Today on the Local Government News Roundup:
- Wyndham Council demands refund over an “improper land tax grab”
- Indigo Shire shuts down misinformation about a historic carriage collection
- Transparency questions over workshops at Wollongong
- Brisbane moves to sell eight homes over unpaid rates
- Financial sustainability warnings for more South Australian councils
- WA councils may finally get the power to make their own cat laws
- Alice Springs Mayor proposes moving Citizenship Ceremonies away from January 26
- A test of municipal agility in Canada ahead of the Olympic ice hockey final
Plus more local government news from across Australia and beyond.
The Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, the national broadcaster on all things local government; with support from Symphony3 – simple, connected customer experiences.
Listen to the episode here.
Read along with all the news, and find story links from this episode:
Victorian Report
Wyndham City Council is demanding a five-point-three-million-dollar refund from the State Revenue Office over what it is calling an improper land tax grab.
The Age reported that various properties include kindergartens, sports fields, and drainage channels are in dispute – as well as an eighteen-square-metre garden bed that attracted more than seventy-thousand dollars in tax bills over three years.
The council argues ratepayers are being double-taxed on community facilities that generate no revenue.
Wyndham is also calling for the Auditor-General to investigate whether land tax is being improperly imposed across all seventy-nine Victorian councils.
In other Wyndham news, an arbiter’s decision on a conduct matter brought by Cr Robert Skatkowski against Mayor Josh Gilligan will be tabled at Tuesday’s Council meeting.
In an unusual move, the details of the matter have not been revealed, as the report has been deemed confidential until such time as it is tabled at the Council meeting.
Greater Geelong councillors running for state election will be strongly encouraged to take leave under new guidelines being voted on Tuesday night.
The Geelong Advertiser reported on the move, as Deputy Mayor Ron Nelson and councillor Trent Sullivan both seek Liberal Party preselection ahead of November’s state election.
The policy follows controversy over former mayor Stephanie Asher continuing in her role for six months after being preselected for federal parliament in 2022.
While the guidelines urge candidates to take leave to avoid conflicts of interest, councillors cannot be forced to do so under the Local Government Act.
Meanwhile, the council has been forced into an embarrassing backdown after Mayor Stretch Kontelj publicly criticised Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny for allegedly ignoring his letter about a controversial Coles development at Point Lonsdale.
In an opinion piece published on February 11th, the mayor claimed he’d been waiting five months for a response to his September letter.
But the Geelong Advertiser reported that the minister did reply—back in October—and an administrative error meant the response was never logged in the council’s system.
Council CEO Ali Wastie has apologised to the minister, saying the mayor relied on information provided to him at the time.
Indigo Shire CEO Trevor Ierino has moved to address misinformation circulating about the future of Beechworth’s historic carriage collection.
Mr Ierino confirmed that the carriages are owned by the National Trust of Australia Victoria, not by the Council, and are being relocated from storage in Beechworth to Trust properties across the state.
He said suggestions that Council is “selling off” the carriages are untrue, and that housing them in the Beechworth Goods Shed has been explored multiple times but ruled out due to space, access, and preservation issues.
However, Mr Ierino says there’s a constructive path forward. The National Trust is now in talks with the Beechworth History and Heritage Society about retaining and displaying carriages with local provenance.
Meanwhile, Councillor Greg Bourke has apologised for incorrectly stating on social media that Council owns the collection. He’s taken down the post and says he’ll continue to engage openly on local issues.
Mr Ierino is encouraging anyone with practical ideas to contact the Beechworth History and Heritage Society directly.
A group of Kingston councillors is pushing to revisit the Council’s stance on Australia Day celebrations.
A Notice of Motion listed for tonight’s council meeting calls for community consultation and targeted engagement on establishing public Australia Day celebrations, commencing next year.
Last May, the Council resolved to hold a Civic Reception with a Citizenship Ceremony on Australia Day, and to support community celebrations that recognise days of cultural significance.
