Today on the Local Government News Roundup:
- Geelong fires back as the state moves to override local planning
- Ballarat budget deadlock broken by mayor’s casting vote
- A former MP lines up for the Kingston by-election
- A mayor accused of a policy “sleight of hand”
- Councils cut off water access over REZ supply fears
- A Queensland mayor resigns on health grounds
- A councillor resignation in Tasmania
- A five month delay for SA Council elections locked in
and more local government news from across Australia and beyond.
Listen now:
Victoria
The Victorian Government’s announcement that it is bypassing the City of Greater Geelong on four housing precincts has drawn a pointed rebuttal from the council.
The state this week accused Greater Geelong of failing to submit a single Precinct Structure Plan since 2023 — but Deputy Mayor Cr Eddy Kontelj says that characterisation is simply not accurate, and that at no stage has the state formally raised concerns with the council about its performance.
Cr Kontelj says a number of the projects have faced delays outside council’s control, including state government approval processes, environmental assessments, and delayed responses to requests for information the council needed to move forward.
Greater Geelong says it has delivered seven Precinct Structure Plans over the past decade, and remains committed to working constructively with the state on housing delivery.
Budget season is producing some heated chambers in regional Victoria. Two councils — Ballarat and Moorabool — both passed their 2026–27 budgets this week, each settling on a 2.75 per cent rate rise, and neither without a fight.
At Ballarat, the City’s $245 million budget passed on the casting vote of Mayor Cr Tracey Hargreaves, after the chamber deadlocked four votes to four.
The Courier reported that a minority bloc pushed for a lower 1.75 per cent increase, citing cost-of-living pressures on local families. Supporters of the budget argued a rates freeze the previous year had already left the council carrying a compounding deficit of more than 16 million dollars, and that the modest increase was needed to protect a new inflationary reserve for capital works.
At Moorabool, the budget — with a $33 million capital works program — passed six votes to three, but not before a contentious debate over waste charges, as reported by the Star Weekly.
A proposed increase to the waste management levy of 27 per cent drew pushback from councillors representing rural ratepayers, who argued it was unfair to apply the charge across properties without dwellings.
While both councils have landed at the same rate rise figure, the debates in each chamber reflect the same underlying tension many councils are navigating this budget season: how to sustain services and infrastructure in the face of rising costs, while managing community expectations on affordability.
Thirteen candidates have nominated for the Melaleuca Ward postal by-election at Kingston City Council in Victoria. The field includes former Liberal member for Bass, Brian Paynter
The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Tessa Law earlier this year.
Voting closes at six p-m on Friday the thirty-first of July.
The V-E-C is urging voters not to leave it to the last minute — completed ballot packs must be posted or hand delivered by the deadline.
Murrindindi Shire Council is urging the Victorian Government to extend free bushfire waste disposal until June next year.
The current arrangement ends 30 June, but many residents are still cleaning up from the January fires.
Without an extension, disposal fees would rise to more than $362 per tonne from 1 July.
Mayor Cr Damien Gallagher says recovery doesn’t happen to a government deadline, and withdrawing support now would shift significant costs onto households already under pressure.
The City of Melton is leading Victoria in measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination rates following a targeted immunisation drive.
In partnership with the Western Public Health Unit, the council is delivering free catch-up MMR vaccines to adults aged 20 to 59 to address critical immunity gaps across Melbourne’s western suburbs.
The free program will run until September 30th to combat a recent rise in state-wide measles cases.
The Echuca Country Music Festival is locked in for the next two years, with Campaspe Shire Council committing support for events in 2027 and 2028.
The festival returns to Echuca Racecourse next April with the artist line-up to be announced in coming months. Organisers say the event will boost local tourism and business.
A conservation partnership led by the Mornington Peninsula Shire has recorded a major milestone, with the local Southern Brown Bandicoot population more than tripling since its reintroduction.
The project—a collaboration between the Shire, the state government, and Victorian universities—has successfully established a breeding population at The Briars sanctuary, demonstrating the vital role that local government can play in restoring regional biodiversity.
NSW
Randwick City Council will pay a six-year-old girl one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars in damages, after a heavy table toppled onto her head at a Maroubra leisure centre café.
The child was left with a permanent forehead scar and underwent surgery.
News dot com dot au reported that a court has upheld findings the council was negligent, but cut fifty thousand dollars from the payout, ruling the future economic loss claim was speculative.
The council says the tables have since been removed.
Shellharbour Mayor Chris Homer has been accused of misleading councillors during a chamber debate.
The Illawarra Mercury, Mayor Homer represented internal staff guidelines as formal, adopted council policy during a discussion on event protocols.
Despite the Mayor’s objections, the chamber subsequently passed a motion ensuring all elected members are officially invited to future council-organised events.
