Mood:
incredulousTopic: local news
Picture: A chubby Yvette Andrews in red next to then conservative independent Mayor of Marrickville Morris Hanna, with a local chess expert at right. Pathetic political chess for real has been going on at the ARC for years
Not a word it seems of reportage in the big or little media at the forced removal of ARC community centre general manager Yvette Andrews, ALP aparatchik and colleague and co-author of Meredith Burgman. Though we missed the latest NSW Stateline where Australia's biggest community centre might be discussed. Maybe.
GM Andrews who never faced a competitive job selection process for over 15 months for her $60K job, as appointed by political mates on the board. What a scandal.
The ARC itself is in the heart of federal MP Anthony Albanese's seat and Minister Carmel Tebutt's state electorate but they won't touch this with a barge pole. And now the scandal has climaxed with Andrews departure in mystery amongst allegations of violence and powermongering. The community are left guessing what is going on with our community centre run by a closed shop there.
There have been unconfirmed reports that Marrickville Council in the last 6 weeks specifically declined to nominate anyone to participate on the Board under Andrews. Then we heard of 3 and then 4 members of the Board resigning in the last month as well. Now a recent special meeting appears to have finished the execution of the Andrews tenure: One of at least 4 different sources we have there emailed us as follows:
Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 10:13 PMSubject: ARCNothing much happening at ARC. John Reynolds is in charge.. Geoff Hague is back on the board. Yvette Andrews is gone. There are three vacancies on the board. Apparently nothing controversial happened at the SGM. Don Mamouney got support for a new five year plan. A new GM is to be sought through advertising. Hardly a trace of Andrews, her husband or Burgmann remain. A new chance for some transparency and good governance. Best wishes.
SAM wrote of the special general meeting to be held last Wednesday here:
Saturday, 7 February 2009
Wednesday, 28 January 2009
Monday, 20 October 2008 Questions with notice for Addison Rd Community Centre AGM 5 Nov 08
Mood:chatty
Topic: local newsTuesday, 8 July 2008 Burgmann's mate in job sinecure at closed shop Addison Rd Centre
Mood:sharp
Topic: nsw govtThursday, 3 April 2008 Addison Road Community Centre board minutes leak out, suggesting more ructions?
Mood:quizzical
Topic: local newsFriday, 14 March 2008 How could ex MP Burgmann have supported Joh style Part 3A repeal of green laws in NSW Planning Act?
Mood:down
Topic: nsw govtThursday, 13 March 2008 The trouble with Meredith Burgmann, career lefty, disaster tourist, feminist
Mood:
Topic: nsw govtMonday, 10 March 2008 Albanese's asbestos shame in the heart of
Grayndler
Mood:Saturday, 16 February 2008 How to get a $65K pa community sector wage without any open job selection process?
Mood:
Topic: local newsSaturday, 9 February 2008 Addison Rd Centre General Manager 'Job Vacancy' closing date 1st April 2008
Mood:a-ok
Topic: local newsMonday, 14 January 200826 December 2008
Wednesday, 28 November 2007 Same ol', same ol' for the Addison Rd Centre Annual General Meeting
Mood:sad
...................................
It may be we are witnessing a metaphorical choo choo train just going round and round in circles: There is no lasting progress in governance at the ARC, in our view, until there is a total reform of transparency in the centre. That is:
- minutes of Board Meetings should be public (board meetings probably should be held in public too);- there should be a regular centre newsletter for tenants and the public alike;- the centre greatly suffers from lack of a social central meeting place for tenants and visitors, that could be provided by a kiosk or cafe. This could be run on a non profit basis as per all tenancies. Currently every group and the public are balkanised and lack synergy.
Picture: 15 months later and the ALP fix at the ARC is shattered just like this old slab of concrete in the course of this writer's gardening duties: Take a year of frustration at systemic bullying by a dishonest board, one sledge hammer .....
