We, the people, move to sack the council and the executive committee and their cronies. (with the exception of Crs Helen Leach and Elise Chapman).

The City of Greater Bendigo council operates under a culture of lies, deceit and bullying against those who stand up for the rights of Bendigo residents.

They have created a situation whereby they are unaccountable and inaccessible to the general public. They are operating an exclusive and closed shop that does not include or represent the interests of Bendigo residents and ratepayers.

We are submitting this petition as a VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE in the City of Greater Bendigo executive committee and the Bendigo councilors.           (with the exception of Cr Elise Chapman and Cr Helen Leach).

We demand a full inquiry into the machinations and conduct of the Bendigo Council and their cohorts based on issues of performance, integrity and Australian constitutional law.

We demand that an inquiry be conducted and appropriate punishment be meted out by the MEDIA COUNCIL of Australia for the blatant collusion, bullying and abuse of power by the media in relation to the above issues and in relation to the brazen lies and distortion of facts that have become commonplace in their reporting.

They are working hand in glove with the Council and their ilk against the will of the residents of Bendigo.

It is also of great concern that the elected LABOR politicians in our city have consistently acted in a biased, condescending and dismissive manner against anyone who contacts them about grievances or concerns that are different to their own views.

Many Bendigonians have expressed their dismay and disgust at the level of contempt that has been launched against them by these LABOR politicians.

Issues of major concern are:

1.         Utter contempt for the opinions and rights of residents and ratepayers.

2.        Violation of the Constitutional and Human Rights of Bendigo residents by failing to consult or obtain permission to use ratepayer’s money to covertly create a Human Rights Charter that is exclusive to Bendigo but in which the Bendigo residents have had no say or input.

To this day residents do not understand why Bendigo needed its own Human Rights Charter when we are already subject to state and federal Human Rights laws, what the implications are for them or how much this secret 2 year project has cost them.

3.         Refusal to acknowledge the majority rule in relation to public objection to issues and unjustly using VCAT as a weapon to abuse and over ride ratepayer’s rejection of certain developments such as the proposed East Bendigo mosque development. Over 432 objections were submitted to council compared to only 40 letters of support.

4.         Fostering a boy’s club mentality through weak and corrupt individuals, who are serving their own pecuniary and other interests above those of the community, to prevent just and transparent operations within council and bullying those who don’t comply.

Using obfuscation and freeze out tactics and public ridicule to misrepresent and prevent those who don’t kow-tow to the pack mentality from being able to speak freely or to perform their council duties.

5.          The latest vicious stunt is the attack against Cr Elise Chapman, a legitimately elected councillor, who has consistently and diligently represented the will of the ratepayers and residents of Bendigo.

There has been absolutely no obvious attempt by the Mayor, Peter Cox, to intervene or to mitigate harm to Elise or to Bendigo as a whole or to address those who have instigated this attack.

The council and media cronies and their cohorts have started a hate petition against Elise for the purpose of presenting it to council to have her sacked.

She and Councillor Helen Leach are the only two councillors who have dared to stand up against the nepotistic, old boy's club and to be a voice for the community as they are meant to do. They have done so at great cost to themselves.

6.         Using executive rule to prevent councilors from criticizing the council and thereby, stifling free and honest speech.

7.         Using council and developer/business influence to lie, slander and misrepresent others via the complicit, biased and unconscionable conduct of certain media. Allowing the Bendigo media to be manipulated, influenced and controlled by certain developers and businessmen and council.

There has been a concerted and sustained effort by council and the media to stifle the truth, open debate and free speech.

8.         Residents of Bendigo are regularly ignored and treated with utter contempt or are subjected to obfuscation, intimidation or stalling tactics in order to cause maximum financial harm and distress.

9.         Using ratepayer funds for unwarranted litigation or threats of litigation to bully, control and intimidate residents. This abuse has been going on for years.

10.       The gross misuse, misappropriation, waste and mismanagement of public funds.

11.        Lack of transparency and disclosure.

12.        Lack of public consultation.

13.        Dishonesty, intimidation tactics and bullying. Abuse of power, position and influence.

14.        Nepotistic and inappropriate appointments of unqualified or under-qualified individuals to highly paid and influential positions at council to the detriment and expense of ratepayers. Bendigo council is rife with nepotism and cronyism at great cost to ratepayers.

15.        Condoning conflicts of interest with those on council boards and business matters concerning council. Collusion in secretive, unscrupulous, nepotistic and unjust business deals with certain businessmen, lawyers, politicians and developers, to prevent Bendigo residents from understanding the impact of proposals to council. This is being done to the detriment of the wider Bendigo community and struggling, fledgling Bendigo businesses. 

16.       Undeserved pay rises for underperforming council executives, council departments and staff members. Council’s wages alone absorb more than 50% of Bendigo's entire annual budget.

In 2014 alone, Bendigo council failed 10 out of 12 of their own performance goals and then rewarded these underperforming bureaucrats with huge pay rises while at the same time increasing resident's rates by 6% for the next 3 years at a compounding rate. Bendigo rates have increased by 92% over the past decade.

Instead of dealing with this hideous problem by reducing the bloated remunerations and executive perks, council has instead recently announced that they will be slashing home and community care and other public and community services.

While slashing critical community care, the executive committee at the City of Greater Bendigo has recently authorized payment of almost thirty thousand dollars for ONE wooden seat and suggested funding of many more thousands of ratepayer’s money to hold a queer film festival. 

These are just a couple of examples of the waste, poor judgement, lack of integrity and gross incompetence of Bendigo Council.

.........And there is much, much more to add to this list.

WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THE ABUSE.  Bring in the administrators.

We want these people sacked, stripped of their entitlements, penalized and made accountable under the full force of the law for the enormous and incalculable harm they have caused to the residents of Bendigo and to our city.

You can find us online also. We have a web page and a Facebook page.

www.rightsforbendigoresidents.org

www.facebook.com/RightsForBendigoResidents