Multiple regional councils have blocked EnergyCo from accessing town water supplies for the construction of the New England Renewable Energy Zone.
The Armidale, Uralla, Walcha, and Tamworth councils cite severe long-term water security risks, demanding the state government commit to funding local infrastructure upgrades before the 2028 build begins.
According to ABC News, project demands during peak periods are projected to exceed local water treatment capacities by more than three hundred per cent.
The Hills Shire Council has criticised the New South Wales government’s approval of a twenty-three-storey modular housing precinct in Rouse Hill.
Mayor Michelle Byrne warns the five-hundred and forty-eight home project ignores critical infrastructure constraints and overrides local strategic planning meant for employment hubs.
The Hills Shire Times reported that the Department of Planning has defended the decision, saying the high-density project met all required standards following a rigorous merit assessment.
Armidale Regional Council has accepted the findings of an NSW Audit Office review into its long-term financial planning.
While meeting mandatory legislative requirements, the report highlighted a need for stronger asset data and scenario modelling.
The Council says historical merger disruptions impacted past data quality, and improvements are underway via its ‘One Council’ systems integration project.
The New South Wales Government has committed nearly fifteen million dollars to finalise the design of a new twelve-thousand-seat entertainment and conference centre at Broadmeadow.
The City of Newcastle announced that the funding clears the way for the four-hundred-and-ninety-nine-million-dollar arena, which was a key priority in the council’s recent pre-budget submission to unlock a major residential and entertainment precinct.
Port Stephens Council has voted to revise the footprint of its proposed Salamander Bay Town Centre development, completely removing it from the mapped Mambo-Wanda Wetland Buffer Zone.
Following community feedback over environmental sensitivities, Mayor Leah Anderson confirmed the adjustment to the 155 Salamander Way site.
A revised report detailing how the site will still deliver key worker and affordable housing within permitted building heights is expected to go before Council this August.
The Goulburn Post tells a tale of two regional New South Wales councils over elected member remuneration.
Goulburn Mulwaree councillors voted seven-two to accept a recommended three-point-seven per cent allowance increase alongside their annual budget.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Upper Lachlan Shire councillors rejected the same local government remuneration tribunal recommendation in a four-three vote.
A significant piece of local heritage has been restored on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. The 170-year-old sandstone kangaroo statue in Manly has undergone extensive repairs after its head was removed in February. For the first time in over seven decades, the monument’s ears have also been fully restored.
Northern Beaches Council announced that Sydney stone artist Daniel de Chellis completed the delicate project this month, using specialised aging techniques to match the historic weathered sandstone.
Queensland
Tablelands Regional Council Mayor Rod Marti has resigned on health grounds, effective close of business Monday the twenty-ninth of June.
Mayor Marti was hospitalised in May following a serious medical event and subsequently flown to Townsville University Hospital for urgent treatment.
In his resignation statement, Mayor Marti said it had become clear there was only one responsible pathway forward. Deputy Mayor Dave Bilney will act as Mayor during the vacancy.
Under Queensland’s Local Government Act 2009, a by-election must be held within two months of the office becoming vacant.
The Comiskey Group has launched a Planning and Environment Court appeal against a 15-million-dollar infrastructure charges notice issued by Sunshine Coast Council.
The developer claims the charges for its proposed Coochin Creek festival site are irrational and lack foundation, according to ABC News.
Queensland Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie has criticised the council fees, saying they risk delaying major eco-tourism projects.
A petition opposing Sunshine Coast Council’s 9.7 percent average rates rise has passed 3,000 signatures, with residents urging increases be kept within the Consumer Price Index.
The council says the petition hasn’t been formally lodged yet, so it’s not under consideration, according to the Sunshine Coast News.
Sunshine Coast Council has finalised extensive stabilisation works at First Bay in Coolum, successfully restoring public access following a major landslip in 2022.
Jointly funded by the federal and state governments under disaster recovery arrangements, the complex engineering project involved installing 92 deep foundation piles to anchor the hillside.
Isaac Regional Council Mayor Kelly Vea Vea says it was a case of “budget déjà vu” this week, with funding for long-awaited overtaking lanes on the Peak Downs Highway reaffirmed in the state budget.
But the Mayor said it’s time for the State Government to stop re-announcing projects and start delivering.
The Council had strongly lobbied for funding across five priority road networks, pointing out that the Isaac region generates roughly 60 per cent of the state’s coal royalties.
Gold Coast City councillors have questioned the appointment of a new six-figure management role during recent closed-door budget sessions.
A report by the Gold Coast Bulletin reveals the three-hundred-thousand-dollar advisory position carries no direct reports.
Council administration has declined to comment, citing confidentiality, but maintained that robust recruitment practices were followed.
The Governor of Queensland, Dr Jeannette Young, has officially recognised the collaborative response to the March floods at a community luncheon in Bundaberg.
