Today on the Local Government News Roundup:

• A councillor quits, triggering a by-election for Banyule Council
• Pressure on the Victorian government to scrap next year’s glass bin rollout plan
• A warning to NSW councils thinking about big rate increases
• New councillor access rules in Brisbane called an attack on transparency
• A Tasmanian Council GM resigns after turbulent times
• A rethink on Australia Day at Adelaide Hills
• A council CEO finds the devil in the detail of proposed new disaster recovery funding rules

and much more local government news from across Australia and beyond.

Listen to this episode now:

Victoria

Banyule City Council has announced the resignation of Beale Ward Councillor Elizabeth Nealy, effective third of July.

Cr Nealy had served on Council since 2020 and held the mayoralty in both the 2021/22 and 2024/25 terms.

Council has notified the Minister for Local Government and the VEC, and a by-election will be held to fill the vacancy.

No reason has been given for Cr Nealy’s resignation.

Pressure is mounting on the state government to scrap its mandatory July 2027 purple glass bin rollout.

The Herald Sun reports that some Labor MPs are quietly pushing for the deadline to be abandoned amid growing cost-of-living concerns.

More than 50 Victorian councils are currently resisting the seventy-five-million-dollar recycling scheme, warning that compliance costs will heavily burden local ratepayers.

Some have formally resolved to postpone the rollout, and the article says it is unclear what would happen to those councils that don’t meet next year’s deadline.

The Hume community is still coming to terms with a violent incident in Craigieburn last week, in which a teenage boy lost his life. The Mayor, Councillor Carly Moore, says the tragedy has hit the community hard — and hit close to home for her personally.

“A very tough time in our community at the moment… not only is it physically close to my home, but certainly I’ve got teenage boys, so something that has had an impact on me personally. I think it’s fair to say that our community is devastated, shocked. We’re all really sad that a young boy would lose his life in a way like that.”

Councillor Moore says her own thirteen-year-old son had been nearby only shortly before the incident occurred.

“My thirteen-year-old son had gone to have a kick of the football with two of his mates over the school holidays. He’d walked to McDonald’s, which is only a few hundred metres away, to get a Slurpee on the way home, and I had just picked him up from there. So, really does hit very close to home.”

The council says it’s working with Victoria Police and has mobilised an outreach program at Craigieburn Central as it looks to better support and engage young people in the area.

Hindmarsh Shire Council has issued an urgent community notice following reports from the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action regarding the illegal use of glue traps to control pest birds.

The council reminded residents and businesses that the sale and use of glue traps is strictly prohibited in Victoria, carrying significant penalties.

The unlawful traps have reportedly impacted native wildlife, placing additional strain on regional wildlife rescue groups.

In more Hindmarsh news, the council is stepping up its advocacy for external funding, warning that small rate bases cannot sustain major infrastructure demands.

Council has formally requested State and Federal assistance for a $5.4 million replacement of the ageing Jeparit Weir, noting that current co-contribution requirements are financially impossible for small rural municipalities.

Hindmarsh has also added its voice to a call for a dedicated rural council fund to address growing disparities in road maintenance and asset management.

Work has officially begun on Warrnambool’s first pocket forest at the local community garden.

Using the intensive Miyawaki planting method, the project aims to establish five hundred native trees and shrubs rapidly to accelerate habitat creation in Albert Park.

Funded through a Bupa Healthy Cities Landcare Grant, the initiative is a trial collaboration between the Warrnambool City Council and multiple community partners.

If the revegetation method proves successful, the council believes model could be expanded to other municipal green spaces.

And Whittlesea’s Thomastown Ward councillor has been officially sworn-in, three weeks after the election result was declared.

Chaman Tiwari was overseas at the time of the declaration, and has now taken up her new position – filling the spot vacated by Nic Brooks, who resigned more than six months ago.

NSW

The New South Wales Local Government Minister, Ron Hoenig, has urged councils to exercise extreme caution before pursuing significant rate rises.

Speaking during a visit to Wagga Wagga, the Minister highlighted that communities are heavily impacted by current cost-of-living pressures, suggesting that municipalities look inward at their own efficiency levels before raising fees.

