By Violet Li
Casey’s three administrators officially finished their term after the mayor and deputy mayor elections on Tuesday 19 November.
A close-out report was tabled in September, detailing the accomplishments, challenges, and community sentiment during their four-year term in Casey.
In the report, it is stated that the administration panel has been focusing on “addressing governance issues, rebuilding public trust in the Council’s decision-making and delivering reforms that uphold integrity and transparency through clear, contemporary policies and decision-making”.
Actions prioritised and introduced include reviewing governance and integrity systems in Casey, setting out a clear governance audit and action plan, endorsing a new protocol and policy for councillors and their role in land-use planning, developing a new policy to guide strategic planning scheme amendment requests from proponents and developers, reviewing delegations to ensure they are appropriate, and embedding conflict of interest obligations in revised Governance Rules.
City of Casey chair of administrators Noelene Duff PSM, on behalf of the Panel of Administrators, Miguel Belmar and Cameron Boardman, said the panel of administrators had supported Casey to lead and deliver critical services for the community and ensure that Casey community continued to thrive and receive the support after challenging times.
She highlighted the delivery of major capital works across Casey, including delivering more than $23 million to parks and open spaces, upgrades to the major aquatic facilities, including a roof replacement at Casey ARC, and the completion of an $8 million sporting hub at Casey Fields, with an indoor training facility to support elite-level competition.
“We guided Council’s response to the Covid by modifying the way many of our services were delivered to ensure they could continue to operate for our community,” she said.
“We also endorsed the fourth and final year of our Council Plan 2021-2025 and supported our Shape our City community engagement program that will help build our new community vision.
“We saw 117 participants graduate from Council’s Community Leadership Program, which provided free training for new, emerging and existing community leaders in Casey who wanted to further develop their leadership skills and learn about community engagement and local government.”
Ms Duff PSM said the community’s best interests had always been at the centre of their decision-making during their term.
“We have laid strong foundations for the incoming council to build upon, always taking a strategic focus,” she said.
“It’s a great privilege to serve a community in the role of a councillor.
“The 12 incoming councillors have a big job ahead of them in ensuring that they are strategic and focus on the big-picture issues for the Council and the community as it continues to grow in the future.”
Mr Boardman officially transitioned to his new role as a municipal monitor of Casey on Tuesday 19 November.