Addressing attendees at the Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery, Mayor Helen Blackburn commended the Local Disaster Management Group’s efforts in guiding residents through the recovery process.
Representatives from emergency services, the local council, and volunteer service agencies were presented with the Governor’s medallion for their service on the ground.
Townsville City Council has deployed its 6.5-tonne aquatic weed harvester to Black Weir to clear invasive vegetation and improve water quality.
The machine, nicknamed the Ross Nest Muncher, removes roughly 5,500 cubic metres of weeds annually. The cleared material is being repurposed along riverbanks to naturally smother land-based weeds, reducing manual maintenance costs and preventing erosion.
Tasmania
Meander Valley Councillor Christine Cronshaw has resigned, effective this week. No reason was given for the resignation.
Ms Cronshaw joined Council in February 2025 and represented Council on several forums.
The Council said the vacancy will remain until the next local government election, due in October.
Hobart City Council will consider a master plan on Monday for a transit hub at Halls Saddle to alleviate congestion on kunanyi/Mount Wellington.
Estimates for the disused quarry site range from fifteen to thirty-five million dollars, according to Pulse Tasmania.
Councillors will note the report while strategic decisions regarding future summit access are finalised.
Devonport City Council has unanimously approved a $122,500 sponsorship package to back 11 local sporting events next financial year, comprising both cash and in-kind support.
Significantly, the package includes a conditional $40,000 commitment earmarked for the Devonport Triathlon, aiming to help organisers secure international World Cup status.
According to The Mercury, other multi-year agreements include funding for the Devonport Christmas Carnival and the Pickleball Grand Slam, which leadership describes as vital investments to keep the community active and engaged.
South Australia
South Australia’s local government elections have been officially delayed until April 2027, after urgent legislation passed both houses of state parliament yesterday.
Polling day has moved from November this year to 7 April 2027 — a deferral sought by the acting Electoral Commissioner to avoid a repeat of state election difficulties.
The bill passed the upper house ten votes to seven.
Crucially, the legislation also permanently separates future council elections from state election years — a reform the Electoral Commission has been advocating since 2006.
The City of Mount Gambier is calling for public assistance following the theft of multiple Automated External Defibrillators from key community sites.
The life-saving units, costing over $2,000 each, were taken from several locations, including the Blue Lake Welcome Centre and the Civic Centre.
Council Chief Executive Paul Simpson warned the thefts leave dangerous gaps in emergency response times. Anyone with information is urged to contact South Australia Police immediately.
International
UK:
A British local authority has apologised after issuing parking fines to motorists stranded by a fatal train crash.
Bedford Borough Council confirmed it has taken corrective action to rescind penalties issued to drivers who were ordered away from the station area following Friday’s major incident.
That report from BBC News.
BBC News also reports this morning that Sunderland City Council has voted to scrap its climate emergency declaration.
The authority, now led by Reform UK after May’s election, repealed the 2019 motion at its first full meeting.
Councillor Bill Blackett said the declaration distorted spending priorities, while Labour warned it could damage investor confidence in the region’s renewables sector.
The BBC reported the motion passed by 48 votes to 15.
Sunderland is the latest in a growing number of UK councils to have made, or be planning to make, similar moves.
The Local Government Chronicle reports that Croydon Council, which is under statutory intervention, will lose its interim chief executive, Elaine Jackson, in September.
Mayor Jason Perry noted Elaine she will have led the organisation for nearly a year as intended by the time of her departure.
Commissioners have been appointed to oversee the council until July next year.
USA:
A battle of political will in Bloomington, Indiana, where Mayor Kerry Thomson has vetoed a council ordinance to pedestrianise a major thoroughfare over the summer months.
The Mayor cited a lack of formal community consultation and rigorous fiscal impact assessments for the decision.
The city council will consider a veto override at its next meeting on July 22, reports The B Square Bulletin.
A new poll suggests most Texans don’t want data centres built in their communities.
The University of Texas and Texas Politics Project survey, reported by USA Today, found 56 percent of voters oppose local construction, with 42 percent strongly opposed.
It comes as Governor Greg Abbott urges regulators to make data centres pay for the grid infrastructure they require and to cut transmission costs for residential customers.
The issue is also fuelling concerns about power demand and water use, with state lawmakers expected to consider tighter rules in 2027.
NZ:
Wellington City Council has ordered an independent review into the procurement of its new library website following widespread concern over its six-hundred-thousand-dollar cost.
Former Government Chief Digital Officer Colin MacDonald will conduct the value-for-money investigation, evaluating whether council policies were strictly followed during the project’s delivery.
Council CEO Matt Prosser said there had been considerable public interest about the cost of the standalone website, and commissioned the review to understand what happened, and identify lessons that can be applied.