Date: 19th June 2026
The Victorian Government’s new legislation aimed at strengthening council governance has drawn sharp criticism for failing to crack down on political donations.
The bill follows years of integrity warnings, most notably from the anti-corruption watchdog’s Operation Sandon report into the Casey Council scandal.
While Local Government Minister Paul Hamer stated the changes are vital to restoring public trust, the new laws remain completely silent on capping developer donations.
The Age reported that the government has instead deferred any potential donation reforms until the 2028 municipal elections.
Integrity experts have labelled the delay “hard to understand,” pointing out that strict new donation caps were recently rushed through for state elections but left local councils exposed.
The legislation does introduce powers to remove mayors who lose the confidence of their council, but critics argue that without tackling campaign finance, the sector’s biggest integrity loophole remains wide open.