The motion is one of seven submitted by councillors to tonight’s meeting.
Leaders from two Victorian councils have met with the state’s Planning Minister to push back against wind farm developments outside designated renewable energy zones.
Corangamite and Moyne Shire representatives told Minister Sonya Kilkenny that renewable energy projects must be strategically planned and not conflict with productive agricultural land.
The councils criticised consultation processes as “grossly inadequate” and called for projects to be confined to the proposed South West Renewable Energy Zone.
Corangamite Mayor Kate Makin says the minister gave them a good hearing.
They urged that approval processes be paused while communities recover from recent bushfires.
Cardinia Shire Council is calling for urgent government funding to support critical infrastructure projects in one of Victoria’s fastest-growing regions.
The council has submitted a pre-budget proposal requesting federal and state investment in key projects including a 60-million-dollar redevelopment of the Cardinia Life stadium, a 57-million-dollar truck bypass for Lang Lang, and funding to seal priority roads across the shire.
Mayor Brett Owen says the shire’s population is set to grow by almost 40,000 over the next decade, and current facilities are struggling to keep up.
The council is also pushing for improved public transport, particularly bus services, after viral images showed residents waiting without shelter in Officer.
Police officers in Richmond are reportedly locked in a parking dispute with Yarra City Council.
Drive dot com dot au reported that the council has cancelled long-standing parking permits that allowed up to 80 officers to park near the 24-hour station, forcing them to find street parking during shifts that run around the clock.
Victoria Police sources told the website that officers are being hit with hundreds of dollars in fines each year, and they’ve raised safety concerns about walking to distant parking spots late at night after dealing with people on bail.
A council spokesperson said the personal vehicle permits don’t align with parking policy and that other emergency services in the area don’t receive similar permits.
Victorian Briefs
Bass Coast Shire Council has started the formal process for a Special Charge Scheme to upgrade part of The Esplanade in Sunderland Bay.
The stretch between Sunderland Bay Road and Zephyr Court will get road and drainage improvements.
It follows a petition from residents last March and a previous proposal that was shelved in November.
Construction has commenced on the Bannockburn Bike Park project, funded by the Victorian Government and Golden Plains Shire Council.
The project includes three tracks for riders of all skill levels, accessible pathways, and seating.
Destination Central Victoria has launched a new regional brand, “Victoria’s Heartland: Place of Plenty,” celebrating the region’s richness and opportunities.
Hepburn Shire Mayor Tony Clark said the brand aims to elevate the region’s profile, attract visitors and investment, and support local businesses.
NSW Report
Local Government NSW President Darcy Byrne has given evidence to a parliamentary inquiry into the NSW Reconstruction Authority’s operations.
The inquiry heard that councils are waiting for hundreds of millions of dollars in overdue disaster recovery payments.
MidCoast Council is owed over 36 million dollars after spending 43 million on reconstruction, while Kempsey Shire Council has received only 5.7 million dollars from a 115 million dollar claim.
LGNSW is calling for greater transparency and faster processing of claims to protect financially stressed councils.
Questions are being raised about Wollongong City Council‘s new “workshop” policy following the introduction of strict rules introduced to end closed-door briefings.
The Council insists that its meeting all the requirements of the new Code of Practice, and that the workshops are not for briefing councillors on upcoming meeting agenda items.
A spokesperson told the Illawarra Flame that workshops for things like strategic discussions and professional development activities are permissable.
Resident groups, and a current and former councillor have expressed concerns and scepticism about the workshops.
Bathurst Regional Council has reported to the community that it is facing critical financial challenges driven by cost shifting, rising expenses and decreased grant funding.
It has endorsed the development of a Financial Sustainability Strategy and allocated three hundred thousand dollars for expert consultation on options including a Special Rate Variation.
Port Macquarie Hastings Council has unanimously supported a motion by Mayor Adam Roberts regarding an 18-storey development proposal in Port Macquarie. The mixed-use development at 29 Park Street, featuring 210 dwellings including 35 affordable units, has been declared State Significant by NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully.
