MURRINDINDI: What is Council hiding?

Many Councils across Victoria are releasing results of the community satisfaction survey results, but Murrindindi Shire Council has refused The Local Paper’s request to share its results with ratepayers.

The Local Paper made a polite written request last Tuesday (July 18), requesting a copy of the Murrindindi Shire report for publication. There was no reply.

The Local Paper made a further request on Friday morning. Anna Cullen, the Shire’s Manager Customer Experience, said: “Acknowledging your request, and we will circle back to you by 5pm today.”

There was no “circle” back by 5pm Friday, as per Ms Cullen’s promise.

Only after a third request, Ms Cullen replied after our editorial deadline: “Council releases its Local Government Community Satisfaction Survey results as part of the publication of our Annual Report”

The Local Paper asks: “Why won’t you release the Murrindindi section now? Or are there contents which the Council wants to camouflage in a busy annual report?

Editor Ash Long says: “I can assure you, after having covered local government in Murrindindi for the past 54 years, the optics of Council/Councillors delaying the release of a report will lead to only one perception amongst the public: the Council has something to hide.

“The role of reputable press is to agitate and advocate. We are not here to be Council’s free publicists. Be assured that we will not be put off by the Council’s clumsy and weak ‘deflect’ reply. It is totally unsatisfactory, as was the Council’s inability to reply by a promised deadline.”