On your final pre-Easter edition of the Local Government News Roundup:

• Pressure builds on a newly elected mayor to step down
• A South Australian Council CEO resigns after one year in the job
• Hobart City’s new plan to tackle anti-social behaviour
• A resignation triggers a by-election for another Victorian council
• Victorian councillors report growing pressures in their role
• Sydney’s Lord Mayor issues a new housing challenge to the state government
• and the curious case of the blurry councillors

plus more local government news from across Australia and beyond.

The Local Government News Roundup is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, with support from Symphony 3, and Rath Engineering Development.

Listen to this episode on your preferred podcast platform, or by clicking here.

Transcript for Episode #570

Top Three

The Victorian Liberal Party pre-selection scandal is threatening to spread to local government.

At Wyndham City Council … new mayor Preet Singh, elected just last week, is under now pressure from within council to resign … after reports he wrote a supportive character reference for a friend later jailed for child sex offences.

It’s the same issue that has forced the pre-selected Liberal Party candidate for Western Metropolitan region to step down, shortly after winning the ballot over incumbent Moira Deeming… a former at councillor at the City of Melton.

According to the Age, Cr Singh says the letter was written in April twenty twenty four … before he was elected … and he calls the coverage an unfair trial by media. He told the Star Weekly that, on reflection, he had shown poor judgment in relation to the matter.

Wyndham’s newly elected Deputy Mayor Jasmine Hill says the issue goes to ethical standards in public office. Councillor Larry Zhao says many locals are disturbed and want Cr Singh to step down.

Last night, Werribee MP John Lister announced that he had written to Local Government Minister Nick Staikos about the issue, seeking advice on what steps are being taken to restore confidence in the office of mayor. He says his constituents believe Cr Singh should step down from the position.

Cr Singh says he will make a statement in coming days.

In South Australia, Clare and Gilbert Valleys Council chief executive David Stobbe will leave the role in June … after the council formally accepted his resignation at a special meeting.

Mr Stobbe has been with the council since March last year. He will finish on June 20 after a three-month handover period.

The Council’s mayor said work is now starting on a structured recruitment process … to appoint a new CEO and keep the transition steady.

Hobart City Council is trialling three Safe City Liaison officers … to patrol antisocial behaviour hot spots in the CBD … and keep in close contact with local businesses.

ABC News reported that the officers will wear body worn cameras … but will have no policing powers … and will be on duty during business hours, Monday to Friday.

Councillor Louise Bloomfield says the role is about prevention and support … including referring vulnerable people to services.

The council says the program will cost about three hundred thousand dollars a year … using repurposed existing roles … and will be judged on safety perceptions and business confidence.

Victorian Report

Kingston City Council has announced the immediate resignation of Melaleuca Ward Councillor Tess Law.

Cr Law was elected in November 2024, and her resignation will trigger a by-election.

Mayor Georgina Oxley expressed her gratitude for Cr Law’s service, particularly her representation of the Melaleuca Ward, and extended best wishes for her future endeavors.

CEO Peter Bean confirmed that the Mayor and Deputy Mayor will support Melaleuca residents during the coming weeks.

The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) will oversee the by-election process, and eligible residents in the Melaleuca Ward will be required to vote. The date for the by-election is yet to be set.

Victorian councillors are reporting growing pressure on the job … with new results from the 2025 VLGA Victorian Councillor Census.

The survey drew 329 responses … more than half of all councillors elected in the state.

VLGA chief executive Kathryn Arndt says the data shows incivility is a major issue … with bullying and non sexual harassment reported by a quarter of male councillors and more than half of women.

The census also found women were twice as likely to face high levels of hostility.

Councillors say tight budgets and complex rules from other levels of government are also limiting what councils can deliver.

Greater Geelong councillor and former mayor Trent Sullivan has missed out on a top spot on the Liberal ticket for Western Victoria … in the lead up to the state election.

Cr Sullivan nominated for one of the first two positions on the upper house slate … usually the most winnable. But party preselectors backed sitting MP Bev McArthur for the number one spot, according to the Geelong Times … and former Burwood MP Graham Watt for number two.

