Comments on: Fitzroyalty vs City of Yarra – food hygiene FOI battle round four http://indolentdandy.net/fitzroyalty/2009/07/02/fitzroyalty-vs-city-of-yarra-%e2%80%93-food-hygiene-foi-battle-round-four/ hyperlocal news and reviews about Melbourne's first suburb: Fitzroy 3065 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:55:39 +1100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: brian http://indolentdandy.net/fitzroyalty/2009/07/02/fitzroyalty-vs-city-of-yarra-%e2%80%93-food-hygiene-foi-battle-round-four/#comment-26098 brian Sun, 19 Jul 2009 00:53:57 +0000 http://indolentdandy.net/fitzroyalty/?p=5120#comment-26098 Interesting. Based on what we have learned from NSW, I wonder if this new law will also force local councils to perform inspections to the same uniform standards and report in a mandatory fashion to the state health department? Part of the problem is that there are no consistent standards between councils and the state government does not know what they are doing because it had nto previously demanded to receive all the data, and apparently has not received it in a consistent format. Interesting. Based on what we have learned from NSW, I wonder if this new law will also force local councils to perform inspections to the same uniform standards and report in a mandatory fashion to the state health department? Part of the problem is that there are no consistent standards between councils and the state government does not know what they are doing because it had nto previously demanded to receive all the data, and apparently has not received it in a consistent format.

Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

]]> By: Katherine http://indolentdandy.net/fitzroyalty/2009/07/02/fitzroyalty-vs-city-of-yarra-%e2%80%93-food-hygiene-foi-battle-round-four/#comment-26086 Katherine Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:34:10 +0000 http://indolentdandy.net/fitzroyalty/?p=5120#comment-26086 Seems like you're going to get what you're after...eventually http://www.theage.com.au/national/filthy-eateries-to-be-named-shamed-20090718-dp0c.html Seems like you’re going to get what you’re after…eventually
http://www.theage.com.au/national/filthy-eateries-to-be-named-shamed-20090718-dp0c.html

Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

]]> By: brian http://indolentdandy.net/fitzroyalty/2009/07/02/fitzroyalty-vs-city-of-yarra-%e2%80%93-food-hygiene-foi-battle-round-four/#comment-25888 brian Fri, 10 Jul 2009 07:12:23 +0000 http://indolentdandy.net/fitzroyalty/?p=5120#comment-25888 How or where has the council publicised this lobbying? I didn't know it was happening and the council has not mentioned it in their correspondence with me. I have published the compliance statistics based on what I got from my FOI. The City of Yarra refused to release the details of the offences and went out of its way to do more work to delete this information from the spreadsheet before it gave it to me. It then claimed it was too much work to gather this information. Their trustworthiness on this issue is zero. The council does not seem to think that its role is to provide services to the community. One service is the provision of information. The information published by the City of Yarra about many of its activities is inconsistent and unhelpful. Information is in the print newletter but not on the website (apart from the PDFs of the newsletter), draft plans are released for public comment but are not listed in the public comment section, etc. I could list errors and failures all day. How or where has the council publicised this lobbying? I didn’t know it was happening and the council has not mentioned it in their correspondence with me.

I have published the compliance statistics based on what I got from my FOI. The City of Yarra refused to release the details of the offences and went out of its way to do more work to delete this information from the spreadsheet before it gave it to me. It then claimed it was too much work to gather this information. Their trustworthiness on this issue is zero.

The council does not seem to think that its role is to provide services to the community. One service is the provision of information. The information published by the City of Yarra about many of its activities is inconsistent and unhelpful.

Information is in the print newletter but not on the website (apart from the PDFs of the newsletter), draft plans are released for public comment but are not listed in the public comment section, etc. I could list errors and failures all day.

Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

]]> By: Chris http://indolentdandy.net/fitzroyalty/2009/07/02/fitzroyalty-vs-city-of-yarra-%e2%80%93-food-hygiene-foi-battle-round-four/#comment-25886 Chris Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:09:34 +0000 http://indolentdandy.net/fitzroyalty/?p=5120#comment-25886 Just in reply, the law is changing starting next year. All Councils have lobbied hard in fact for big changes to the law to give Health Officers greater powers and one the spot fines etc. It will be more transparent, but not to the extent the profession and the public wants. Currently the most a council could release, in my opinon, are stats on compliance rates and how many food samples failed etc. but no specific details to actual businesses. Why they do not publish these could a few things, such as laziness, lack of resources/staff (most likely) or even poor compliance rates or food sample results showing council in a bad light etc. I understand your frustration and I wish it were easier with new intiatives such as the New York City style scores of A+ to F on the front windows, but to me the state government does not want to push so hard on businesses. Which is a real shame. Just in reply, the law is changing starting next year. All Councils have lobbied hard in fact for big changes to the law to give Health Officers greater powers and one the spot fines etc. It will be more transparent, but not to the extent the profession and the public wants.

Currently the most a council could release, in my opinon, are stats on compliance rates and how many food samples failed etc. but no specific details to actual businesses. Why they do not publish these could a few things, such as laziness, lack of resources/staff (most likely) or even poor compliance rates or food sample results showing council in a bad light etc.

I understand your frustration and I wish it were easier with new intiatives such as the New York City style scores of A+ to F on the front windows, but to me the state government does not want to push so hard on businesses. Which is a real shame.

Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

]]> By: brian http://indolentdandy.net/fitzroyalty/2009/07/02/fitzroyalty-vs-city-of-yarra-%e2%80%93-food-hygiene-foi-battle-round-four/#comment-25885 brian Fri, 10 Jul 2009 04:04:56 +0000 http://indolentdandy.net/fitzroyalty/?p=5120#comment-25885 That is the legal advice I have received. However, if the City of Yarra was genuine about transparency it would do a lot of things differently, such as publish what it can itself and not fight my FOI on petty excessive workload arguments (the argument they used to refuse to release the details of the offences). It could lobby the state government for changes to the Food Act. It could do something, but it does nothing and deliberately obstructs others trying to do something. The Ombudsman's office explicitly refused to even acknowledge the substantive issue of public health. My state MP defended the current state of secrecy. They're all antiquated pathetic useless apologists for greedy business owners who profit from us while making us sick. I will be posting on this topic again soon once my legal strategy is finalised. That is the legal advice I have received. However, if the City of Yarra was genuine about transparency it would do a lot of things differently, such as publish what it can itself and not fight my FOI on petty excessive workload arguments (the argument they used to refuse to release the details of the offences).

It could lobby the state government for changes to the Food Act. It could do something, but it does nothing and deliberately obstructs others trying to do something.

The Ombudsman’s office explicitly refused to even acknowledge the substantive issue of public health. My state MP defended the current state of secrecy. They’re all antiquated pathetic useless apologists for greedy business owners who profit from us while making us sick.

I will be posting on this topic again soon once my legal strategy is finalised.

Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

]]> By: Chris http://indolentdandy.net/fitzroyalty/2009/07/02/fitzroyalty-vs-city-of-yarra-%e2%80%93-food-hygiene-foi-battle-round-four/#comment-25884 Chris Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:46:02 +0000 http://indolentdandy.net/fitzroyalty/?p=5120#comment-25884 It is an interesting read for sure... A problem I can see is that under the Food Act council is unable to release the information. They would want to! Really they would LOVE to name and shame their crappy shops and praise the better ones, but as it currently stands it is an offence under the Act to release it. (Blame state government for this) It is an interesting read for sure…
A problem I can see is that under the Food Act council is unable to release the information. They would want to! Really they would LOVE to name and shame their crappy shops and praise the better ones, but as it currently stands it is an offence under the Act to release it.
(Blame state government for this)

Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

]]>