On the Monday 17th August edition of the Local Government News Roundup:

• Kingston by-election result sent to VCAT over alleged postal vote tampering
• Latrobe welcomes a new councillor
• North Sydney’s new pool shut days after a long-awaited reopening
• New powers for NSW Councils as nation-first shared e-bike laws come into effect
• QLD Government may step in over Moreton Bay’s homelessness camp trial
• Barunga West Council’s CEO quits after five months
• South Perth votes to keep a government monitor around a bit longer

Plus more local government news from across Australia and beyond.

The Local Government News Roundup is supported this month by LG Innovate 2026: the national AI summit for local government, hosted by Davidson, in partnership with Amazon Web Services.

Local Government News Roundup listeners can purchase their tickets now at davidsonwp.com with the promo code “lgnews” for 15% off before the 21st of August.

The Local Government News 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; and Rath Engineering Development – smarter local government systems built from real on-the-ground experience.

Listen to the today’s episode:

Stories in this episode:

Victoria

Cr Nikki Kaur has taken the oath of office as Kingston City Council’s newest Melaleuca Ward councillor, despite the VEC referring the by-election result to VCAT over suspected postal voting irregularities.

Cr Kaur will serve pending further advice from VCAT and the VEC.

Mayor Cr Georgina Oxley congratulated Cr Kaur and said council would work closely with the VEC to ensure correct procedures are followed.

According to the Herald Sun, runner-up Glenn Dumbrell has voiced fierce outrage over the outcome, demanding an immediate recount and insisting the vote should be voided.

Claiming he was “ripped off” and insisting he “should have won by a mile,” Dumbrell argued that suspected postal ballot tampering tainted the final tally, which saw Ms Kaur win by a little over 200 votes.

The VEC has also referred the matter to the Local Government Inspectorate.

Latrobe City Council has officially welcomed Councillor Rob Moffatt to its team following the Morwell River Ward by-election.

Cr Moffatt took his oath of office on Friday, after successfully seeing off four other candidates in the postal ballot.

Mayor Sharon Gibson congratulated the new councillor, who joins the nine-member council for the remainder of the current term.

Hume City Council says it had no advance warning about reported kangaroo culling at the future Haystone Business Park site in Westmeadows.

In a statement published to the Council’s website, Mayor Carly Moore says the council understands community concerns about animal welfare, safety and transparency, particularly given the activity was reported close to residential areas.

The Mayor says the culling was carried out by the landowner and developer, MAB, under a Kangaroo Management Plan approved and regulated by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.

While the developer appears to have acted within the rules, the council says it’s disappointed neither council nor the community was notified beforehand, calling for greater transparency.

Yarra Ranges Council is escalating a planning dispute to the Supreme Court, after VCAT in June overturned its refusal of a retrospective permit for four-hundred-thousand cubic metres of fill — equivalent to forty-thousand truckloads — dumped without approval on a Green Wedge property at Coldstream.

Mayor Cr Richard Higgins said Council believes VCAT erred in its application of planning law, and wants the matter remitted back to a different VCAT member if the appeal succeeds. He warned the decision weakens Green Wedge protections statewide.

Separately, Yarra Ranges councillors have pushed back against the state Opposition’s proposal to reinstate weekly rubbish collections, according to the Upper Yarra Star Mail.

O-Shannassy Ward Cr Jim Child told the 11 August meeting that fortnightly collections had cut landfill contribution by 60 to 70 per cent, and warned that the Coalition’s proposed rate cap on waste charges would force cuts elsewhere in Council’s budget.

Bayside City Council is set to vote on offering a forty thousand dollar reward to assist an investigation into how endangered growling grass frogs arrived at the Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve.

According to a report by The Age, council officers proposed the incentive following allegations that the amphibians were illegally relocated from wetlands in Melbourne’s west.

However, Victoria’s conservation regulator says it cannot accept external funding for investigation rewards, leaving the practical impact of the upcoming vote uncertain.

