Carnarvon council agrees to comply on training

Carnarvon Shire councillors and staff will undertake special governance and accountability training required by the WA Government’s Report of the Inquiry into the Shire of Carnarvon. Councillors agreed to comply with the requirement at a special council meeting on March 11. Shire president Eddie Smith said the council was working hard to lift the level of governance. “I’m sure the community is going to see an improvement in the services provided,” he said. Mr Smith said the council was considering legal action against some or all of those the inquiry found to have acted improperly. “It is an option being considered ... because the community cannot afford the cost of what it will cost to rectify the fascine wall and the main street,” he said. “The other option is the council talk to the State Government about them taking over the fascine waterway and wall — it is a major piece of infrastructure the community cannot afford to pay for.” The inquiry handed down its report in October but the council did not vote to receive it until January. Mr Smith said there were “numerous reasons” for this and declined to comment further. At its January meeting, the council voted to accept the report but not accept its recommendation to undertake the required training, preferring to seek its own. After the Department of Local Government wrote saying this was not an option, the council agreed to comply. The Shire also agreed to engage a suitably qualified person to manage any project over $1,000,000. Former president exonerated, but Shire criticised over sea wall errors