Coming up today on the Local Government News Roundup podcast:
- A mixed bag for councils in the Federal Budget
- ICAC probes a Pink Ops clique at Parramatta Council
- A Queensland mayor goes on medical leave
- An urgent call for funding reform from a rural council
- A new study reveals the pressures on councils to respond to a homelessness crisis
- Domestic violence charges dropped against a local mayor
- And another South Australian CEO set to resign
Plus more news from across the world of local government in Australia and beyond.
The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, with support from Symphony 3, and Rath Engineering Development.
Listen to this episode now:
Transcript for Episode #585:
Today’s Top Three
The nation’s peak local government body is calling the new Federal Budget a “mixed bag” for Australian communities.
While the ALGA welcomed a two-billion-dollar boost for housing infrastructure to help build 65,000 new homes, President Matt Burnett warns that essential services are still under threat.
Financial Assistance Grants have slipped to less than half a percent of federal tax revenue, leaving councils struggling with soaring fuel costs and disaster recovery.
While the “Roads to Recovery” program will see one billion dollars annually, local leaders argue that without more certain, untied funding, the “building blocks” of our neighbourhoods remain at risk.
The Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) has welcomed a $2 billion federal boost for housing infrastructure but warns of a looming “black hole” in council budgets.
And it has added its voice to the call for a permanent 1% share of Commonwealth revenue to offset the phasing out of road programs and the rising costs of “cost-shifting” from higher levels of government.
The City of Parramatta Council is under the microscope as ICAC’s Operation Navarra kicked off on Monday, with allegations of a “culture of paranoia” and secret executive cliques. The Sydney Morning Herald blogged proceedings on day one.
Counsel assisting Joanna Davidson SC detailed the rise of a trio known as the “Pink Ladies” or “Pink Ops.”
The group—consisting of former CEO Gail Connolly and executives Roxanne Thornton and Angela Jones-Blayney—is accused of subverting recruitment to favor friends and holidaying together while bypassing proper transparency.
Perhaps most shocking were claims that Connolly covertly accessed the emails of an elected councillor and ordered surveillance on staff members she perceived as “threats.”
Former HR lead Bernadette Cavanagh gave emotional testimony, describing a “very cold” first meeting with the CEO where she was immediately asked if she wanted a redundancy. Cavanagh alleged that her father’s death was even used by the council as a “cover story” for her eventual exit.
The City of Parramatta’s legal team told the inquiry that the council now has “zero tolerance” for misconduct.
Day 2 focused on evidence from a former group manager, Sheree Gover, who described bullying, internal conflict, and an unusual recruitment outcome involving a newly created role.
The Chief Commissioner John Hatzistergos rejected a request from representatives of Ms Connolly for indications about the upcoming witness order, and clashed with her counsel, about the relevance of lines of questioning.
Redlands City Council Mayor Jos Mitchell is taking six weeks’ medical leave, saying she needs time to recover from an ongoing health issue.
The Brisbane Times reported that her leave comes amid ongoing turmoil at the south-east Queensland council, which has been plagued by infighting and a high number of conduct complaints.
Cr Mitchell recently spoke out, alleging unacceptable behaviour and bullying in local politics.
In further reporting, the Times spoke to former councillor Adelia Berridge, who says the council has a long history of cultural problems, including a leak of her private medical information to an anonymous Facebook page.
She also alleges complaints processes were used as a political weapon during her term.
Victorian Report
A fourth rally is now planned as residents call for the resignation of Wyndham Mayor Preet Singh.
The Star Weekly reported that the protest will be staged next Monday evening at the Civic Centre.
In another sign that the controversy is not going away any time soon, the Australian Sikh Council and several Sikh organisations have joined calls for Cr Singh to resign.
In a joint statement, they say a character reference given by Cr Singh before he was elected to the council downplayed the seriousness of child sexual abuse, and they argue the mayor is no longer fit to hold office.
As community outrage grows, municipal monitors Jim Gifford and Jo-anne Mazzeo have officially begun their oversight role after being appointed by new local government minister Paul Hamer.
