Today on the Local Government News Roundup:

• Hepburn Shire Council crippled by councillor stand-downs, in what the council calls a purposeful manipulation of the Local Government Act – the latest on the governance crisis is coming up
• Plus new court action against the government, this time from Boroondara Council
• A NSW councillor suspended from office
• Blacktown opts for a reduced special rate variation
• Gold Coast Council’s CEO seeks legal advice on a proposed leadership review
• New Council CEOs appointed in South Australia and Western Australia

All of that and more just ahead on Australia’s number one local government podcast.

Listen to this episode now:

Victoria

Hepburn Shire Council‘s governance crisis has escalated sharply, with three more councillors stood down after being served with criminal charges by the same private individual behind earlier action against the council.

Council has confirmed that Cr Shirley Cornish, Cr Lesley Hewitt and Cr Pat Hockey have been served with charges and automatically stood down under the Local Government Act 2020. The matters are proceeding as private prosecutions and, like the earlier charges, have not involved an investigation, fact-finding process, or assessment by Victoria Police or any public prosecutorial authority, council said.

The latest stand-downs follow the automatic stand-down of Mayor Cr Tony Clark on 10 July, and Cr Don Henderson in March. Chief executive Bradley Thomas remains in his role, having been charged in the same March action as Cr Henderson.

Council’s statement confirms that five of Hepburn Shire’s seven councillors are now stood down, leaving only two able to sit. As a result, council meetings of any kind cannot proceed, with a quorum unable to be reached.

Council characterised the pattern of charges as a purposeful manipulation of the Local Government Act 2020, saying it appeared intended not to address any reasonably suspected wrongdoing, but to disrupt elected representatives and hamper council’s ability to serve its community. Council said it was “bitterly disappointed” with the impact on residents’ right to democratic representation.

Council said day-to-day services, including bin collection, library operations and road maintenance, would continue unaffected, and that it continues to work with the Victorian Government and relevant authorities to address the situation.

Cr Brian Hood, one of the two remaining councillors along with Cr Tim Drylie, told ABC News that there was currently no mayor, given the council has no capacity to meet in the current circumstances. Cr Cornish had stepped into the position after Cr Clark’s stand-down on 10 July, and has now herself been stood down.

Could this happen to other councils? Rural Councils Victoria Chair Cr Rob Amos certainly thinks that’s possible.

He has called on the state government to urgently intervene in the wake of the Hepburn developments, and fast track its plans to close this legal loophole.

Cr Amos said it is untenable that the Act can give an individual the power to trigger automatic stand downs of councillors – and that without urgent action, a tidal wave of vexatious nuisance lawfare proceedings could grind local councils to a standstill.

RCV is calling on the attorney general to press for the director of public prosecutions to take over and determine the merits of current prosecutions against councillors; and for the local government minister, Paul Hamer to fast track the planned changes to the Act and to make the legislation retrospective.

MAV President Cr Jennifer Anderson has echoed those calls for urgency, but told ABC News that some parts of the bill before the Parliament need more work.

Little has been heard from the local government minister Paul Hamer on the issue, beyond a spokesperson’s comment to the ABC that he had written to the director of public prosecutions to draw attention to the matter.

Insiders expect the appoint of an administrator to Hepburn Shire Council, perhaps within days.

Boroondara Council has launched Supreme Court action against Victoria’s Planning Minister, Sonya Kilkenny, over the fast-tracked approval of a 520-million-dollar development in Kew.

The council is arguing that the decision to permit the 18-storey residential and retail project was legally unreasonable.

A key dispute centres on a developer proposal to upgrade adjoining, council-owned land that the developer does not control.

The action comes weeks after Bayside City Council launched Supreme Court proceedings to compel the Victorian Government to release documents explaining how it selected local activity centres for planning overhauls that bypass normal public notice and increase building heights.

The City of Greater Geelong has hit back at the state government’s takeover of four local precinct structure plans, warning the move could worsen housing delays.

Council Chief Executive Ali Wastie argues that thousands of approved homes are already stalled in state planning backlogs and environmental assessment pipelines.

In an opinion piece for the Geelong Advertiser, Ms Wastie said the council has a strong track record of unlocking land and is urging the state to fast-track its own approvals for the Creamery Road and Elcho Road East precincts.

In a late development, it’s understood the Creamery Road standing advisory committee report has now been released.

An internal Artificial Intelligence roadmap developed for Merri-bek Council has drawn criticism from the Australian Services Union over a lack of consultation and potential job losses.

Brunswick Voice reported that the blueprint, prepared by consultants, outlines twenty-seven potential use cases for automation, ranging from routine document drafting to AI-assisted town planning and predictive revenue modelling.

