Today on the Local Government News Roundup:

• Council workers march of the Victorian Parliament
• Mornington Peninsula’s mayoral deadlock broken
• South Australia’s council elections to be put back five months
• Albury Council floats a 40 per cent rate increase proposal
• Newcastle’s quarter of a million dollar fire cleanup bill
• Rate rises locked in, and a budget showdown, in Queensland
• and a UK council in political limbo, unable to elect a new leader

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Stories in this episode:

Victorian Report

A major disruption for Victorian local government today as an estimated 1,500 council workers march on State Parliament.

The 24-hour strike, organised by the Australian Services Union, impacts eight Melbourne councils—including Darebin, Hume, and Greater Dandenong. Frontline services such as waste collection, road maintenance, and libraries face significant delays.

The union is demanding a 10 per cent wage increase for the first year, pointing to a seven per cent drop in real wages since 2021. Meanwhile, councils blame the state-imposed rate caps for the ongoing enterprise bargaining deadlock.

Councillor Stephen Batty is the new Mayor of Mornington Peninsula Shire, after the council reconvened last night to ultimately break a voting deadlock from last week.

The election followed the resignation of Anthony Marsh, who recently transitioned to state politics as the Member for Nepean.

Mayor Batty pledged to focus on community advocacy and service delivery.

Councillor Paul Pingiaro remains in his role as Deputy Mayor.

The G21 alliance of councils is calling on the Victorian government for clearer guidelines to manage coastal overgrowth.

Borough of Queenscliffe mayor Donnie Grigau and Colac Otway Shire mayor Jason Schram say spreading vegetation and weeds are increasingly restricting beach access along the Great Ocean Road.

The alliance is not seeking extra funding or widespread clearing, but rather a practical statewide policy to maintain historic beach access points, according to the Surf Coast Times.

Greater Dandenong Council has rejected a bid by the Dandenong Market board to remove Councillor Rhonda Garad as its council representative.

The decision follows a move by the independent subsidiary’s board to bar Councillor Garad after she publicly raised market traders’ concerns.

As reported by the Dandenong Star Journal, council administration is now reviewing governance and reporting arrangements between the market board and the municipality to align with sector best practice.

Cardinia Shire Council has adopted its new budget, projecting a small operating surplus of one-hundred and ninety thousand dollars.

The result marks a major financial turnaround from the nineteen million dollar deficit faced in the current financial year, aided by targeted service review savings and a modest two point seven five per cent rate rise.

More than half of the sixty-six million dollar capital works program is dedicated to critical infrastructure renewal, including roads and ageing buildings.

The Pakenham Berwick Gazette reports further on that story.

Moyne Shire Council is converting office space at its Port Fairy community services centre into a new childcare room.

Backed by forty-two thousand dollars from the Victorian Government’s Tiny Towns Fund, the initiative will deliver thirty-five additional places per week to ease persistent waitlists in an area regarded as a childcare desert, according to The Standard.

It is part of a wider two-hundred and five thousand dollar regional funding package targeting open space and safety upgrades across six Moyne townships.

NSW Report

Albury City Council has voted to seek community feedback on two major Special Rate Variation options to address an estimated 18-million-dollar debt.

ABC News reports the proposals include a 40 per cent rate increase over three years or a 42 per cent hike over two years.

If approved by IPART, the increases would be among the highest granted in New South Wales in recent years. Council will consult with residents for the next six weeks before making a final decision later this year.

Meanwhile, councillors have unanimously voted to reject a recommended annual pay rise, freezing their fees at current levels for the upcoming financial year – the decision due to community financial pressures and alignment as it consults on the proposed Special Rate Variation.

A property owner in Sydney’s north has been fined $10,000 in the Hornsby Local Court following the illegal removal of a 24-metre Norfolk Island Pine.

Ku-ring-gai Council compliance officers intercepted tree loppers at the Killara site following a tip-off.

The owner was sentenced for development without consent and failing to comply with council investigation requests.

