Murrindindi Council urges state to extend free bushfire waste disposal

Date: 25 June 2026 Murrindindi Shire Council is calling on the Victorian Government to extend free bushfire waste disposal at council sites until 30 June 2027, warning that ending the current arrangement on 30 June 2026 would shift recovery costs directly onto fire-affected residents still working through the aftermath of January’s bushfires. Council expects to […]

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Alcohol scrapped, by-elections set and another councillor suspension – #604

Today on the Local Government News Roundup: And much more local government news from around Australia. Listen to this episode now. Victoria Wyndham City councillor Josh Gilligan has been suspended for the second time in four months after an independent arbiter found he misrepresented the council’s position on the proposed redevelopment of RAAF Base Point […]

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Two Councillors from Melbourne’s West Suspended Following Arbiter Rulings

Date: 24 June 2026 Two councillors in Melbourne’s west have been suspended from their duties this week following separate internal arbitration processes — with both findings citing breaches of the Model Councillor Code of Conduct. Melton: Cr Ashleigh Vandenberg — two months Melton Councillor Ashleigh Vandenberg has been suspended for two months and ordered to […]

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Lower Eyre CEO Appointed

Lower Eyre Council has announced the appointment of Marnie Lock as its new Chief Executive Officer. Lock brings over 30 years of local government experience to the role, having most recently served as the General Manager of Community and Business and Acting CEO at the City of Holdfast Bay. Ms Lock will oversee key regional […]

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Report: Bayside Council goes to court over activity centre planning documents

Date: 23rd June 2026 Bayside City Council has filed in the Supreme Court seeking to compel Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny to hand over the ministerial briefs and advice that underpinned the state government’s controversial activity centre planning amendment. This is according a report today from The Age. The amendment overrides local planning controls across nine […]

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New research links councillor mental health to decision-making quality

Date: 23rd June 2026 Preliminary findings from the largest study ever conducted into the mental health and wellbeing of Australian politicians suggest the sector faces a governance challenge as much as a personal welfare one, with a significant proportion of elected representatives reporting that poor mental health is affecting their capacity to contribute fully in […]

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