The Age reported yesterday that Cr Singh is holding firm in his refusal to resign – he says it is a politically and racially motivated campaign, and that resigning would be an admission of guilt.
Murrindindi Shire Council is warning that rural communities are being “structurally set up to fail” under the current local government funding model.
Speaking to a Federal Inquiry, Mayor Damien Gallagher and CEO Livia Bonazzi have urged the Commonwealth to restore financial assistance grants to one-percent of tax revenue, arguing that small councils are struggling to maintain basic roads and services following the devastating January fires.
Murrindindi Shire experienced approximately 48 per cent of the state’s structural losses during the fires yet received only around 8 per cent of municipal recovery funding.
Southern Grampians Shire Council has a new councillor, after a countback this week to replace Albert Calvano, who recently stepped down.
Tamasyn Ramsay-Grounds was the successful candidate from those who were still eligible from the last election.
And at Glenelg Shire Council, a countback has been scheduled to replace Mike Noske, who recently resigned in dramatic fashion, part way through a council meeting.
The VEC says a countback will take place online on Monday 1st June, involving unsuccessful candidates from the 2024 election that are still eligible to be elected.
Greater Shepparton residents will have to wait a little longer for a kerbside hard waste service, after the council hit the reset button on its plans.
Greater Shepparton City Council has formally abandoned its current procurement process for a municipal hard waste collection service.
It determined that the recent tender process failed to meet the competitive requirements needed to award a long-term contract. The delay means collections are now not expected to begin until the 2027/28 financial year.
A new tender process is slated to begin in the next financial year.
In Warrnambool, the Council has released a draft Domestic Animal Management Plan, proposing increased patrols and a renewed push for responsible pet ownership.
The plan targets issues like nuisance animals, dog attacks and population control, with a strong focus on cat containment from sunset to sunrise.
Public submissions close Friday, May 29.
Macedon Ranges Shire Council has moved into the next stage of its upgrade of Kyneton Skatepark.
Consultation is now open on a final concept design.
Moonee Valley City Council says Ascot Vale residents have helped create a permanent public artwork for the Ascot Vale Library.
Multidisciplinary artist Olivia Chin ran community workshops using techniques including cyanotype printing, with works inspired by Queens Park.
One artwork has been installed so far, with two more to follow later this year.
New welcome signs are on the way for Corangamite Shire, with council set to begin rolling out a modern upgrade to replace aging blue signs that are nearly 20 years old.
Mayor Kate Makin says the new “welcome,” town entrance, and locality signs aim to boost community pride and support tourism.
The first 10 signs are expected to be installed in the coming weeks, starting at locations along major routes including the Princes Highway, Great Ocean Road, and Glenelg Highway.
And in some very good news, Baw Baw Shire Council’s official CEO Tilla Buden has announced she will soon be clear to take up her position, five months after announcing a surprise breast cancer diagnosis.
Ms Buden has shared the good news that her treatment has been successful, and she will soon commence a part-time transition to the role, working with interim CEO Sally Jones.
Local councils across Australia say they are being left on the “front lines” of a surging homelessness crisis.
A University of New South Wales study reveals two-thirds of councils now view homelessness as a significant or acute issue—a massive jump from just ten per cent a decade ago.
Researchers say the crisis has moved well beyond inner cities into regional and coastal hubs, leaving local governments struggling to provide support without adequate funding or housing supply.
NSW Report
In a stunning late-night reversal, Liverpool Council has scrapped a controversial plan to slash its workforce following an explosive public meeting.
The Daily Telegraph reported the chambers were a sea of high-vis this week as dozens of workers swarmed the public gallery to protest proposed “mass sackings.” The original plan—which aimed to cut 140 jobs and reduce wages by up to 15 per cent—was defeated after a group of councillors blocked an attempt to hold the debate behind closed doors.
Instead of cuts, the council has now voted to increase employee spending to over 114 million dollars. The new budget includes funding to fill 26 vacant roles in parks, waste, and compliance services.
The council’s chief executive has been ordered to remodel the budget ahead of the next meeting.
Sky-high developments could be coming to Brighton-Le-Sands and Rockdale.