Ku-ring-gai Mayor Christine Kay welcomed the penalty, reinforcing the council’s zero-tolerance stance on canopy destruction.

Newcastle City Council faces a quarter-of-a-million-dollar bill following last month’s warehouse blaze in Mayfield.

The council stepped in to coordinate the asbestos cleanup after the NSW Environment Protection Agency transferred responsibility to local authorities.

Taxpayers may have to foot the bill permanently, as the site owner’s insurer, QBE, navigates a standard commercial “asbestos exclusion” clause.

As the Newcastle News reported, the council is continuing to press the responsible parties for reimbursement while completing safety assessments on affected private properties.

In more City of Newcastle news, councillors have voted to extend their subsidised two-dollar pool entry scheme despite warnings from council staff regarding its financial sustainability.

The program is projected to cost ratepayers over six-hundred thousand dollars next season, requiring staff to identify one-hundred and fifty thousand dollars in operational savings to prevent a budget deficit. The Newcastle Herald has more on that story.

Canterbury-Bankstown Council is facing tens of thousands of dollars in repairs following a wave of what Mayor Bilal El-Hayek describes as reckless vandalism.

Recent attacks have forced the closure of a disabled toilet facility at Greenacre Splash Park and caused significant damage to sporting fields and the new Deepwater Pump Track in Milperra.

Council maintenance crews managed to repair fields at Gosling and Roberts Parks quickly enough to avoid postponing local sporting fixtures.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

Regional councils are celebrating a major advocacy win after the New South Wales Government agreed to take back financial ownership of the Rural Fire Service ‘Red Fleet’.

MidCoast Council Mayor Claire Pontin has welcomed the decision, and says it relieves a significant depreciation burden on council bottom lines for assets they do not operationally control.

Mayor Pontin, who has been outspoken on the issue in the past, said “Cost shifting by the NSW Government has become an issue for all NSW Councils, but this is finally a step in the right direction.”

Queensland Report

From the Brisbane Times: Brisbane City Council has handed down its 2026–27 budget, confirming an average rates increase of 3.97 per cent.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the rise—equating to about $1.22 a week—is below inflation and driven by significant debt reduction, marking the first time in nearly a decade the council will not borrow funds.

The budget’s centrepiece is “Operation Smooth,” a 110-million-dollar road-repair blitz targeting suburbs across the city.

Townsville ratepayers are facing an imminent rate increase in the upcoming council budget.

Despite finding 16 million dollars in savings, Mayor Nick Dametto confirmed the increase is necessary to cover rising fuel and service costs, though he noted it will remain well below the double-digit increases seen in other Queensland municipalities.

Unlike the Sunshine Coast, which recently cut 130 jobs to trim costs, Townsville City Council has ruled out any staff redundancies, prioritising ongoing infrastructure and city maintenance instead.

A budget showdown is looming at Cairns Regional Council, with Mayor Amy Eden potentially prepared to vote against her own council’s spending blueprint.

According to The Cairns Post, the Mayor is pushing for immediate infrastructure upgrades to Abbott and Spence Streets.

However, councillors are urging restraint, citing cost-of-living pressures on ratepayers alongside significant financial commitments, including the city’s four-hundred-and-seventy-two-million-dollar water security plan.

Councillors will vote on the final budget today.

Mareeba Shire Council is set to scrap plans for a new kerbside recycling and green waste service, citing acute cost-of-living pressures on ratepayers.

A council report recommends locking in a standard rubbish collection contract for the next seven years after community survey results showed residents are unable to absorb extra service costs.

According to The Cairns Post, the decision will be finalised when the council seals its new collection contract with JJ Richards and Sons later this week.

Tasmania

In Tasmania, Mayor Leigh Gray of Brighton Council has been elected as Vice President of LGAT.

He replaces former Vice President Paula Wriedt following her departure from local government in May.

Paula Wriedt’s resignation also creates a vacancy for a Southern Region representative on the General Management Committee. A by-election will be called to fill that position.

the City of Clarence has opened its new Cambridge Dog Park, a 1.2 million dollar, fully-fenced, off-lead facility on a 1.5-hectare site.

