Today on the Local Government News Roundup:

• A wave of condemnation from across the local government sector, in the wake of Monday’s horrific attack on MP Helen Haines. Reaction from councils and representative bodies across the country.Also today:
• Industrial action escalates in Melbourne’s west
• Clarence Valley’s new administrator starts work
• Gilgandra Shire appoints its new General Manager
• The Queensland Government’s response a local government Depreciation Taskforce report
• and yet another South Australian Council parts ways with its CEO

Also today:

Former mayor Anne-Marie Cade on how councils can manage conflict, later in this episode.

Listen now wherever you listen to podcasts.

The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, the national broadcaster on all things local government; with support from Symphony3 – simple, connected customer experiences; and Rath Engineering Development – smarter local government systems built from real on-the-ground experience.

In this episode:

National

Local government leaders have joined a wave of condemnation after the violent attack on the Federal Member for Indi, Dr Helen Haines, in Wangaratta on Monday.

A joint statement from four Victorian MPs and nine mayors across Victoria’s Indi region said threats, intimidation and violence have no place in our democracy. It said, quote, “We will not allow intimidation to silence public voices.”

The Rural City of Wangaratta is holding a special council meeting at midday today to acknowledge the impact of the incident on the local community and the broader Indi electorate. The council will consider a formal response on behalf of the Wangaratta community.

Councils and representative bodies have been responding with formal statements of their own.

The Victorian Local Governance Association said it was shocked and deeply saddened by the attack on Dr Haines. It said this must be a turning point, and that protecting democracy and gender equity in representation demands we address abuse and discrimination in our political culture.

From the MAV, an acknowledgement that councillors have not been immune to the increased level of threats to the safety of elected members.

It has echoed the Prime Minister’s call to reflect on the state of our political discourse and lower the temperature.

Glen Eira City Council in Melbourne’s inner south-east said those who put themselves forward to serve their communities should be able to do so safely and without fear of violence.

The Australian Local Government Association said the incident highlights growing concern about abuse directed at elected representatives at every level of government. A-L-G-A President, Mayor Matt Burnett, said councillors are particularly exposed because they are so accessible to the people they serve. He said that accessibility must not come at the cost of personal safety.

Cr Burnett cited a recent Women for Election survey, in which ninety per cent of the elected women surveyed had experienced online abuse or intimidation linked to their political participation. He warned that good people, particularly women, may be discouraged from standing.

The Australian Local Government Women’s Association is calling for urgent government action following a rise in political attacks, including a recent incident where a female mayor’s car was firebombed outside her home. ALGWA National President Cr Kylie Spears condemned the escalating violence and intimidation against elected representatives, urging law enforcement and political leaders to strengthen safety protections.

Gold Coast City Council in Queensland says it is reviewing its security protocols and meeting procedures in the wake of the attack.

The Mayor of Moreton Bay City Council, Peter Flannery said the incident was deeply concerning, and that “no one should ever have to fear for their safety whilst serving their community or participating in our democracy.”

Local leaders have highlighted rising safety concerns across the sector, and also pushing for local government figures to be formally included in national political threat tracking data.

Councillor and former mayor at Moyne Shire, Karen Foster said, “Those of us in leadership positions of all kinds have an important role to play in modelling healthy debate – the kind that “plays the ball, not the person”. In choosing to discuss ideas respectfully and genuinely listen to alternate points of view.”

“In fact,” Cr Foster says, “I think this is our obligation.”

Victoria

Industrial action is escalating in the multi-employer bargaining talks between eight Melbourne councils and four unions.

Australian Services Union members at Hobsons Bay walked off the job for an hour on Tuesday and rallied in Altona, with another rally planned for Thursday.

Staff at Hobsons Bay and Maribyrnong are also undertaking protected work bans, Star Weekly reports.

The union says 98 per cent of its members rejected the councils’ offer of 2.75 per cent, with later rises tied to the rate cap. It is seeking 22 per cent over four years.

The Victorian Government is targeting illegal dumping hotspots in four council areas, using new drones, cameras and extra officers.

Hume, Banyule, Melton and Greater Geelong will work with the twenty-one-point-five million dollar Illegal Waste Dumping Taskforce.

