For the 2017-19 Minister’s inquiry into the City of Melville the then CEO provided to that inquiry an estimate of $180k resource costing incurred in “managing” complaints and disputation occurring between the City and only ten members of the community. This became known as the ‘terrible ten report’.

On closer inspection, it is not difficult to extract that this was in fact the resource cost to the City for failing or refusing to resolve those underlying City non-compliances.

The burning question is: If the costing was so significant (ie. $180k for one year) and that those complaints and disputations are continuing ad infinitum, then:
a) why has the City not created this as a permanent annual audited measure of complaint and disputation cost?
b) why is the City misleading the ratepayers by refusing to audit, analyse and publish such an unnecessary cost burden?
c) why does the City persist in refusing to act to resolve conflict?
d) Why has council not dealt with this chronic performance failure by adopting a policy or policy change to direct the City to resolve unending conflict?

The following report is an extract from the Ordinary Meeting of Council Minutes dated December 12, 2017