The Border Mail reported that the warning comes as Albury City Council undergoes community consultation on proposed special rate variations of up to 42 per cent over two years to service a 20-million-dollar debt.

Minister Hoenig has met with civic leaders at Snowy Valleys Council to discuss the pathway toward council de-amalgamation by July 2028.

The Minister emphasised the complexity of the transition, noting that future operating models must be carefully designed to reset services and align with the distinct needs of both northern and southern communities.

Minister Hoenig also visited Coolamon Shire for briefing sessions on key regional challenges.

The Council said the productive discussions focused on financial sustainability, the Code of Conduct, and meeting practices.

Councils across New South Wales are rolling out new projects aimed at strengthening community connection and tackling hate, racism and discrimination.

The latest round of Social Cohesion Grants for Local Government will fund locally designed initiatives, including youth-led engagement programs and community training to prevent and report racial discrimination.

The government says the program supports practical, long-term anti-racism strategies and has delivered more than 2.7 million dollars to local governments since 2021.

Randwick City Council has welcomed a thirty-four million dollar funding boost from the New South Wales Government for shark-spotting drones.

The allocation is part of a larger one-hundred-and-twenty million dollar beach safety package.

Mayor Dylan Parker says the increased funding will allow drones to patrol popular, unpatrolled surfing locations for longer periods.

A previous drone ban at Coogee Beach, due to flightpath interference, has also been overturned.

The Council also resolved last week to hold a joint public information session with the NSW Government on shark mitigation technologies, behaviours and evidence.

Sutherland Shire Council is set to trial a targeted parking ban on trailers to combat growing congestion in residential and sporting zones.

Under the six-month trial scheduled for late July, new zones will be introduced at five key locations.

Council rangers will be authorised to issue 140-dollar fines to owners of illegally parked trailers.

The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader reported that the trial follows years of community concern and a growing reliance on reactive enforcement under current state legislation.

Moree Plains Shire Council has announced plans to transition its tourism services back under direct council operations.

Following a collaborative review to reduce duplication and maximise ratepayer value, the council will provide six months of interim funding to Tourism Moree while planning the transition.

A detailed report on the service delivery model is scheduled for an Ordinary Council Meeting in September.

Walgett Shire Council has commenced work on a shire-wide Crime Prevention Plan, partnering with specialist consultants following a recent rise in local crime.

The long-term strategy will involve extensive community consultation with NSW Police, local schools, and Aboriginal organisations to establish practical safety measures across the region.

Queensland

Brisbane City Council is facing backlash over new rules that limit what councillors can see and ask about in council.

The Brisbane Times reported that legislative changes passed by the Queensland government mean councillors can only access documents deemed directly relevant to their ward, while the Lord Mayor and committee chairs are exempt in certain cases.

Opposition and crossbench councillors say it’s an attack on transparency and accountability, arguing decisions often affect residents across the whole city.

The council says the move cuts red tape and costs.

Representatives from three remote Gulf of Carpentaria councils have travelled to Canberra to protest proposed changes to federal disaster funding.

Leaders from Burke, Mornington, and Carpentaria Shire Councils warn that shifting to a fifty-fifty cost-sharing model under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements will leave isolated local governments unable to fund essential infrastructure repairs.

South Burnett Regional Council has formally opposed Queensland’s disaster funding changes, warning a shift in the activation trigger could hurt councils more than the fifty-fifty funding split.

Here’s Mark Pitt, the Council’s CEO:

“They’ve quietly put that threshold up to two point seven million. Everything from a quarter of a million to two point seven won’t be a declared event – that tweaked my eyebrows more than the funding split itself.”

Mr Pitt says councils pay that trigger amount themselves — and it could wipe out entire budgets.

“Our reseal budget for a year is three million. If two point seven becomes the new trigger and we have to pay it, that’s our entire reseal budget gone – it’ll impact other service delivery badly.”

South Burnett faced three flooding events in one year alone, and Mark Pitt says the trigger change poses a bigger threat to councils than the funding split itself.