The equipment includes drones that detect waste hidden under vegetation or buried below ground, plus cameras that capture trucks from a kilometre away.

Minister for Environment Jaclyn Symes says it is now harder for dumpers to hide.

Individuals face fines of up to about eight hundred thousand dollars, or five years in prison.

The City of Greater Geelong is seeking proposals from private tourism operators to manage its historic waterfront carousel under a new masterplan.

The Geelong Advertiser reported that the council is aiming to boost tourism, functions, and the local economy while maintaining council ownership of the land and building.

CEO Ali Wastie said the changes may require organisational changes, impacting some current employee and volunteer roles, with council committing to support anyone affected.

Maribyrnong Council has reversed its 2019 stance on a contentious proposal by Orion West to build 232 townhouses on former defence department land, now indicating support in a draft submission to the Department of Transport and Planning.

The Star Weekly reported that the council’s change of position follows the developer addressing earlier concerns around contamination remediation and vehicle access.

However, local residents remain firmly opposed, raising concerns over toxic health risks, environmental damage, and the use of public parkland for access.

The Victorian Government has granted final approval for the Warracknabeal Energy Park, which is set to become one of the largest wind energy developments in the Southern Hemisphere.

While the project underwent a thorough environment effects statement process, Yarriambiack Shire Council has expressed concern that the final approval was granted through a planning scheme amendment rather than a standard planning permit.

Mayor Andrew McLean noted that this ministerial pathway exempted the project from usual notice and exhibition requirements, limiting further community submissions, with CEO Tammy Smith saying the council had little notice and was “blindsided” by the amendment.

The Weekly Times notes that it was one of seven planning amendments approved by Minister Sonya Kilkenny last Friday alone, and 106 to have been signed off since July 1st.

Hume City Council is asking residents what should feature on the city’s first official civic emblem.

The emblem is intended to reflect the history and identity of Hume and its First Peoples, and would be used for ceremonial purposes. It would not replace the council’s logo. The council says the emblem is a chance to celebrate the city’s history, culture and diversity.

Residents can suggest local animals, plants, landmarks and stories through the council’s online consultation page. Submissions close on the fifteenth of November.

New South Wales

John Rayner PSM has commenced a three month appointment as interim administrator for Clarence Valley Council, following an announcement last week by the NSW Minister for Local Government, which included the suspension of the elected body.

Mr Rayner assumes the roles and responsibilities of the councillors while overseeing governance reviews and the appointment of a new general manager.

The council says its operations, meetings, and community services will continue as normal during his tenure.

The New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal has overturned a Clarence Valley Council directive restricting permanent residency at the Brooms Head Holiday Park to people aged fifty-five and over.

ABC News reported that the tribunal found no clear purpose or justification behind the age rule introduced by the council.

It’s a significant development for permanent van owners facing eviction notices across coastal caravan parks in the region. Legal proceedings regarding remaining displacement cases and ongoing settlement negotiations are expected to continue before the tribunal.

Gilgandra Shire Council has appointed Kathryn Larkin as its permanent G-M.

Ms Larkin has served as Interim G-M since July the thirty-first, and joined the council in twenty seventeen. Her permanent appointment takes effect on Monday, October the twenty-sixth.

Mayor Cr Nick White said her leadership will give the council stability, continuity and momentum as major projects continue. Those include a new sewer treatment plant, the Hunter Park Precinct, and a digital transformation roadmap.

The now former Hunters Hill independent councillor Marc Lane says a hostile work environment was the motivating factor in his recent resignation, and he’s warning of systemic toxicity across the local government sector.

Mr Lane, an urban planner elected in 2024, told the Sydney Morning Herald that council chambers often adopt a command and control culture that stifles debate and alienates local communities. He pointed to the Gladesville rezoning proposal as an example of failure to listen to the community.

However, Liberal councillor Carla Kassab rejected the claims of a hostile environment. She says disagreements are standard practice and that extensive community consultation supported the Gladesville rezoning proposal.

General manager Nick Tobin said Hunters Hill Council meetings consistently highlight a robust, engaged chamber, and a council committed to open governance.

Upper Hunter Shire Council has criticised the decision to shelve a review of how Financial Assistance Grants are distributed across New South Wales.