Brimbank City Council has welcomed new Victorian Government measures aimed at boosting public safety across Melbourne’s west, including Brimbank.

In a statement, Brimbank Mayor Cr Virginia Tachos backed plans for more Protective Services Officers on shopping strips, and praised the expansion of the Community Connectors program into Sunshine and St Albans.

The Mayor also welcomed grants for councils to improve safety in public spaces, while renewing calls for increased police numbers and an ongoing visible police presence—particularly in Sunshine.

Council says it has already removed street furniture on Hampshire Road after concerns it had become a hotspot for anti-social behaviour. It will consider a Community Safety Report at its meeting on Tuesday, including a proposal for a full safety assessment of Sunshine and St Albans activity centres.

Maribyrnong City Council will this week consider its submission on Development Victoria’s draft masterplan for the former Footscray Hospital site.

Council is calling for a three and a half hectare municipal park, thirty per cent social and affordable housing, and community use of the former psychiatric building.

The draft plan offers around two point seven hectares of open space.

Officers recommend council reaffirm its advocacy and push for stronger outcomes on open space, housing and social infrastructure.

Cardinia Shire Council is managing ongoing disruptions to local sporting facilities after repeated copper theft and vandalism damaged lighting infrastructure across several municipal reserves.

A man has been charged with forty three offences relating to more than three hundred and fifty thousand dollars in critical infrastructure damage across the municipality.

Council confirmed that full repair costs will be absorbed by the council rather than user groups, and temporary generators have been deployed to keep local facilities operational.

New South Wales

North Sydney’s iconic Olympic swimming pool has been forced to close less than a week after its long-awaited reopening, following a five-year, $122 million redevelopment.

The council says staff detected a power supply problem late on Thursday, prompting the complex to be shut and the main pool drained while contractors investigate and carry out urgent works. The Guardian reported that there’s no timeline yet for when it will reopen.

The art deco pool—first opened in 1936—had drawn big crowds during its free opening weekend, with more than 10,000 visitors, and thousands more taking preview tours in the lead-up.

North Sydney Council has apologised for the disruption and says affected bookings, including swimming lessons and fitness sessions, will be rescheduled.

New shared e-bike laws have come into effect in New South Wales, requiring operators to secure Transport for NSW approval and local council authorisation before service deployment.

Under the Australian-first legislation, Councils now possess expanded powers to enforce parking rules, set speed limits, and levy fines of up to $55,000 against non-compliant operators.

To assist with transition costs, local councils will also be eligible to receive grants of up to $200,000 funded by a new per-trip operator levy to construct dedicated parking infrastructure.

Strathfield Council’s push for shopfront signs to “clearly and prominently” display English is drawing strong backlash in Sydney’s west, according to The Guardian.

A Nepali grocer says the move is unfair and won’t bring new customers, while Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman calls it “systemic racism in operation”.

The Council has said no changes will be enforced until a review is completed, with community consultation planned.

Mid-Western Regional Council has rejected claims that proposed updates to its social media policy will be used to ban residents who post complaints.

According to the Dubbo News, community concern was sparked by references to managing viral complaints within the draft framework currently on public exhibition.

The council says the moderation rules target unlawful, misleading, or offensive material, rather than silencing legitimate local criticism.

The NSW Government has released “The Sydney Plan,” a 20‑year framework to coordinate housing, jobs, transport, infrastructure and open space as Sydney grows. It includes a new State Land Use Plan that aims to simplify planning across state, regional and local levels.

It forecasts a need for at least 800,000 new homes and 950,000 new jobs, with council-level job targets and updated five-year housing targets (post‑2029) plus a requirement for councils to maintain 30 years of feasible housing capacity in their planning.

Blacktown City Council has welcomed the NSW Government’s 20‑year Sydney Plan for boosting jobs in Western Sydney. But it says growth must be matched with better infrastructure, especially stronger transport links such as extending Sydney Metro from Tallawong to St Marys.

Maitland City Council’s fast development application processing has earned it $2 million from the NSW Government’s Faster Assessments Incentive Program.

