Edward River councillors have allegedly been advised not to respond to questions from the Pastoral Times, saying the directive is in line with council’s media policy.
The Pastoral Times has sent several questions to all councillors, seeking their personal comments and opinions on council matters.
We understand that after the latest request for comment, relating specifically to the retirement living project, all councillors were sent a copy of council’s media policy.
Most of those who did respond to the Pastoral Times directed us to council’s communications officer.
In order to protect those who reported concerns they will be in breach of the media policy, we will not name the councillors who have responded to our questions in this article.
Council’s media policy states that when making public comment, councillors must make clear to the media that comments:
a. Are being made as an individual;
b. Are not necessarily the view of the Council; and
c. May relate to matters not yet been determined by Council.
The policy does not prohibit councillors from speaking to any media.
According to the policy, the mayor is the authorised spokesperson to the media on decisions made by council and committees of council.
The policy further states that media organisations and their representatives will be treated equally and without bias.
“Would love to comment but have been instructed to direct you to the comms people sorry,” replied one councillor.
“Please direct all enquiries for media through Susan (sic) our comms/media person as per our media policy,” said another.
Edward River Council Mayor Peta Betts refused to respond to several questions posed to her this week, also referring questions to the communications consultant.
“My response as an individual councillor and mayor to the questions posed to me below is that these questions are speculative and not specific enough for me to answer,” she said.
The questions we posed to the councillors related to a Pastoral Times investigation into the Edward River Village project.
The mayor requested further information such as the dates of meetings, page numbers in reports and dates when the CEO provided information to the Pastoral Times.
We have provided Cr Betts with these details and provided her more time to respond.
Edward River Council is not the first local government to attempt to silence its councillors.
The City of Yarra in Melbourne attempted to ban councillors from speaking publicly without permission and censor ‘criticism’.
The proposal was slammed as “similar to a North Korea gag order”.
Media outlets and residents were outraged at the proposed media policy which was endorsed by the City of Yarra Council.
Similarly, the City of Stonnington, also in Melbourne debated a media policy that would require any media statements to be consistent and respect the council’s position.
“They just want us to go out there and pretend that’s what we think,” City of Stonnington councillor Alexander Lew said at the time.
“That’s not why I ran for office, I ran for office to represent the community.”
The Pastoral Times will continue to pose questions to councillors and the mayor.