Delighted about council audit

As the main protagonist of a wideranging audit into the Gosford Council, I am delighted that Council has resolved unanimously to employ a firm of specialist management consultants to carry out a management and structural audit on the entire council and its operations.

Councillors have agreed to find out if the management structure which is currently in place is the best one to deliver services to residents and ratepayers.

There is a widespread feeling among councillors that there needs to be a much stronger focus on customer service and outcomes rather than on internal processes which are the trademark of a traditional bureaucracy.

I want to ensure that there are enough staff at the coalface ie building roads, clearing drains, mowing parks and reserves, looking after the libraries and other community facilities and all the other functions council staff carry out every day.

This service delivery end is what I am interested in and I believe other councillors feel the same way.

Over the eight years I have been at Council, I have been most concerned at the amount of time it takes to get things done.

I stress that this is not all departments, but I have many specific instances where it has taken far longer than it should for things to get moving.

I want to ensure that council is an open council with managers willing to listen to the public and act on their suggestions and responses.

While this happens in some sections, there are still too many areas which believe they are immune to both councillors and the public and nothing ever sees the light of day unless they approve of it.

Much of this council culture is a holdover from the days when local government was closed to all public opinion and while some managers have done much to try and rid the organisation of these attitudes they still persist.

I was very pleased that Mr Peter Wilson, Council's General Manager, gave his total support to the audit indicating that he sees merit in getting expert outside opinion on council's performance.

In large organisations management audits are common practice and I believe it's time Gosford Council was put under the microscope.

There will be opportunities for the community and staff to have input although at this stage I am not sure how this will be carried out.

Currently Expressions of Interest are being prepared for insertion into Sydney papers.

After culling by councillors, interviews will take place and one of the most important issues will be how the public consultation and participation will be conducted.

I am only too aware that if the community doesn't have a say they will not see any value in the audit.

I expect the audit to take some months to complete as every aspect of council will be put under the spotlight.

But I believe by the end of this year, councillors will be able to present to the public a blueprint of the way to achieve better service delivery and to make council much more responsive to the needs and wants of local residents.

I believe this is the one of the most important and worthwhile things I have done since I have been on council and that the community can only benefit by this long overdue action.

Cr Lynne Bockholt