I have stood firm with two other fellow Councillors to try and save the Colac Library.  Unfortunately, due to the majority decision to proceed, ratepayers will be burdened with $1.3 million of debt for many years to come to fund the Joint Use Library (JUL) experiment.

Council cannot afford to maintain a full library service at the current location, 105 Gellibrand Street, Colac now that it has to carry extra debt for the JUL.  However, at the Special Meeting on 10 February 2010 I moved a number of resolutions, some of which gained sufficient support, to retain a library annexe or sub-branch at the existing Colac Library.  A Consultant’s report had suggested that a limited library service could be maintained at Kanyana Senior Citizens’ Centre.  Alternatively, a limited service at the current library location had been listed as an option.  In the first two columns below I have listed the key details for the consultant’s suggestions.  The third column, on the right, is what was agreed to by Council on 10/2/’10 on a 5 to 2 vote:  

To be an effective Councillor it is necessary to find a position that can gain sufficient support.  Council’s adopted position (above) is better than the suggestions in the consultant’s report.  Of course these options are all inferior to the community’s preferred option which is to retain a full library service at Gellibrand Street, Colac and not be involved in the Joint Use School Library.

I also moved a resolution to form a steering committee so that the community could be directly involved by making suggestions on which days the sub-branch  should be open, which type of items should be retained in the sub-branch and how the 100 square metres might be laid out in the existing building.  That was defeated on a 3 to 4 vote. 

The Corangamite Regional Library Corporation currently occupy part of the library building at Gellibrand Street, Colac for their head office functions and they pay $30,000 per annum rent for about 120 square metres of office space.  I also moved a resolution to offer them a long term lease to secure their occupation of the site but I withdrew that resolution when it became apparent that only 3 Councillors were prepared to support it.  As I have put a similar resolution on the agenda for the 24/2/’10 Ordinary Meeting I cannot make any comments about the merits of that proposal as that would be a breach of the Councillor Code of Conduct.

The community may not be aware that following the sacking of three Councillors in 2007, new State laws were introduced that have the effect of limiting what Councillors may say.  Councillors can be prosecuted in a tribunal hearing, closed to public scrutiny, if they stray beyond highly regulated “Codes” that seek to silence dissent.  Even one Councillor can initiate such an action.  I tread a fine line when I try to keep the public informed of Council matters.

Please feel free to contact me on 5237-3196 if you would like to discuss this or any other Council matter.

To comply with the Councillor Code of Conduct I need to make it clear that these comments are my personal report. I am not speaking on behalf of the Council.