Halsall in, Tyler out

By Glen Atwell
BESIEGED Casey mayor Janet Halsall will confront angry Brookland Greens residents for the first time at a public meeting tonight.
But city chief executive Mike Tyler will be a no-show.
Mr Tyler is on holidays with his family after cutting his four-week break in half to deal with the methane mess.
In an email seen by the News, Mr Tyler explains to councillors that he cancelled the first week of his holiday, and would come back a week early, to continue working on the methane issue.
Casey director of planning and development services Peter Fitchett will step in as acting CEO in Mr Tyler’s absence.
Cr Kevin Bradford said Mr Tyler, like all employees, was entitled to take holidays.
“But in this instance, when Casey is dealing with a massive methane crisis, his decision to take annual leave demonstrates a lack of judgement,” he said.
Mr Tyler returns to work on Monday 6 October.
Meanwhile, Cr Halsall can expect a fiery welcome at the Balla Balla Community Centre, located on Berwick-Cranbourne Road, after missing last Tuesday night’s council meeting to attend her 10-year-old son’s school concert. The mayor also failed to front at two other public meetings held since the methane scandal was uncovered.
Cranbourne resident Kerry Rosevear, whose home business is failing in the wake of the methane mess, said it was time for the mayor to stop hiding from those affected.
“Cr Halsall should have been accountable from the very beginning. I’ll be at tonight’s meeting and I’m expecting answers, not information hand-outs,” she said.
Another frustrated resident Margot Pearce said if Cr Halsall was unwilling to commit herself to representing the residents, she should relinquish her mayoral robe.
“I understand Cr Halsall’s son would have been disappointed if his mother had missed his school concert, but she is the mayor of our city,” she said.
Cr Bradford said it was a brave move for Cr Halsall to chair tonight’s 7pm meeting.
“I hope she is expecting a hostile reception,” he said.
The public meeting will be held at the Balla Balla Community Centre, on Berwick-Cranbourne Road, at 7pm.
In other methane-mess developments:
– Casey Council has called on the Department of Human Services (DHS) to provide free medical checks for Brookland Greens families as a number of residents complain of illness.
– Ten families living in an estate neighbouring Brookland Greens have fled their homes.
– Council officers are testing 135 storm water pits, 95 electrical pits and 39 gas bores for the presence of methane gas every week.