A Bayside Council study suggests developers may need to build up to 20 storeys high to make future projects economically viable.
The St. George & Sutherland Shire Leader reports that while the plan is preliminary, Council will soon begin community engagement to gauge public reaction.
Georges River pensioners will not see a boost to their rate rebates this year.
The St. George & Sutherland Shire Leader reports that Councillors voted nine-to-four against reinstating a voluntary local subsidy, citing a nearly two-million-dollar budget hole if the plan moved forward.
While supporters argued the move would provide vital relief during the cost-of-living crisis, opponents say the responsibility lies with the State Government to update rebates that haven’t moved since 1993.
Council will now lobby the Local Government Minister for a formal review.
Lachlan Shire Mayor John Medcalf says the discovery of a body believed to be Julian Ingram will allow the Lake Cargelligo community to finally begin healing.
In a statement marking International Nurses Day yesterday, the Mayor praised the “resilient” community and thanked the first responders and education staff who have supported local families through the tragedy.
He says while the development won’t bring victims back, it offers a collective sigh of relief for the region.
Wagga Council has blocked a push to massively expand the Burrinjuck Dam.
In a meeting on Monday, councillors voted against a motion to lobby the federal government for a four-thousand gigalitre rebuild of the century-old structure.
The Daily Advertiser reports that while the dam upgrade was rejected, council did secure two-hundred-and-fifty-thousand dollars in state funding to accelerate regional housing projects.
Berrigan Shire Council is calling for an urgent overhaul of river management, warning that unstable water levels are “undermining” the local tourism industry.
In a submission to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan review, Mayor Julia Cornwell McKean slammed current policy as a failure, citing major financial losses for boat mechanics and event organisers.
The Council is demanding the MDBA prioritise “whole-of-economy” water flows to protect regional jobs and the visitor economy.
Cobar Shire Council is fast-tracking its 2026 Housing Strategy to keep pace with a massive expansion at the CSA Mine.
Harmony Mining is investing up to $60 million into the QTS Deeps project, which features Australia’s deepest diamond drilling program.
The Western Plains App reported that to house the required specialist crew, a temporary 50-person exploration camp is being proposed.
While typically restricted, the council is moving to support the camp under state planning policies to ensure the project—and the region’s long-term economic stability—stays on track.
Sutherland Shire Council says its lifeguards have wrapped up a demanding beach season, with rapidly changing surf conditions and heavy crowds.
More than six million people visited patrolled beaches, with 750 rescues and nearly 4,700 first-aid treatments.
Crews also responded to 51 critical incidents, often alongside NSW Ambulance and other emergency services.
The council says water-safety education reached more than 3,000 people, with culturally inclusive programs recognised in state awards.
Off-season patrols will continue at Cronulla and North Cronulla, with full services returning for the September school holidays.
Queensland Report
Prosecutors have dropped domestic violence charges against Lockhart River mayor Wayne Butcher in Far North Queensland, according to ABC News.
In the Cairns Magistrates Court on Tuesday, the prosecution offered no evidence on seven charges linked to alleged incidents in 2022 and 2024, and the case was dismissed.
Cr Butcher has been mayor since 2012, and was charged in June last year—three months after being re-elected.
Earlier this year, he pleaded guilty to two breaches of bail conditions, with no conviction recorded.
The City of Gold Coast is back in the hot seat with the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal, which for the second time this year, has slammed the council’s handling of animal management cases.
A tribunal member has accused the city of “unnecessary secrecy” and “excessive redactions” regarding a dangerous dog declaration in Hope Island.
The Gold Coast Bulletin reported that the member warned that withholding information from the public engenders distrust and is “inimical to open government.”
The council says a review is now underway.
Central Highlands Regional Council says Acting CEO Gary Stevenson’s secondment will end on May 18, with local government leader Graeme Kanofski to step in from 5pm on Friday.
Graeme has previous CEO experience at Calliope Shire and Gladstone Regional Council, and acting CEO roles at Moreton Bay, Balonne and Flinders Shire councils.
Mayor Janice Moriarty thanked Stevenson for stepping in after the recent sudden departure of Aaron Johannson, and says recruitment for a permanent CEO is continuing.