It comes as Greater Geelong prepares new guidance for councillors running for higher office … with debate continuing over whether candidates should be required to step aside during campaigns.

A former Greater Dandenong mayor is asking the state’s Local Government Inspectorate to step in … over a councillor’s leave of absence, according to the Star Journal.

Peter Brown says councillor Lana Formoso has missed five meetings since mid November … and argues the leave granted in February was invalid under council rules. Brown claims the request was not made in writing … was not on the agenda … and did not set out dates or reasons.

The council says the Local Government Act requires it to grant any reasonable request … and it resolved unanimously to approve the leave.

In Melbourne’s west … more than one hundred locals rallied on the weekend at Taylors Road in Delahey … saying the daily gridlock has become a safety risk.

Brimbank Mayor Councillor Virginia Tachos says the community has reached breaking point … with thousands of people stuck on a road never built for today’s traffic.

She says Taylors Road was designed for about twelve hundred vehicles an hour … but is now carrying more than two thousand … linking the Calder and Western freeways.

The Fix Taylors Road campaign is calling on the State Government to declare it a state arterial … duplicate it … and deliver the upgrade without delay.

From July 1 … three councils in Melbourne’s south east and Gippsland will get a new provider for their immunisation service. Cardinia Shire, the City of Casey and Baw Baw Shire have endorsed a shared contract with HCA Healthcare Australia … replacing the current provider as the deal expires.

The councils say the new arrangement will cover National Immunisation Program vaccinations … plus school sessions, council flu programs and catch up clinics.

They expect efficiencies and cost savings … and say residents will be able to book across municipal boundaries … with coordinated consent and a dedicated helpline.

Port Phillip Council is looking to make a small piece of TV history easier to find … a plaque marking Graham Kennedy’s childhood home in Balaclava.

The council put it up in 2019 at 32 Nelson Street … but fencing has left it out of view. TV Tonight raised the issue … and veteran presenter Pete Smith has urged council to relocate it.

Chief executive Chris Carroll says staff are checking possible new sites … with a goal of moving the existing plaque by the end of June 2026.

If it cannot be moved … council says it will be considered in its Heritage Recognition Program.

Victorian Briefs

The 2026 Mayoral Advisory Panel has met for the first time with Local Government Minister Nick Staikos.

The panel includes Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece, along with a broad representation of the state’s councils. The mayors of Murrundindi, Frankston, Casey, Whittlesea and Hepburn are among those included in this year’s group.

Kingston Council is asking residents to help shape the future of local Australia Day events.

The consultation is looking at how people currently spend the day … and what role they want council to play in running or supporting activities.

Kingston currently marks the day with a citizenship ceremony and sponsorship of the Mordialloc Carnival fireworks.

After a summer of big bushfires … the state and federal governments are giving councils more on-the-ground support for recovery.

Fifteen Victorian councils will share fifteen million dollars … to fund 27 new Community Recovery Officers and establish local Recovery Hubs.

More than four hundred and thirty thousand hectares have burned … and more than fifteen hundred structures were damaged or destroyed.

NSW Report

Narrabri Shire has a new councillor … after a countback vote filled a vacancy created after the resignation of former councillor Amanda Brown in February.

Mark Strahle was declared elected on Tuesday and will take his place around the Council table, bringing it back to a full complement of nine councillors.

Sydney’s Lord Mayor Clover Moore says the state needs to put more skin in the game on housing … by unlocking its own land for new homes.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the City of Sydney has identified 32 state-owned sites … it says could deliver about 14 thousand 300 homes … including harbourfront hotels at Darling Harbour that could be redeveloped into high density apartments.

Cr Moore says using government-controlled land near transport, jobs and existing services could add supply faster … without pushing more development to Sydney’s fringe.

She points to long-dormant sites around Redfern and North Eveleigh … and land near Macdonaldtown station … as places that could move quickly if planning settings and rail operations change.

Cumberland Council has voted to put its draft 2026-27 budget out for public comment … but the debate inside the chamber was heated, with one councillor voting against it, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Councillor Steve Christou called the plan a heartless money grab … saying the local government area is one of New South Wales’ most disadvantaged. He objected to fee increases for things like mobile food trucks … inspections … and development paperwork.

