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Latest edition Edition date · Tue, 7 July 2026

Governance reset hampered, cricket pitch scrutiny, and a ground-breaking AI report – #612

  • Cricket pitch management under scrutiny after the tragic death of a local footballer
  • The VLGA’s CEO resigns after nearly a decade
  • Liverpool Council to sue the OLG over an alleged failure to act
  • A governance reset hampered by a mayor’s extended absence
  • AI traffic signals get the green light in Queensland
  • A UK Council’s climate emergency vote delayed – due to extreme heat
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Council CEO warns disaster funding trigger change could “cripple” small councils

Council CEO warns disaster funding trigger change could “cripple” small councils

Date: 6th July 2026 South Burnett Regional Council has formally opposed proposed changes to Queensland’s disaster recovery funding arrangements, with CEO Mark Pitt warning that a little-noticed change to the activation trigger poses a greater risk to councils than the widely reported shift to a fifty-fifty funding split. Council adopted its position on the changes […]

Glass bin pressure, rate increase warning, and an attack on transparency – #611

Glass bin pressure, rate increase warning, and an attack on transparency – #611

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 trans...

Fourth South Perth councillor resigns as council moves to fill vacancies

Fourth South Perth councillor resigns as council moves to fill vacancies

Date: 4th July 2026 A fourth City of South Perth councillor has resigned in under three weeks, with Cr Jacqueline Raison announcing her departure from the Mill Point ward seat on 3 July, effective immediately. Cr Raison, elected in 2025, served on the CEO Evaluation, Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee and held delegate roles with […]

Northern Midlands GM Des Jennings Resigns

Northern Midlands GM Des Jennings Resigns

Date: 4th July 2026 Northern Midlands Council has announced the resignation of its long-serving General Manager, Des Jennings, concluding a twelve-year tenure marked by significant infrastructure achievements but clouded by recent political and legal controversies. Northern Midlands Mayor Mary Knowles confirmed that Mr. Jennings officially stepped down from his role on July 1. In a […]

Regional roads funding gap laid bare by Wangaratta mayor

Regional roads funding gap laid bare by Wangaratta mayor

Date: 3rd July 2026 The mayor of the Rural City of Wangaratta has used a VLGA Connect interview to call for urgent state government action on regional road funding, saying that even a two-billion-dollar commitment from the state would fall short of what is needed to address the maintenance backlog across Victoria’s regional centres. Cr […]