Mayor Roberts says Council wasn’t consulted before the December declaration and has requested a meeting with the Minister to discuss infrastructure needs and community consultation. The proposal exceeds current height limits and conflicts with the newly adopted City Heart Master Plan.
Shoalhaven City Council has implemented security measures at its Holiday Haven division, following a data breach.
Customer contact details for people with upcoming accommodation bookings were accessed and used to send fraudulent emails.
Holiday Haven staff have initiated contact with affected customers and are working with vendors to investigate the incident.
The council division has enacted urgent security measures and will work with state and federal agencies.
Weddin Shire Council’s new General Manager Mathew Sykes released a statement, confirming that no action can be taken against an unnamed councillor involved in recent court proceedings.
Legal advice states that because no conviction was recorded, the Local Government Act provisions don’t apply.
Legal counsel also determined the councillor’s conduct cannot be regulated under the Code of Conduct as the incidents were entirely private and unrelated to council duties.
Council sought guidance from the Office of Local Government twice before obtaining independent legal advice.
Mr Sykes said the matter is now closed with no further action required.
Mayors and general managers from across the Cootamundra electorate have attended an annual summit with local MP Steph Cooke.
The Grenfell Record reported that three priority areas were discussed: health infrastructure, water security, and road improvements.
Weddin Shire Mayor Paul Best said it was disappointing that while Grenfell MPS has been assessed as eligible for the state’s capital investment plan, there is no guaranteed funding commitment.
Water security concerns and road infrastructure including the William Bradford Bridge and Mary Gilmore Way level crossing were also discussed at the summit.
NSW Briefs:
Eurobodalla Shire Council‘s lifeguard season has wrapped up with 36 rescues performed across seven patrolled beaches.
Over 60,500 people visited the beaches during the summer holidays, though numbers were down slightly due to poor weather in the latter half.
Lifeguards carried out more than 7,000 preventative actions.
Clarence Valley Council has endorsed placing a draft Koala Strategy on public exhibition for 28 days.
The strategy focuses on six key areas, with special consideration for habitat management and corridors for Koalas, which are endangered under state and commonwealth legislation.
Key changes include guidance on development controls to protect habitat and community awareness actions around pet ownership and road use.
Parkes Shire Mayor Neil Westcott has welcomed Evolution Mining’s massive $634 million investment in Northparkes Operations.
The investment will create around 140 construction jobs and up to 85 additional operational roles, and secures the mine’s future well into the next decade with first ore expected by 2030.
Northparkes currently employs 450 people, with 96 percent living in Central West NSW.
Queensland Report
Brisbane City Council is moving to sell eight homes across the city over unpaid rates totalling almost a quarter of a million dollars.
The Brisbane Times reports the properties include houses and apartments in suburbs from The Gap to Forest Lake, with some debts dating back a decade.
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner says council officers have repeatedly tried to contact owners and taken the debt recovery process through court.
South Burnett Regional Council has unanimously passed new measures to address the region’s housing crisis.
The council will allow landowners to live in temporary dwellings on their own property, provided they meet health and safety standards. Family members will also be permitted to occupy sheds or caravans with basic amenities during the crisis.
The changes will be reviewed after two years and don’t include commercial arrangements.
Redland City Council is pushing for a comprehensive review of the South East Queensland Regional Plan. The council wants all 17 state interests considered, not just the five proposed by the Queensland Government.
Council says limiting the review to housing, agriculture, mining, development and tourism could exclude vital considerations like environmental protection and hazard resilience.
The council is also advocating to maintain the current urban footprint, arguing the city has substantial dwelling capacity without expanding into regional landscape areas.
Douglas Shire Council is boosting the region’s water security with a major reservoir upgrade in Mossman.
The new 35-megalitre facility will provide an extra two days of drinking water supply for the community. That’s equivalent to 14 Olympic-sized swimming pools of water, giving residents resilience during wet weather events when turbidity can disrupt supply.
