General News
27 August, 2024
Horsham council meeting progressed without incident, despite concerns
HRCC meeting was incident free, security guards were present.
Horsham Rural City Council has faced its share of challenges during its current term in office with declining behaviour from the gallery being one of them.
The much anticipated council meeting on Monday, August 26, the first since the appointment of the monitor, Steven Kingshott, passed with barely a murmur from the gallery apart from occasional clapping when gallery members agreed with a decision or discussion point made by a councillor.
About 60 people filled the gallery. The media was out in full with representatives from the regions three print publications and the national broadcaster.
Two security guards were on duty for the entire meeting.
The August meeting was the last before the monitor appointed by the Minister for Local Government Melissa Horne begins his role on September 2, in the lead up to the local government elections in October.
Among items on the agenda was the Airport Master Plan, Plan for Victoria, trees, street naming, the Critical Minerals Road Map for the region, and numerous questions from the public.
Discussion between councillors was respectful and measured with no evidence of the division of the previous meeting and the mayor allowed occasional lea way during discussion time.
What wasn't on the agenda was the recent letter by the Australian Services Union asking for the removal of the council's chief executive Sunil Bhalla for 'unsubstantiated' claims of mismanagement and behaviour.
However this was raised in public question time and the mayor Robyn Gulline responded with the public statement she issued on Friday.
She said that the complaint had been received by the councillors who were taking it seriously and no further comment would be made in fairness to everyone involved and to allow due process.
Gallery members and media were asked to leave the meeting for confidential matters to be discussed, without incident.