Other councillors pushed back … arguing higher rates and fees are needed to keep services running and fund major upgrades … including swimming centres … sports facilities … and local parks. The budget is reported to include a modest surplus.

Waverley Council has voted to double the number of affordable homes it sets aside for women and families fleeing domestic and family violence.

City Hub reported that the extra units will take the dedicated total from two to four … and councillors say safe housing can be the difference between leaving and going back.

Bondi Ward councillor Michelle Stephenson told the meeting stable accommodation helps people recover … and helps children regain a sense of normal life.

Mayor Will Nemesh says the council is proud of the move … and argues few councils provide this kind of targeted support. More affordable units are also being built at a council owned block in Queens Park.

In Sydney’s Hunters Hill … councillors have adopted a local strategy aimed at preventing and responding to antisemitism … as reports of hate incidents rise across Australia.

J-Wire reported that the plan uses a best practice framework … and formally adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition … alongside relevant state and federal laws.

Councillor Carol Tannous‑Sleiman says the policy sets clear boundaries … and tells residents hatred will not be tolerated.

Supporters say the approach could be a model for other councils.

A big battery project near Deniliquin is moving into the next phase … and Edward River Council wants locals to weigh in on how the community benefits.

A draft voluntary planning agreement is on exhibition until April twenty second … setting out what developer Avenis Energy will contribute … and how the money can be used.

Mayor Ashley Hall says the deal aims to deliver real and lasting benefits … and that community feedback is vital.

The battery would sit about eight kilometres south east of town … with a capacity of around one hundred and twenty megawatts … storing four hundred and eighty megawatt hours.

MidCoast Council is trying to move faster on flood recovery … after last year’s May 2025 event left dozens of damaged roads and bridges.

The council has identified fifty six major restoration work packages … valued at about two hundred and four million dollars … with the Bight Bridge the biggest single job at around thirty five million.

Infrastructure director Rob Scott says repairs cannot begin until the NSW Reconstruction Authority approves each project … but council wants contractors ready to go.

The Council has already spent more than $40 million on Emergency and Immediate Reconstruction Works… and so far, has been reimbursed just $6.1 million under Disaster Recovery Funding.

NSW Briefs:

In Maitland … the local rugby club is teaming up with council to look after its home ground at Marcellin Park.

The Newcastle Weekly reports that the Maitland Blacks have signed a three year partnership with Maitland City Council … covering maintenance, access and shared responsibilities for the site.

Wollongong’s rainbow crossing has a new home … moved to a pedestrian-only link on Marine Drive … opposite the Ted Tobin Viewing Platform.

Lord Mayor Councillor Tania Brown says the shift is about safety … after concerns the original crossing on Cliff Road was shared with vehicles.

Wagga Wagga City Council and Lockhart Shire Council are launching Weathering Well … a run of events, workshops and training aimed at strengthening rural mental health.

The program is part of a Regional Drought Resilience Plan … backed by NSW and the Future Drought Fund.

Queensland Report

Brisbane City councillors are asking questions after parts of a recent meeting livestream made some speakers look blurred or out of focus.

According to ABC News, Labor councillor Emily Kim says residents messaged saying they could not see her clearly … while independent Nicole Johnston raised similar concerns.

The council chair, Sandy Landers, says there was no deliberate blurring … and an internal report points to routine camera tracking glitches.

The chief information officer, Stephen Loquet, says the system sometimes needed manual recalibration … but the audio record still met legal requirements. Cr Kim has referred the matter to Queensland’s Crime and Corruption Commission.

On the Sunshine Coast … councillors have backed a bid to have a large hinterland area recognised as an international Dark Sky Reserve.

The plan covers places like Maleny, Mapleton and Kenilworth … and it comes with a lighting management plan to keep outdoor lights dark sky compliant.

Advocate Dr Ken Wishaw says much of the work is already done … with more than two hundred streetlights replaced in the past six months … often without residents noticing.

Supporters say official recognition could protect nocturnal wildlife … and open the door to low impact astro tourism … while teaching the wider region how to use light responsibly.

Bundaberg Regional Council has opted for continuity … keeping Councillor Steve Cooper on as Deputy Mayor for another year.