The project is funded through federal and state grants, and will be delivered alongside the new Mossman Intake under a single contract.
Council expects to award the design and construction contract this year.
Mount Isa Council has opened expressions of interest for consultants to help with a transformation study.
It follows a ministerial roundtable that brought together industry, government and community leaders.
The study will assess the copper value chain across the North West Minerals Province including future opportunities at the smelter and refinery.
Mayor Peta MacRae says Mount Isa has the people and ambition to shape its own future.
In Noosa Shire, twenty-five affordable homes for Cooroy have secured a crucial council approval.
The social housing units will be built on a former landfill site, and Coast2Bay Housing Group has secured state government funding to deliver the one and two bedroom dwellings.
The project targets families, young people and seniors on Queensland’s social housing register. Mayor Frank Wilkie says the project directly responds to the urgent need for housing in Noosa.
Charters Towers Regional Council has received more than three million dollars in state funding, from the Community Benefits Fund to support the Water for Growth initiative.
Treasurer David Janetzki announced the allocation during a visit to the region last week.
Mayor Liz Schmidt thanked the government for the funding, which will help the council progress infrastructure projects to support housing growth and essential services.
South Australia
Six more South Australian councils are facing serious financial trouble.
The Essential Services Commission has deemed Berri Barmera, Ceduna, Coober Pedy, Peterborough, Kangaroo Island and Southern Mallee District councils either potentially unsustainable, marginally unsustainable, or unsustainable.
This brings the total to nine councils now in financial strife, adding to previous warnings about other regional councils across the state.
InDaily reports that there is some positive news for Coober Pedy though – SA Water will take over the town’s aging water infrastructure by the end of this year, relieving what administrators call their greatest concern.
Local Government Minister Joe Szakacs says the findings are “a wake up call” for irresponsible councils. He’s pushing the Federal Government to increase support, noting that funding grants have halved as a share of federal tax revenue over the past thirty years.
The Local Government Association says councils are being asked to do more than ever, picking up services traditionally handled by state and federal governments, including aged care, childcare and climate adaptation.
Another regional South Australian council has parted ways with its chief executive. The Mercury reported that Tumby Bay Council terminated CEO Darren Keenan’s contract last week after he failed to complete an extended probation period.
Mayor Geoff Churchett says while Keenan’s community engagement was excellent, there were underlying workplace issues that couldn’t be overlooked.
Keenan, who started in May, had his six-month probation extended by three months before the decision was made during a closed-door meeting on Tuesday.
The council’s deputy CEO will fill in while they search for a replacement. It follows similar troubles at Peterborough District Council, which has been through five CEOs in two years.
The City of Onkaparinga is calling for tougher state laws on e-bikes and personal mobility devices after growing safety concerns on shared paths.
Council has unanimously voted to lobby the South Australian Government and police for stronger regulations, including speed controls and possible registration requirements.
Mayor Moira Were says the move aims to protect vulnerable users like children and older residents while recognising the role of e-mobility in sustainable transport.
Western Australia
The WA government is introducing legislation to allow local councils to make their own laws limiting cat movements, without needing state parliamentary approval.
Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley says the changes will help protect native wildlife, with cats estimated to kill 300 million animals across Australia annually.
ABC News reported that more than 20 councils have previously tried to bring in cat controls, but only three have been successful under the current system.
Seven local councils in WA’s Warren-Blackwood region are facing a combined $325,000 shortfall after the Forest Products Commission stopped paying rates on state-owned timber plantations directly to councils.
ABC News reports that the Shire of Boyup Brook will be hit hardest, losing up to $150,000 this financial year, representing 3.5 percent of its total rates.
Councils warn essential services including road maintenance, community grants, and health services could be at risk.
A state government spokesperson says the FPC had been paying rates “in error” and is required by law to pay Treasury instead. Forestry Minister Jackie Jarvis has agreed to explore options with affected councils.