Brisbane City Council has backflipped on plans to crack down on short-stay rentals like Airbnb and Stayz, shelving a proposed permit system, according to ABC News.
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said uncertainty over foreshadowed federal tax changes to housing investment makes added regulation inappropriate right now.
But Labor opposition leader Jared Cassidy says the move is a capitulation to the short-stay industry at renters’ expense.
Tasmania
Independent Clare Glade-Wright has been officially declared the winner of the Huon Legislative Council seat, following the May 2nd ballot.
The Mercury reported that in her victory speech outside Parliament House, the former Kingborough Deputy Mayor vowed to end partisan ‘attack dynamics’ in favor of community-led collaboration.
Northern Midlands Deputy Mayor Janet Lambert has announced she will retire from local government this October, ending a fifteen-year career in the council chambers.
First elected in 2011, Cr Lambert told The Examiner that a major health scare involving her husband last year has prompted a change in perspective, leading her to prioritise family and her young grandchild.
Reflecting on her tenure, she highlighted the growth of the municipality and student bursaries as key achievements. She is now encouraging fresh faces to contest the upcoming October elections.
Burnie residents are taking their fight to a state tribunal, following the City Council’s controversial decision to sell public green space at Brickport Road.
According to The Advocate, some locals are describing the move to auction the reserve for housing as a “kick in the guts,” claiming they were promised the land would be developed into parkland.
The Council maintains the land is surplus and needed for housing, with the final outcome now resting with TASCAT.
Kingborough Council has unveiled a new large-scale mural in Kingston as part of an arts-based graffiti prevention initiative.
Created in partnership with local street artist Jake Seven, the work was painted with Kingston High School students during Term 1.
The mural features a wedge-tailed eagle over a coastal landscape from Kingston Beach to Blackmans Bay, and is located beside the Kingston Health Centre.
South Australia
Adelaide City Councillor Henry Davis is facing a formal reprimand following an investigation by the State Ombudsman.
The Advertiser reports that the watchdog found Cr Davis committed misconduct by repeatedly refusing to vote on council motions, including a major eighty-three-million-dollar financial plan.
Davis argues the motions were legally flawed and says he is only apologising under “extreme duress” to avoid further legal action.
The Ombudsman warns the behaviour shows a lack of integrity in public administration.
Mid Murray Council chief executive Ben Scales has announced he’ll resign in July, according to the Murray Bridge News.
It comes just a week after the Mayor Simone Bailey said she won’t be contesting the November council elections, and is the latest in a string of South Australian council CEOs to step down.
Mr Scales says it’s been a rewarding seven years, steering the council through COVID, the River Murray floods, and a major financial sustainability review that helped cut debt.
He is expected to move into the not-for-profit sector, and the council will begin recruiting a new CEO in the coming weeks.
A sentence has been handed down after Adelaide Hills Council successfully launched a prosecution over an unauthorised development.
The Environment, Resources and Development Court heard the owner built a large shed on a Kersbrook property after approval was refused, and failed to comply with council enforcement notices.
The defendant pleaded guilty to two offences and was fined twenty-two thousand dollars, plus more than three thousand dollars in costs and fees.
The Council said undertaking a prosecution of this type is relatively rare, but it did so due to the seriousness of the offence.
Western Australia/NT
The City of Swan is set to vote tonight on a fifty-thousand-dollar independent review of its planning department following years of resident complaints.
WA Today reports that the review—if approved—will scrutinise the council’s planning processes and decision-making over the last six years, with a specific focus on the Vines locality.
While council staff maintain that past decisions have followed regulatory requirements, a majority of councillors backed the motion in the interest of transparency.
If passed tonight, a new committee will be formed to oversee the investigation, with results expected by the end of the year.
Local Government Minister Hanna Beazley has announced the appointment of three local government adjudicators, who she says will ensure elected members adhere to the code of conduct.
Rob Lilley will be the inaugural Principal Adjudicator, with Connor Fahey and Lee Mcintosh appointed deputy adjudicators.
They will be responsible for assessing conduct breach complaints referred to them by the local government inspector.