The role is reviewed annually … and at the March meeting Councillor Bill Trevor nominated Cooper for a term running from April first to March thirty first next year.

Mayor Helen Blackburn said Cr Cooper has been a steady stand-in at events and forums … including during the recent flood … and has helped represent Bundaberg in talks with investors, tourism leaders and airlines.

Bundaberg is putting a fresh face forward … with Bundaberg Tourism launching a new destination brand … a rebuilt website … and a coordinated marketing push.

Chief executive Katherine Reid says it is less about a slogan … and more about telling a shared local story … to drive real jobs and visitor spending.

The campaign is aimed at higher value travellers … and the website is designed to make planning and booking easier.

After recent flooding … the message is that the region is open … accessible … and ready to welcome visitors. The plan will be judged on visits … spending … and local business confidence.

Tasmania

There’s more insight into the circumstances leading to the resignation of a former deputy mayor at Derwent Valley Council, as reported by the Mercury.

Jessica Cosgrove, who resigned last week as a councillor, is also the operator of the New Norfolk Market.

Ms Cosgrove says the market’s future is at risk … after council moved to call expressions of interest for outdoor events … instead of extending her lease.

She says she declared her interests … and never breached the code of conduct … but felt targeted by public criticism.

Mayor Michelle Dracoulis says the market is not being shut down … and the current operator can reapply through a transparent process, which Ms Cosgrove argues will add red tape … and cost ratepayers money.

South Australia

Mount Gambier Council has congratulated Councillor Jason Virgo on his projected win in the state seat of MacKillop.

Cr Virgo has been on statutory leave during the campaign. If confirmed as the successful candidate … his win means Mount Gambier will face a casual vacancy for an area councillor.

Council says the vacancy would not trigger a supplementary election … because it falls within twelve months of the next periodic election. The position would be held open until November.

Driving through Glenelg could soon get a lot slower.

The Adelaide Advertiser reports that the Holdfast Bay Council is considering a plan to slash speed limits on Jetty Road and eighteen surrounding streets from 40 kilometers per hour down to just thirty.

Council administration argues the move is vital for pedestrian safety, citing fatality risks as a primary factor—despite SA Police records showing no fatal crashes on the strip in the last five years.

Local business owners are already hitting back, calling the proposal “speed limit fluff” and arguing that without better police enforcement, the change will only hurt traders while doing little to stop hoons.

A final vote on the plan has been deferred to a future meeting.

For hundreds of community clubs in Adelaide’s south … Onkaparinga Council is weighing a new kind of help.

A proposal before councillors would see council offer shared admin support … like bookkeeping and compliance work … to clubs that struggle to find volunteers.

Council documents warn the model could expose council to legal and financial risk … including governance and fraud concerns … and would stretch staff resources if it had to serve more than 250 clubs.

Adelaide Now reported that no option has been endorsed yet … and council says it will keep talking with clubs before deciding.

Western Australia

In Geraldton … councillors are weighing in on proposed changes to how WA local government elections are run.

A report to council responds to a WALGA request for feedback … including whether all councillors should be elected every four years … and whether voting should be compulsory.

The Geraldton Guardian reported that most of the City of Greater Geraldton councillors surveyed backed the current two year, half spill model … saying it helps with continuity and knowledge.

They also leaned toward keeping voting voluntary … unless elections move to a four year cycle.

In South Perth … rangers are trialling a new way to protect disability parking spaces … and make sure they are available for the people who need them.

The City is testing an ACROD Permit Scanner … which lets officers check permits in real time … and spot ones that have been cancelled or deactivated.

South Perth’s Community Rangers will work alongside National Disability Services on the trial. The council says the aim is fairer enforcement … and better access to ACROD bays … by strengthening the integrity of the permit program.

For drivers and freight operators in WA’s Goldfields … two shires say the case for sealing a notorious stretch of highway is only getting stronger.

The Shire Presidents of Meekatharra and Wiluna have thrown their support behind a petition to State Parliament … urging action on the last one hundred and twenty four kilometres of unsealed road between the towns.

They say the gravel section keeps deteriorating … and crashes are an unfortunate regular occurrence.

The petition has now closed … with five hundred and ninety four signatures. The next step is a parliamentary committee review.

