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Latest edition Edition date · Mon, 22 June 2026

Donation fail, misconduct finding, and an accidental release – #601

  • Victoria’s new local government bill criticised for failing to crack down on political donations
  • A call for an urgent review of Victoria’s domestic animals act
  • A rural mayor’s damning assessment of the Murray Darling Basin Plan review process
  • A Tribunal rules on misconduct by a Queensland mayor
  • More mayoral contenders emerge in Tasmania, as a trail blazing mayor prepares to retire
  • A council’s accidental release of confidential information
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Loddon Shire Mayor calls for community-led reset of Murray-Darling Basin Plan

Loddon Shire Mayor calls for community-led reset of Murray-Darling Basin Plan

Date: 22nd June 2026 Loddon Shire Mayor Dan Straub has called for a fundamental shift in how the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is implemented. Speaking to Chris Eddy for an upcoming episode of VLGA Connect, Cr Straub said the current review process has become a political exercise that is ignoring both scientific evidence and the communities […]

Cairns Mayor misconduct ruling on confidential information

Cairns Mayor misconduct ruling on confidential information

Date: 20th June 2026 Cairns Regional Council Mayor Amy Eden has been found to have committed misconduct on two separate occasions, after the Queensland Councillor Conduct Tribunal ruled she released confidential council information to a journalist while serving as a first-term councillor in 2023. In a decision published this week, Independent Assessor v Eden [2026] […]

New Bill Doesn’t Include Donation Rules

New Bill Doesn’t Include Donation Rules

Date: 19th June 2026 The Victorian Government’s new legislation aimed at strengthening council governance has drawn sharp criticism for failing to crack down on political donations. The bill follows years of integrity warnings, most notably from the anti-corruption watchdog’s Operation Sandon report into the Casey Council scandal. While Local Government Minister Paul Hamer stated the […]

Golden Plains Mayor calls for Reinstatement of Country Roads and Bridges Program

Golden Plains Mayor calls for Reinstatement of Country Roads and Bridges Program

Golden Plains Shire Mayor Cr Owen Sharkey has joined a coalition of western Victorian councils calling on the state government to reinstate a dedicated Country Roads and Bridges Program, warning that without additional funding support some bridges in the shire may have to be closed. Cr Sharkey is one of six mayors from the Greater […]