Bundaberg Regional Council is implementing targeted CCTV installation, increased monitoring, and a commercial security review at the Bundaberg General Cemetery following recent incidents of vandalism and theft.

Mayor Helen Blackburn said the new site-hardening measures aim to balance improved security for grieving families while maintaining respectful public access.

A new $5 gate fee has come into effect at Gold Coast waste and recycling centres.

The council says the fee helps ensure that people who use landfill services contribute to the cost of managing them – offsetting the state’s waste disposal levy that the council has covered for residents until now.

Most recycling and green organics are still accepted for free.

Meanwhile, Redland City Council is introducing a ‘fair use’ policy at its mainland waste centres from October to curb rising utility costs.

Residents will be limited to twelve free visits annually for general and green waste.

The council says data shows just nine per cent of users account for forty per cent of the facilities’ landfill.

The City of Moreton Bay has introduced robotic companion pets to three of its local libraries to support residents living with dementia and their carers.

The two ‘robocats’ and one ‘robodog’ feature lifelike movements and simulated heartbeats designed to reduce anxiety and combat social isolation.

The initiative expands on the council’s existing dementia-friendly programs, with the robotic pets also available to other branches via mobile dementia kits.

Tasmania

Northern Midlands Council has officially parted ways with long-standing General Manager Des Jennings, following his resignation after twelve years in the role.

Mayor Mary Knowles praised Jennings’ leadership and community infrastructure legacy, calling his departure a significant loss.

His exit follows a turbulent period. Earlier this year, a councillor publicly pushed for his termination during a lengthy personal leave absence, which came amid a Supreme Court ruling that found the council’s use of ratepayer funds for Jennings’ past legal fees was illegal.

Tasmanian council candidates will not be required to disclose political donations ahead of October’s local government elections.

Despite state government plans for a fifty-dollar disclosure threshold, the necessary legislation has been delayed.

The Mercury reports Tasmania remains the only Australian jurisdiction without a mandated donation disclosure scheme for local campaigns.

Kingborough Council will vote today on the land arrangements for the Tasmania Devils’ new high-performance training base at Kingston Twin Ovals, south of Hobart.

Pulse Tasmania reported that the proposed long-term leases would secure the club’s training and admin home, with a back-up reversionary lease to the state government if the club’s lease is terminated.

The council also wants to grant construction licences so work can begin before the site title is subdivided.

New CCTV images and internal emails from Hobart City Council show deputy lord mayor Zelinda Sherlock was filmed taking alcohol and snacks from Town Hall’s members’ lounge on days when council wasn’t sitting.

A Pulse Tasmania report reveals that the documents—released under right-to-information laws—show staff had been tracking missing stock for months, and described the behaviour as “questionable”, while also discussing keeping the matter confidential.

A handover memo says Sherlock believed the items were a “fringe benefit”. She’s since apologised, saying she misunderstood the policy.

South Australia

Adelaide Hills Council is considering reversing its decision to move Australia Day events away from January 26th.

Following a persistent campaign from a local ratepayers group, elected members have requested a report exploring options to affirm, amend, or rescind the original 2023 policy.

According to The Advertiser, a formal report will be presented to council by September 8th.

The City of Burnside has suspended weed management activities in public spaces following community concern over a social media video.

The administration has launched an investigation into field practices and regulatory compliance, alongside a comprehensive review of operational supervision and training.

And the Council ****has defended a competitive tender process that resulted in the abrupt replacement of a long-term contract fitness instructor.

Despite community backlash over a perceived lack of notice, Council CEO Julia Grant says a rigorous procurement evaluation was strictly followed.

The Advertiser reported that some affected participants are now seeking refunds for prepaid sessions.

Western Australia

A fourth City of South Perth councillor has resigned, with Cr Jacqueline Raison quitting the Mill Point ward seat with immediate effect.

It follows the resignations of Cr Tim Houweling, Cr Hayley Prendiville and Cr Bronwyn Waugh over three days in June.

Gavin Denton and Bronwyn David will be sworn in on Thursday 9 July as next-placed candidates to fill the Mill Point vacancies – and a by-election will be held in September for the Moresby and Como ward seats.