While the council’s new CEO Kate McCaughey has defended the strategy as a standard exploration of emerging technology, the union is calling for the plans to be paused pending community and workforce consultation.

By-elections to fill vacancies for Banyule and Greater Bendigo have been set for October, running concurrently with a previously announced by-election for Mornington Peninsula Shire Council.

There are now six current by-elections being run by the VEC, with three to be concluded late this month for Wyndham, Kingston and Latrobe.

NSW

Temora Shire Councillor Anthony Irvine has been suspended from civic office for twenty-eight days, effective from this Saturday, July eighteenth.

The council announced yesterday that the New South Wales Office of Local Government ordered the disciplinary action following misconduct breaches of the council’s code of conduct and social media policy.

Mayor Rick Firman OAM said Council acknowledged the decision of the NSW OLG and will take all necessary steps to give effect to the suspension order.

Allegations against Cr Irvine included a post about a meeting where he allegedly made comments about another councillor’s mental health, and did not remove the post after the council requested it.

He was also accused of disclosing information about a confidential code of conduct complaint against him.

Cr Irvine has since brought his Facebook page into compliance with the council’s social media policy, according to the Daily Advertiser.

Blacktown City Council has confirmed a historic one-billion-dollar budget for the 2026-27 financial year, opting for a reduced special rate variation.

According to the Daily Telegraph, councillors voted to implement a 28.6 per cent rate increase over three years, down from the originally approved 37 per cent.

The revised rate structure includes an 11.54 per cent rise this financial year, followed by consecutive annual increases of 8.53 per cent.

An Orange City councillor will propose a public vote to reduce representative numbers from twelve to nine.

Councillor Steve Peterson is set to table a motion next week for a binding referendum at the 2028 local government election.

According to the Central Western Daily, the three-seat reduction aims to save ratepayers one hundred thousand dollars annually.

Cessnock City Council will vote this week on whether to formally oppose two adjacent battery storage developments proposed in Rothbury.

The Newcastle Herald reports that councillors are concerned about “industrial clustering” and fire safety risks in the tourism region.

If passed, the objections will be submitted directly to the state government.

Lake Macquarie City Council has unanimously endorsed a 25-apartment development proposal for Charles Street in Warners Bay.

The Newcastle Herald reported on a a swift standing committee meeting, where councillors approved the four-storey residential flat building despite it exceeding the local environmental plan’s 12-metre height standard by over 26 per cent.

Clarence Valley Council has issued more than $2,500 in fines and declared two dogs menacing following an investigation into an attack in Yamba.

Under the Companion Animals Act, the council’s Public Spaces Compliance team has enforced strict safety conditions on the owner to manage future public risk.

Sutherland Shire Council is working with police following weekend vandalism across multiple public facilities, including the Woolooware Bay Shared Pathway.

Mayor Jack Boyd says repairs will cost ratepayers at least nine thousand dollars. Staff have completed temporary repairs to ensure the affected community spaces remain safe and open.

MidCoast Council has completed an 80-metre extension of the Pelican Boardwalk in Forster.

Jointly funded by the New South Wales Government and local developer contributions, the project aims to boost regional tourism and improve public infrastructure safety along the Wallis Lake foreshore.

Bellingen Shire Council has paid tribute to former general manager and shire clerk Peter Doyle, who has passed away.

Peter served the community for more than 23 years, and the council says his leadership and commitment will be deeply missed. It has extended condolences to Peter’s family and friends, and those whose lives he touched.

Vale Peter Doyle.

Queensland

An independent leadership review into Gold Coast City Council‘s executive general managers and CEO Tim Baker has been delayed.

Acting Mayor Mark Hammel confirmed the motion will instead be presented at the next full council meeting, while Mr Baker reportedly seeks legal advice.

The Gold Coast Bulletin reported the review aims to assess the overall performance and structure of the executive team, and not just of the CEO.

Townsville City Council has launched a crackdown on its city centre, with the first coordinated clean-up removing more than three hundred kilograms of abandoned property and waste from makeshift camps in the CBD.

Mayor Nick Dametto says the operation, which brought together Community Safety and Waste teams, is part of a back-to-basics push to keep the city centre clean and welcoming.

Council has also committed three hundred and sixty thousand dollars in this year’s budget to expand City Safe patrols to seven days a week.

Southern Downs Regional Council and the Queensland Government have announced a joint 2.9-million-dollar underground overhaul for the region’s sewer network.

The project involves cleaning, relining, and inspecting 30 kilometres of sewer mains and 500 maintenance holes across Warwick and Stanthorpe to improve reliability and extend asset life. Works are scheduled to begin this month.

Mayor Melissa Hamilton says the upgrades align with the priorities of the new 2026 to 2031 Corporate Plan, which focuses on maintaining existing infrastructure before expansion.

