Councillors’ warning from local government minister

Misbehaving councillors have been put on notice by the local government minister to expect a more direct “guillotine” on their council careers.

When Wangaratta Council became unworkable in 2013 due to infighting, the government could not just deal with individuals and chose to chop the whole team.

Local government minister Natalie Hutchins said it was important changes will come into effect in March, well before the new councillors were elected in October.

“Unfortunately there’s some individual councillors that undermine the work of a whole council,” she said.

“There’s a whole raft of examples of councillors saying inappropriate things.”

Former Wangaratta councillor Dr Julian Fidge was initially suspended for two months in 2013 after an investigation into complaints made by colleagues Tammy Atkins, Don Joyce, Rozi Parisotto and Lisa McInerney while on council.

He appealled to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal and was eventually reprimanded in 2015 for 14 breaches of the councillor code of conduct.

Ms Hutchins said new laws would reduce the long investigation process down to three months.

Councils could ask the minister to investigate councillors with a “monitor”.

But the laws fall short of being able to sack individual councillors.

Ms Hutchins said the toughest penalty would be standing an individual down from from council for six months.

In spite of previous dramas, the minister encouraged new faces, especially women and young people, to put up hands for council.

“The majority of councilors work really hard and abide by council’s code of conduct,” she said.

“I think the administrators have done a pretty good job, but it’s time to get back to an elected council.”

Ms Hutchins also visited Towong Shire on Wednesday after the council was the only one in the North East to ask for an exemption to the new 2.5 per cent rate cap.

She would not preempt the final decision to be made by the independent Essential Services Commission.

The state government claimed councils needed to find other ways to make cutbacks.

“I know Towong have done that, they’ve gone down the track of tightening their belts,” Ms Hutchins said.

“They’re one of the councils that are doing an exceptional job, but they say they need more.”

Towong mayor David Wortmann previously told The Border Mail his shire had lost $658,000 in federal government grants from over the past three years and was struggling with running costs.

Wodonga Council accepted the 2.5 per cent cap for the 2016/17 financial year, but also committed to fighting for an exemption over the following four years.

Ms Hutchins said the council was in with a chance of being able to raise rates higher, as long as it consulted the community and could prove it was based on the need to complete major projects.