Northern Territory
Alice Springs Mayor Asta Hill has put forward a motion to move council citizenship ceremonies away from January 26th to an alternative date within three days either side, according to a report from the NT News.
The move comes after Ms Hill abstained from this year’s Australia Day ceremony, drawing national criticism and prompting a petition calling for her resignation.
The petition has gathered 1,220 signatures, though this is less than half the votes Ms Hill received in the 2025 local government elections.
Another potentially explosive council meeting is expected when the motion is debated on Tuesday.
Global Report
UK:
Sky News UK reported exclusively at the weekend that more than a thousand local councillors across Britain have signed a Palestine solidarity pledge ahead of May’s local elections.
The commitment includes upholding Palestinian rights and ensuring councils divest from arms companies linked to Israel.
Labour and Green councillors dominate the signatories, with predictions that the issue is threatening Labour’s grip on key councils.
Critics, including the Israeli embassy and Conservative MPs, have condemned the campaign as political opportunism that risks fuelling antisemitism.
Labour councillors in Bedford have declared no confidence in Conservative Mayor Tom Wootton as pressure mounts for him to resign.
The Bedford Independent reported the move follows government intervention over the council’s financial crisis and accusations the mayor blamed officers rather than taking responsibility.
Labour is calling for a referendum on whether to scrap the directly elected mayor system.
Opposition petitions have intensified, though they hold no formal power to remove the mayor from office.
Upton‘s mayor Jeremy Owenson has been cleared of breaching the code of conduct following four complaints about his Facebook comments.
According to the Malvern Gazette, the row centred on fundraising car boot sales and accusations he made misleading statements without proper democratic process.
Malvern Hills District Council found no evidence of inaccurate statements or bad behaviour.
Councillor Owenson said he was never in doubt about the outcome, insisting he always follows the rules.
NZ:
A Wellington builder who purchased the city’s former mayoral desk for $200 says he’s willing to return it – but only if it goes into a museum, according to a report from RNZ.
Raymond Morgan bought the historic desk from a tip shop last year and discovered over 200 confidential council documents from 1988 to 2004 locked inside.
The desk was used by four mayors and is estimated to be 120 years old. An art historian calls its disposal “outrageous” and says the piece has national significance.
The incident triggered a council inquiry after Morgan found the sensitive documents.
The council says it will discuss the desk’s future at a committee meeting next week.
USA:
In the US, an increasing number of local governments across the United States are exploring blockchain technology for public administration.
USA Today reported that at least 19 states have established study groups to research blockchain applications. California’s DMV has piloted the technology to digitize car titles, while Baltimore, MD is using it to track vacant properties. And in Texas, Austin is exploring blockchain solutions to help homeless residents maintain identification.
Officials say the technology could bring greater transparency to government spending, with all transactions visible on the public blockchain.
Experts say while adoption remains limited, the growing government interest could drive mainstream acceptance of blockchain technology in the public sector.
CANADA:
And it was a test of regulatory agility for municipalities, ahead of the gold medal ice hockey match at the Winter Olympics.
In Ontario, Premier Doug Ford issued a province-wide decree on Friday, greenlighting alcohol service starting at 6:00 AM on Sunday. The move mirrored earlier “Event of Municipal Significance” designations in cities like Toronto, Hamilton, and Windsor, where local councils had already been debating the balance between hospitality boosts and public safety.
Out west, British Columbia went even earlier. Premier David Eby authorised a 5:00 AM start time. While the province issued a “blanket request” to the Union of BC Municipalities, the administrative burden fell on local halls. In Vancouver alone, the city had to fast-track dozens of individual applications in less than 48 hours to ensure bars were legal before the first puck drop.
It wasn’t all cheers, however. Road safety advocates and groups like MADD Canada expressed “disappointment” over the early hours, citing concerns about morning-after impairment.
Ultimately, it was disappointment as Canada went down to the USA in overtime, 2-1.