Members go public on privacy invasions

Tania Martin
DISQUIET over the need for members of committees formed under the umbrella of the Shire of Cardinia to disclose private financial information continues to escalate.
This follows complaints from several members of the new Emerald Village Committee (EVC) who have labelled the request an invasion of privacy.
At a meeting held in July to elect the office bearers of the EVC, the council told members that, as an arm of the council, the committee was required to submit a financial interest return.
The shire’s manager of governance and communication, Doug Evans, said that the financial return was a requirement of the local government act as the committee was formed as an arm of the council.
EVC chairman Ed Chatwin said the majority of the committee objected to having to supply the financial interest return.
He said the council had discretionary right not to enforce the legal requirement.
The committee has already lost one member, Garth Jenkinson, who resigned in protest at the shire’s request for private financial information.
Mr Evans said that the council may exempt members of committees who are not councillors from the requirement to lodge these returns.
However, he said that the council considered that there was a need for openness and transparency for the public with members of township committees making decisions on behalf of the council, and influencing council policies and strategies.
Mr Evans said that on that basis the council decided not to exempt members of township committees from the requirement to lodge the returns.
“This decision was made in May this year when new deeds of delegation were adopted for the township committees existing at that stage.
“And the EVC was appointed on Monday, 20 June and the same requirement was applied to this committee also,” Mr Evans said.
Mr Evans said the requirement to lodge the interest returns was not just relevant to the EVC but to all five township committees in the shire.
Mr Chatwin said the EVC had started contacting other council committees to form a body of opinion to have the requirement for interest returns removed.
“This action will take some time and we are still trying to contact the committees,” Mr Chatwin said.