It’s the first completed project under the Cambridge Oval Master Plan, which aims to turn the area into a major sports and recreation precinct.

Mayor Brendan Blomeley says it’s designed to support both pet wellbeing and community connection.

South Australia

The South Australian Government is moving to defer this year’s local government elections by five months, with urgent legislation to be introduced to State Parliament this week.

The Electoral Commission raised serious concerns about its capacity to deliver a credible election, citing inadequate planning frameworks and staffing challenges.

Under the proposed Bill, the polling day would shift from 11 November 2026 to 7 April 2027.

The move would also separate future council elections from state election years, with four-yearly cycles from 2031. It is now a matter for the Parliament to decide.

The Local Government Association of South Australia says it will carefully review the legislation – acknowledging that feedback in the sector has been mixed, with many councils and elected members holding strong views on the proposal.

Western Australia

The Shire of Carnarvon has held its first council meeting since a mass resignation in May left the local government without a quorum.

As reported by the Midwest Times, the special meeting was convened to address committee appointments and upcoming budget preparations.

Newly appointed state commissioner Martin Aldridge presided over the session, following the departure of the shire president and five councillors last month.

The administration will remain under commission control until fresh elections are held in December.

Tensions have boiled over at the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, with a council meeting temporarily paused following claims of disrespect.

According to the Kalgoorlie Miner, proceedings were halted to restore order after an elected member pushed for an investigation into a disputed $14 million accounting error.

From Government News, a warning that warning that many Australian local councils lack basic cybersecurity controls, leaving them vulnerable to attacks as more service delivery is digitised.

An industry expert told the website that recent audits highlight critical weaknesses in access management, including poorly managed dormant and terminated accounts.

With councils increasingly adopting AI tools, experts are urging administrations to urgently review and mature their privileged access controls to safeguard critical infrastructure.

Global Report

UK:

In UK local government news, Kirklees Council remains in political limbo after councillors failed for a second time to elect a new leader.

According to a leaked internal letter obtained by the Bradford Telegraph and Argus, Chief Executive Steve Mawson has warned that the municipality is not designed to operate without a political leader, noting that cabinet meetings and key accountability sessions are currently suspended.

Mawson has assumed emergency decision-making responsibilities until the council reconvenes to vote again on July 15th.

The UK government has stripped Wychavon District Council of its major planning powers following an official underperformance censure.

BBC News reported that developers can now bypass the local authority and apply directly to national inspectors for housing projects of ten or more homes.

The intervention comes after 10.7% of the council’s planning refusals were overturned on appeal, just exceeding the national threshold.

Wychavon leaders have criticised the decision as an “affront to local democracy” and are threatening legal action.

USA:

Atlanta City Council has passed Mayor Andre Dickens’ ambitious Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative in a thirteen-two vote, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The policy aims to address the city’s wealth divide through targeted infrastructure and housing funding.

However, the multi-billion-dollar plan still requires formal buy-in from Atlanta Public Schools and the Fulton County Commission to proceed.

Critics on the council have raised concerns over long-term financial transparency and potential gentrification risks for legacy residents.

CANADA:

In Canada, the City of Edmonton has released a new economic development strategy designed in part to counter a persistent perception that city hall is unfriendly to business.

According to CBC News, the report — titled Edmonton Advantage — identifies the city’s residential tax base growing faster than its commercial base as a key concern.

Mayor Andrew Knack told reporters the non-residential tax base has shrunk over the past two decades, shifting more burden onto residential ratepayers.

Business groups have welcomed the strategy but say it needs stronger support for small enterprises, not just large-scale investment.

NZ:

A new multi-hazards study by Christchurch City Council reveals that flood risks in the lower Ōtākaro Avon River catchment will increase two-and-a-half times by 2100 if no further action is taken.

While the Council’s current infrastructure investments are projected to prevent an estimated 630 million dollars in damages over the next 30 years, officials warn that further defence upgrades will be required long-term to manage compounding climate and geological hazards.