The N-S-W Local Government Grants Commission met on October the thirteenth and decided to keep the existing methodology. Under the draft model, Upper Hunter’s projected allocation for twenty twenty-seven to twenty-eight was about nine point two million dollars, compared with seven point three million under the current approach.

Mayor Cr Pat Ryan said fairness must mean more than preserving the status quo. The Commission has indicated it may revisit a revised model for the twenty twenty-nine to thirty council term, if additional Commonwealth funding becomes available.

Council is also seeking a detailed explanation of how submissions shaped the decision.

However, Greater Hume Council has welcomed the news of the dropped proposal, estimating it could have faced a shortfall of $3.86 million and the potential loss of up to 90 jobs.

Mayor Lea Parker told the Border Mail that her council would not have survived two years, without a cut to a third of its services and a third of its staff under the proposed methodology.

The City of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie City Council issued a joint statement, saying the proposal would have seen their councils lose nearly $200 million over the next decade. They also acknowledged the efforts of Central Coast and MidCoast Councils for standing firm with them against the proposed changes, along with the mayor of Muswellbrook, Jeff Drayton.

In more news out of Lake Macquarie this week, the council has welcomed news that the New South Wales Government has nominated Teralba as the preferred site for a 12 billion dollar train manufacturing facility, forming a key component of the state’s Future Fleet program.

The former mining land will be repurposed to support regional economic transition and long-term industrial capability, and create a multi-decade pipeline of passenger train manufacturing and fleet replacement.

Uralla Shire Council is asking the N-S-W Government to extend public exhibition of the Environmental Impact Statement for the New England Renewable Energy Zone Transmission Project.

Council has written to Planning Minister Paul Scully, requesting at least four more weeks on the current twenty-eight-day period, and preferably until December the thirty-first.

Mayor Cr Robert Bell said expecting communities and councils to review the technical material in that time was “simply unrealistic”.

Queensland

The Queensland Government has released its response to the Depreciation Taskforce report, setting out a pathway to strengthen council financial sustainability.

The Taskforce was set up after councils raised concerns, and its report found there is no one-size-fits-all approach to depreciation across Queensland councils.

Three early priority reforms are due to be completed by May the first, twenty twenty-seven. Local Government Minister Ann Leahy said the changes will reduce the impact of donated and grant-funded non-critical assets, and make council reporting clearer.

Gold Coast City Council has launched an investigation after koala habitats were illegally cleared on properties in Currumbin over consecutive weekends, according to the Gold Coast Bulletin.

Local councillors raised concerns during a planning committee meeting, highlighting a current gap in compliance operations that leaves remnant vegetation unprotected outside standard business hours.

Officials are now reviewing after hours service arrangements to determine how compliance monitoring can be improved.

Tasmania

Seven councillors at Clarence City Council successfully blocked four late motions during the final meeting before the state’s local government elections.

According to The Mercury, the procedural votes deferred matters including outdoor dining and sports lease fees to the incoming intake.

Voting is currently underway across Tasmania with counting to commence from October 28.

Former Kingborough Mayor Paula Wriedt has warned that local government code of conduct processes are unfit for purpose and disproportionately fail female leaders.

Speaking to the Mercury, Ms Wriedt said the system forces victims into unsafe mediation environments and is increasingly misused for political point scoring.

The comments highlight ongoing sector concerns regarding the financial burdens on councils, following revelations that Hobart City Council spent nearly half a million dollars on legal and governance matters this term.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff acknowledged that personal attacks discourage quality candidates from entering public life, though he stopped short of committing to further process reforms.

More than 180,000 Tasmanians had returned their ballots as of last Friday, representing 42.7 percent of eligible voters across all 29 councils according to the Tasmanian Electoral Commission.

Completed ballot papers must reach the commission by 2:00 pm on Tuesday, October 27, to be included in the formal count.

Dorset Council has formally concluded its response to the Board of Inquiry following the completion of all required ministerial directions and the acceptance of a government cost recovery proposal.

Mayor Rhys Beattie confirmed that the council satisfied the state requirements by the end of last December, with the local government minister verifying compliance in February.

The process involved strengthened governance controls, conflict of interest procedures, and policy reviews, culminating in a total cost recovery of more than 356,000 dollars payable over three annual instalments.

