“THIS is very much in the public interest and I cannot accept that council will be discussing this in secret,” councillor Steve Perryman said at Mount Gambier City Council’s monthly meeting last Tuesday.
“This is a global issue having national, state-wide and local impacts.”
While council ultimately discussed the city’s recycling options behind closed doors last week, it was not before elected members weighed up disclosing the information publicly.
Formal meeting procedures were suspended to allow councillors to talk freely, with Cr Perryman expressing his concern at making decisions about waste management options “in secret”.
“I do not agree with discussing this matter in confidence – it is in the public interest to disclose what is happening with recycling costs,” he said.
“Our ratepayers will carry the cost and they are part of the solution and it doesn’t seem right that we don’t engage them in the discussion.
“We can secretly decide to extend a contract worth millions of dollars over many years or we can be open to our community and run a transparent process.”
The report was listed on council’s agenda as an update on recycling issues and options to be considered in confidence as it contained commercial information which could “prejudice the commercial position” of an unnamed contractor.
“I want to know if we have a legal obligation to discuss this in confidence,” Cr Frank Morello said.
“I don’t care about subjectivity – is it a legal recommendation to keep this confidential?”
Chief executive Mark McShane said the reasons to discuss the item in confidence were “enshrined within the Local Government Act”.
“You can consider this in confidence and release the information later if you choose,” he said.
“The recommendation from staff and two sub committees has been to hold this matter in confidence.
“There is intense scrutiny on councils going into confidence and we are careful about when we do – this item relates to the variation of a contract.”
Cr Hanna Persello said she was “inclined to agree” with Cr Perryman while Cr Ian Von Stanke said the report should remain confidential.
“In my experience business contracts and negotiations are private until they are settled,” he said.
Cr Perryman called for an open dialogue with the community.
“I would like our council to go to the community and disclose this information because for the first time ever it is now cheaper to send recycling to landfill than it is to recycle it,” he said.
“I am interested to know if our community is happy to send recycling to landfill in the short term, for six to 12 months, while we investigate innovations like incinerators to produce energy and using plastics in road construction.”
A majority voted to discuss the report in confidence.