Global Report

UK:

Derby is weighing what comes next after a car hit pedestrians in the city centre … sending seven people to hospital with serious injuries.

BBC News reported that Police were questioning a thirty six year old man on suspicion of attempted murder.

Derby City Council leader Councillor Nadine Peatfield says the council will thoroughly consider what the incident means for safety on busy streets and at public events.

The authority says it already uses hostile vehicle mitigation in public realm upgrades … and reviews city centre risks regularly.

Conservative councillor Steve Hassall is calling for a targeted assessment of Friar Gate and other high footfall areas … looking for design solutions that protect people without turning the centre into a fortress.

Some Council leaders in the UK are warning the government’s plan to merge 15 local authorities into five could come with a steep upfront bill.

Hampshire County Council leader Nick Adams-King told the BBC that residents feel they are being pulled away from long-standing district identities … and he estimates the transition could cost at least one hundred and twenty million pounds over the next decade or more.

Ministers say the new councils would be in place by April 2028 … and argue the shake-up will cut confusion and save taxpayers money.

Labour MP Dame Anneliese Dodds says the current set-up is hard to defend … and people deserve a system that is clearer and more accountable.

USA:

New York City is offering some municipal workers free on-site child care for infants and toddlers … a pilot that could shape the mayor’s push toward universal care.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani says the new centre will serve about forty children … from six weeks to three years old … with extended hours through summer.

The program began under former mayor Eric Adams for a small group of city staff … and is now set to expand to more workers in the building and across DCAS sites.

Ride-hailing is part of daily life in big American cities … but the taxes on Uber and Lyft are still catching up.

In Philadelphia, Mayor Cherelle Parker wants to add a one-dollar fee to every ride … with the money going to public schools facing a budget shortfall.

Her office says it could raise one hundred and ninety two million dollars over five years … and help avoid layoffs.

The proposal is meeting resistance at City Council … and Uber says higher costs would hit riders and drivers.

According to Governing dot com, there are at least fifty one state and local ride-hailing taxes nationwide … funding everything from regulation to roads and transit.

CANADA:

Alberta’s municipal affairs minister Dan Williams says he only learned of a complaint behind an RCMP “fraud and corruption” probe … when it appeared in the news.

The RCMP has seized phones from Calgary’s former mayor Jyoti Gondek … former councillor Sean Chu … and current councillor Andre Chabot.

CTV News reported that the minister’s department has not been formally briefed … and has had no requests from police … arguing the matter is for investigators.

Calgary’s current mayor Jeromy Farkas says it is his understanding no councillors are targets … and the devices may be evidence in an inquiry involving a third party.

Toronto City Council is taking a big swing at food affordability … backing a pilot for not for profit, city run grocery stores.

The City has asked staff to develop a plan for four locations … aimed at so called food deserts, according to CTV News.

Critics warn grocery is a low margin business … and cities do not have the supply chains, logistics and purchasing power of major retailers.

Food bank CEO Neil Hetherington says the question is whether Toronto can compete on price without scale. Staff have about a year to report back … and there is no funding set aside yet.

NZ:

Invercargill City Council has decided its deputy mayor … Grant Dermody … did not commit a material breach of the council’s Code of Conduct … despite an investigator finding otherwise.

The complaint alleged Cr Dermody swore at a senior staff member during a Rugby Park briefing.

The Southland Tribune reported that Cr Dermody denies the language … saying he only said “that’s ridiculous” in an aggressive tone.

Several councillors were conflicted and stood aside … as others raised concerns about the cost … now more than thirty three thousand dollars … and about setting a precedent for what counts as a breach.

Whanganui councillors have approved an overseas delegation … with plans to visit Japan, China and Singapore in June, according to the NZ Herald.

The trip is aimed at rebuilding international links paused by the pandemic … and pushing relationships toward formal sister city partnerships.

A report to council says mayoral involvement is seen as crucial … particularly for talks with Lijiang in China and Nagaizumi-Cho in Japan.

Mayor Andrew Tripe says the visit is not a junket … and the focus is outcomes that benefit the district. Council staff say if costs rise … they may send fewer delegates … shorten the trip … or postpone it.