The City of Wanneroo has withdrawn its support for the Mindarie Regional Council’s waste-to-energy procurement process.

PerthNow reported that the Council made the decision in a confidential session, citing concerns that the project could extend the operational life of the Tamala Park landfill beyond its scheduled 2029 closure.

Fremantle Council has voted unanimously to ban dogs from all playgrounds, despite public feedback showing most respondents opposed the change.

PerthNow reported that the new rules also restrict dogs in several key areas including the Fremantle Arts Centre grounds and Fremantle Oval — though some reserves were kept as dog exercise areas after a late amendment.

Council says there’ll be clearer signage and a six‑month education period before enforcement begins.

International

UK:

A Reform UK–led council in Nottinghamshire is facing fresh criticism after a £75,000 scheme to hang Union flags across the county failed to attract a single business sponsor.

The council had claimed the project wouldn’t cost taxpayers anything, but The Guardian reports that the authority is paying the full bill.

The plan involves installing brackets at around 180 sites, with the council saying it would boost civic pride. Opposition politicians say it raises serious questions about Reform’s handling of local finances.

Political instability continues at Kirklees Council following a second high-profile resignation from the Reform UK group in just one week.

Newly elected councillor Susan Maxfield has resigned as party whip to sit as an Independent – that follows the recent health-related departure of colleague Craig Wiles.

According to BBC News, the political fallout is deepening leadership anxieties for the local authority, which has been operating without a leader for nearly two months.

Cornwall Council has intensified its planning enforcement, targeting caravans sited on agricultural land.

The Guardian reported that half of the council’s recent infringement notices focus on these temporary dwellings, sparking concerns from housing advocates over the heightened risk of homelessness for vulnerable residents.

More than 23,000 people are the council’s social housing register waiting for a home.

CANADA:

Documents obtained by CBC News show that Ontario province’s expansion of “strong mayor” powers to more than 200 municipalities moved ahead despite consultation feedback described as “predominantly negative.”

The records show hundreds of responses warning the powers are unnecessary and undemocratic.

The government says the measures—covering budgets, appointments and some council votes—are necessary to speed up housing and infrastructure decisions, while critics argue they deepen division and should include an opt-out option.

More than 100 people rallied in Niagara Falls Friday, seeking an apology over comments by the city’s mayor and a former CAO linking Kashechewan First Nation evacuees with homelessness.

Mayor Jim Diodati apologised on the steps of city hall, saying he regretted the hurt caused and took responsibility.

CBC News reports that about 1,100 Kashechewan residents have been living in local hotels for six months after a water infrastructure failure and sewage flooding forced an emergency evacuation.

NZ:

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has backed a single unitary authority for Northland ahead of the New Zealand Government’s August 9 restructuring deadline.

Speaking to the Northern Advocate, Brown has urged the region’s four councils to develop their own amalgamation proposal rather than leave the decision to Wellington, warning local government leaders that they are either at the table or on the menu.

Mayor Brown is also defending an almost eight percent average rates rise after the Council signed off its annual budget.

He says the increase is needed to invest in the city and avoid passing costs to future generations, according to RNZ News.

Meanwhile, Marlborough District Council is asking residents for feedback on a possible merger with neighbouring Kaikōura District Council.

A public survey has opened and runs until noon Tuesday, the 8th of July.

Council says no decision has been made, but the results will help shape any future consultation if a formal proposal is put forward under the Government’s local government “Head Start” process.

JAPAN:

An update from Yawata City in western Japan after Mayor Shoko Kawata announced she’ll step back from her duties around her mid-September due date – the first Japanese mayor to ever take maternity leave.

There is no legal maternity leave mechanism for local elected officials. Kawata says she’ll delegate mayoral duties to her deputy for roughly four months, while staying in touch weekly.

The issue is now at the centre of a national debate – with supporters saying it’s a vital step for working parents and women in politics; but critics argue public leaders shouldn’t take extended leave.

BBC News has more on the emerging controversy, and a deep seated belief in some quarters that people in public office should abandon their private life, and devote themselves fully to their community.