Cairns Regional Council has endorsed a ten-year trustee lease with Westshell Pty Ltd for a new permanent Ferris wheel on the Esplanade.

Dismantling of the existing Reef Eye attraction is underway.

A temporary asset will operate from late July to minimise disruption until the new weather-resilient, accessible wheel opens in December.

Tasmania

Sorell Council has unanimously adopted a new food and organic waste service expected to save ratepayers up to one hundred and twenty thousand dollars annually.

Despite administrative delays with the composting facility’s approval, councillors finalised the policy to offset rising landfill levies, reports the Mercury.

The service begins under a three-year interim agreement.

South Australia

Coorong District Council has appointed Scott Reardon as its new Chief Executive Officer.

Mr Reardon has been CEO of the neighbouring District Council of Karoonda East Murray, and previously held senior positions at Holdfast Bay, Coober Pedy and Town of Walkerville.

He will succeed interim CEO Myles Somers who has held down the position for the past six months.

Wattle Range Council was last night set to consider a notice of motion to address regional homelessness following the recent death of a rough sleeper in Millicent.

Councillor David Walshaw is seeking to refer the issue to a local service networking group and explore opening council-owned amenities 24/7.

The SE Voice reported the move aims to better coordinate support strategies for extremely vulnerable residents.

Western Australia

The City of Mandurah will amend its public memorial policy following community pushback over storm-damaged beachside plaques.

The Western Australian council is updating its guidelines to allow the reinstatement of memorials damaged by weather or vandalism.

ABC News reported the policy change will be formalised at the next council meeting.

The Shire of Boddington has appointed Rachael Wright as its new Chief Executive Officer.

Ms. Wright will bring over 18 years of Western Australian local government experience to the role. She currently serves as the Executive Manager of Corporate and Community Services at the Shire of Gingin and has previously held senior executive positions at the Shire of Ashburton and the City of Wanneroo.

Ms. Wright is expected to take up the position later this year.

The City of South Perth has expanded its community safety measures with the deployment of a second mobile CCTV trailer.

Funded by a seventy-five thousand dollar state government grant, the unit will target crime hotspots in partnership with Kensington Police.

Further surveillance upgrades, including fixed cameras with live-viewing capabilities, are scheduled for completion by September.

The Shire of Manjimup has scheduled an extraordinary election for September 24 to fill a vacancy in its rural ward.

The postal vote, run by the Western Australian Electoral Commission, follows the resignation of former councillor Brayden Daniele in May.

International

NZ:

Radio New Zealand reports that Dunedin City Council has revealed a formal warning for misconduct was given to its chief executive, Sandy Graham.

An independent investigation by a King’s Counsel partly substantiated a complaint that Ms Graham used offensive language and made inappropriate comments about staff and elected members in 2024.

The council released a summary of the findings following an intervention by the Chief Ombudsman after a complaint by the Otago Daily Times.

Graham has apologised, and the council confirms she is undergoing coaching and facilitation.

A survey by Tauranga City Council has shown strong community support for local government reform in Tauranga.

Over eighty-five per cent of residents back a single council for the wider Bay of Plenty to improve service efficiency.

Mayor Mahé Drysdale says the feedback will shape the council’s proposal ahead of the government’s August deadline.

UK:

A major milestone for Thurrock Council this week.

The Council has appointed Debbie Ward as its new Chief Executive, marking a major milestone in the authority’s recovery after nearly four years of government intervention.

Ms Ward is a 40 year local government veteran, and is expected to take up the role in autumn, subject to formal council endorsement.

London’s Newham Council has unanimously approved the appointment of Maria G. Christofi as its new permanent Chief Executive.

Ms Christofi, currently the council’s corporate director of resources, will assume the role on August 1.

The introduction of toilet-charging plans by Weymouth Town Council has drawn strong opposition, with a petition gathering roughly 1,500 signatures.

The BBC reported that local traders and residents have raised concerns that the charges will lead to increased public fouling on the beach and around beach huts.

The council plans to phase in the charges over an eight-year period alongside planned refurbishments, with the first site scheduled for works in 2027.

Also from BBC News, the Essex Climate Action Commission’s work is expected to pause after Essex County Council withdrew its staff and administrative support.

The council, led by Reform UK since May, stated it will step back from the commission at the end of July but remains committed to separate environmental initiatives like flood resilience and air quality.

Opposition members and commissioners warned the move could cost millions in lost investment and undermine green energy plans.

Abingdon on Thames Town Council has announced the passing of serving Councillor Margaret Crick, a former Mayor of Abingdon following a period of poor health.

First elected in 2011, Councillor Crick represented the Dunmore ward for fifteen years and served as Chair of the Vale of White Horse District Council for four consecutive terms.

She was 74 years of age.