South Australia

South Australia’s Kingston District Council has ended the employment of its C-E-O, Mr Ian Hart, effective five pm on Monday of this week.

At a special meeting last Thursday, the council determined a change in executive leadership was in the best interests of the organisation. Mr Hart joined in January twenty twenty-four.

Director Corporate Services Ms Heather Schinckel is Acting C-E-O while recruitment begins.

According to Adelaide Now, Mr Hart is the sixteenth South Australian council C-E-O to leave in two years.

Western Australia

The Town of Cambridge is urging the Western Australian Government to fund the cost of removing a 31-tonne whale carcass from South City Beach – reported by PerthNow to be in the order of $180,000.

Deputy Mayor Ben Mayes has put forward a motion arguing that local ratepayers should not bear the financial burden for an incident managed alongside six state agencies.

The council will vote on whether to demand full reimbursement next week.

International

UK:

Councillors at Medway Council in England have voted unanimously to ask the police watchdog, the I-O-P-C, to examine how Kent Police handled a fraud investigation.

The case concerned allegations of financial wrongdoing at Medway Commercial Group, the council’s former trading arm. Kent Police shelved it after seven years, saying it did not meet the evidential standard to proceed. No-one has been charged.

Council leader Cr Vince Maple said Kent Police had “badly let down the taxpayers of Medway”, according to the BBC.

HUNGARY:

More than two hundred and fifty local leaders have gathered for a regional forum in Hungary, hosted by the National Association of Local Governments, to discuss future municipal reforms and budgetary planning.

According to Hungary Today, invited government officials withdrew their attendance consecutively, leaving key consultations without state representation.

László Horinka, mayor of Sülysáp, criticised those cancellations, stating that courtesy visits cannot replace substantive professional dialogue.

Local authorities continue to press the cabinet for transparent engagement regarding upcoming constitutional and administrative restructurings.

JAPAN:

Japan’s municipal sector is reflecting on safety procedures this week following the tragic death of Saijo City Deputy Mayor Akihiro Nabae during a traditional autumn festival on the weekend.

According to Aktualita.co, the sixty-two year old official was crushed underneath a three-tonne festival float while participating as a bearer.

Local police and municipal authorities are currently investigating the exact cause of the accident, which has resulted in renewed scrutiny over crowd control and heavy equipment protocols at historic civic events.

USA:

A Florida jury has found former Fort Pierce City Council administrator and city manager Nicholas Mimms guilty of official misconduct following a two-week trial.

Reporting from Treasure Coast Newspapers notes that while jurors acquitted him of a separate bid tampering charge, he was convicted of improperly steering a municipal property lease toward a nonprofit involving his niece.

The third-degree felony carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Sentencing has been scheduled for December 11.

NZ:

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has defended a recent concert that ran twenty two minutes past its permitted curfew, according to the NZ Herald.

The event, which suffered earlier technical delays, has left Auckland Council weighing whether to issue a twelve hundred dollar fine for the breach.

Local government officials are continuing discussions on enforcement amid questions around venue management protocols.

Gisborne District Council in New Zealand has won a national innovation award for using artificial intelligence to map woody debris left by Cyclone Gabrielle.

The council took the SuperIdea award at the L-G-N-Z SuperLocal conference in Rotorua on Thursday. Developed with consultancy Interpine, the system lets crews prioritise removal by risk, rather than clearing sites one by one.

The council says the approach supported fifty million dollars of recovery work and saved more than one million dollars.

ROUNDUP EXTRA:

Anne-Marie Cade joins Chris to preview an upcoming online session – Skills for Leading in Uncivil Times – and to give us an update on the pending release of her new book on Civility.

Details and bookings for the online session on 29th October here.

Before we go, I should note that my conversation with Anne-Marie was recorded before Monday’s shocking incident in Wangaratta in which federal MP Dr Helen Haines was attacked and sustained terrible injuries.

In a LinkedIn post, Anne-marie said, “Violence has no place in politics. Democracy depends on disagreement. We need people who will argue for what they believe in, challenge decisions and hold power to account. But we can do that without contempt. We can disagree without dehumanising.”

She has called for more compassion, and for this to be a turning point in Australian politics.