The Town of Port Hedland has joined the Australian Mining Cities Alliance, strengthening its voice on the pressures mining places on local communities.
Councillors backed the move this week, citing impacts on housing, essential services and infrastructure.
Port Hedland joins other major mining hubs in the alliance including Kalgoorlie‑Boulder, Karratha and the East Pilbara.
The City of Darwin is defending a major parking blitz at the Nightcliff Seabreeze Festival that saw one-hundred and thirty-six tickets issued over the weekend.
As reported by the NT News, frustrated locals have slammed the move as a “revenue raise,” with some residents even being fined outside their own homes.
However, Council insists the sting was requested by police and traffic controllers to clear blocked driveways and emergency access points.
Officials say while rangers focused on education first, the infringements were necessary for community safety.
Global Report
UK:
The minister responsible for the local government devolution process, Miatta Fahnbulleh, has resigned her post and is urging Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to set a timetable for what she calls an “orderly transition”.
Local Government Chronicle reported that she no longer believes Sir Keir can deliver promised change.
Her departure follows a wave of resignations by junior government figures and mounting pressure from Labour backbenchers after heavy local election losses.
A newly elected Reform UK councillor in Essex has resigned following an investigation into extremist social media posts.
The Guardian reported that Stuart Prior, who won the highest vote share in his ward last Thursday, stepped down after the release of a dossier alleged he made a series of racist and anti-Muslim remarks, including celebrating the rape of a Sikh woman.
Reform UK says Mr Prior’s membership has been revoked. It comes as several other newly elected Reform and Green party councillors face similar scrutiny over allegations of antisemitism and hate speech.
Reform UK has suspended the leader of Worcestershire County Council, Jo Monk, according to the BBC.
The party says the move comes after Ms. Monk refused to accept a “democratic decision” by fellow councillors to replace her as the group’s leader last month.
Her son, Councillor Ashley Monk, has also been suspended. The leadership row follows a period of financial turbulence for the council.
Ms. Monk is expected to address the situation at a full council meeting this Thursday.
USA:
In California, the mayor of Arcadia, Eileen Wang, has resigned after the US Justice Department charged her with acting as an illegal foreign agent for China.
According to The Guardian, prosecutors say Wang agreed to plead guilty to a felony count that carries a potential 10-year prison sentence.
Court documents allege she worked with others to push pro-Beijing propaganda through a website targeting the local Chinese American community, and that the conduct ended after she took office in late 2022.
City officials say no municipal staff, money, or decisions were involved.
The Mayor of Cohutta, Georgia has dissolved the town’s entire police department and fired all 10 employees after officers allegedly made inappropriate Facebook comments about the mayor’s wife.
Mayor Ron Shinnick says they’ll still be paid and it’s “time for a change.”
The county sheriff’s office is expected to take over policing. Reporting via the New York Post.
Panthalassa, a Portland-based ocean technology company, has raised 140 million dollars in investor funding, to build autonomous floating “nodes” that generate electricity from ocean waves.
That energy would then be used to run AI computer chips at sea, sending results back to land by satellite.
Panthalassa says a pilot manufacturing facility near Portland will be completed with the new funding, with first Ocean-3 deployments planned for 2026 and commercial rollouts targeted for 2027.
CANADA:
A new report to Vancouver City Council reveals a record high in the city’s homeless population, with a sharp rise in women and minority groups.
According to CBC News, Vancouver’s unhoused population hit over 2,700 people last year—a 12 percent increase from 2023.
The data highlights a disproportionate impact on Indigenous and Black residents, while women now account for nearly 30 percent of those without stable housing.
Officials cite rising evictions and low incomes as primary drivers of the crisis.
JAPAN:
A town council in north-east Japan has taken the rare step of voting to remove their mayor, in unusual cicumstances.
Seventy-two-year-old Kikuo Hatakeyama has been unconscious for several months.
The long-serving mayor of Hachirogata, suffered a brain hemorrhage in February.
BBC News reports that because local law prevents family members from resigning on a mayor’s behalf, the assembly unanimously passed a no-confidence motion as the only legal way to vacate the seat.