issue and the inconveniences brought on by the notion of ‘accountability’.

Bizarrely – as a Launceston ratepayer and QVMAG constituent –  in order to get my questions onto the ‘Council’s/Trustees’ records’ I was informed that putting them in writing was not enough and neither could anyone deliver them on my behalf. Both methods I had attempted. I was also informed that I must attend “in person and read then out”.  If that is not inexplicable I fail to see what else it might be characterised as.

I did attend the Council meeting but as you are aware I did not read them out as I emailed each Alderman/Trustee individually along with the Council’s secretary. When the BUREAUCRATICdog wags the tail of governance we enter the world of DARKfantacy and delusion where Rafferty’s Rules prevail and accountability appears to be discretionary.

The evidence for self-serving BUREAUCRATICdeeming is thick on the ground at Launceston City Council and it is getting to a point where it is almost overwhelming. Likewise, the evidence for the blurring of the roles of governance and management is suggestive of malpractice or some other uncomfortable speculation.

Why does any of this matter? In the first instance ‘accountability’ to constituents is of prime importance in governance. Every time accountability is by-passed, it’s not ‘the Council’ that is guilty, rather it’s ‘the obfuscator ‘– alderperson or officer. It is time to restore the fundamental concept that each individual is accountable for her/his actions – alderperson for policy determination, officer for its execution.

In the recent transfer of property, and its impact upon the operation of the QVMAG, this is a case in point where much is being carelessly put at risk. Arguably, the blurring of governance and management roles has called accountability into question. At the very least it is evident that there are conflicting interests in operation, and in evidence, and where there ought to be none.

What’s being put at risk here?

• Firstly, there is the $4Million annually that Council levies ratepayers, indeed conscripts from ratepayers, that enables the QVMAG to operate.
• Secondly, there is the issue of adequate access to the Inveresk site by either constituents or the city’s visitors.
• Thirdly, there is the issue of cultural tourism and its trivialisation in respect to the city’s economy going forward and ratepayer’s income opportunities along with all that.
• Fourthly, there is $230Million plus invested in the QVMAG collections that are being held in trust as a component of the ‘national estate’.

And, then there are the flow on consequences of all these things that are as yet unforeseen but are nonetheless inevitable.

In short, while aldermen are acting largely at the behest of Council’s management, and they are seeking to satisfy the interests of developers, here the university, they’ve put prudent and inclusive policy determination to one side. Moreover, Council quite apparently placed the operation of the QVMAG at risk and arguably in contravention of their parallel(?) obligations as QVMAG Trustees.

Curiously, QVMAG staff were ‘administratively silenced’ in the deliberations that led to ‘Council’ exchanging assets in a way that arguably detracts from the QVMAG’s operation at Inveresk. This, on the evidence, appears to be at the direction of the Acting General Manager.

Therefore, I’m requesting that aldermen confirm and acknowledge their role as QVMAG Trustees.  Moreover, I ask that this is done at the next open Council meeting.

I look forward with considerable interest to any advice that you may have in the interim.

Sincerely

Ray Norman

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Ray Norman

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The lifestyle design enterprise and research network

PH: 03-6334 2176

EMAIL 1: raynorman7250@bigpond.com

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WEBsite: http://www.raynorman7250.blogspot.com

“A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody.” Thomas Paine

“The standard you walk past is the standard you accept ”  David Morrison