Averaging 85 days in 2024/25, the council sits well under the 115-day state benchmark.

The funding will deliver stage two upgrades at Max McMahon Oval in Rutherford.

Queensland

The Queensland Government may intervene to shut down a new trial camp for people experiencing homelessness, established by the City of Moreton Bay in Wyllie Park, according to reporting by The Courier Mail.

State Housing Minister Sam O’Connor voiced serious concerns regarding safety, citing a lack of prior consultation and the risks associated with clustering vulnerable populations in one location.

Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery defended the initiative as a necessary response to growing local housing pressures, while state officials evaluate whether the council can safely manage the precinct.

Townsville is one step closer to becoming a hub for green tech manufacturing, with a major industrial project locking in its next phase of development.

Townsville City Council and green energy investor Quinbrook have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to advance Australia’s first integrated quartz-to-silicon manufacturing precinct.

Set to be built at the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct about 40 kilometres south of Townsville, the Northern Quartz Campus will transform local raw quartz into high-value silicon for solar panels, semiconductors, and advanced electronics.

The project is expected to create up to 1,200 jobs across construction and operations, with commercial operations targeted to start by 2030. Powering the site will be Quinbrook’s co-located Supernode North battery storage project, supplying reliable low-carbon energy.

Townsville Mayor Nick Dametto says the agreement signals that years of planning are paying off, moving Lansdown from concept to construction and bringing real investment and jobs to North Queensland.

South Australia

In South Australia, Barunga West Council Chief Executive Officer Mark McDonald has resigned, effective Wednesday the 12th of August, after just five months in the role.

Mayor Cr Leonie Kerley thanked Mr McDonald for his contribution and service to the Barunga West community.

Acting Manager of Corporate Services Stewart McLaren has been appointed Acting CEO from Thursday the 13th of August, until an Interim CEO is secured.

Mr McLaren joined Council in 2022 after sixteen years with the City of Adelaide.

Adelaide Hills Council has appointed Roberto Bria as its Acting Chief Executive Officer, with a recruitment process now underway for a permanent CEO.

Mr Bria is due to start on 7th September and stay in the role until a substantive appointment is made.

Mr Bria’s extensive local government experience includes previously serving as CEO of the City of Holdfast Bay.

Outgoing Acting CEO Jade Ballantine will remain in the position until Mr Bria begins, before returning to her substantive role as Director of Environment and Infrastructure.

Council says it aims to have a permanent CEO in place well before the caretaker period begins on 9 February 2027.

The City of Port Lincoln is considering a potential boundary review, citing escalating service delivery costs and socioeconomic inequities compared to its neighbouring local government areas, according to a report by The Advertiser.

Mayor Diana Mislov says that while the city serves as a key regional hub funding shared infrastructure, its population experiences higher levels of relative disadvantage.

The council has tasked the chief executive officer with preparing an advisory report detailing options for structural, governance, or boundary changes across the southern Eyre Peninsula.

Western Australia

City of South Perth Council has moved to keep the state’s Local Government Monitor in place for longer.

A special meeting called by Mayor Cr Greg Milner on Friday evening considered a request to the Local Government Inspector to extend the monitor’s term to the 19th of October.

The stated reason: continued oversight during what officers called a sensitive period, covering the council’s obligations to its Chief Executive Officer, workplace safety practices, and decision-making processes.

After some brief debate, it was agreed to reduce the term of the extension to one month, with further review at that time.

The meeting then moved into closed session to consider a separate, confidential notice of motion on CEO arrangements, the outcome of which has not yet been made public.

The City of Stirling has voted to offer up to eight hundred free trees to residents in the Lawley ward’s heritage-protected area, to help offset expected canopy loss from the E-C-U Mount Lawley redevelopment.

Council passed the motion, moved by Cr Suzanne Migdale, despite officers recommending it be rejected, arguing residents already had access to the city’s existing free tree giveaway program.

Officers costed the proposal at around fifteen thousand dollars for standard tube stock, rising sharply if more advanced trees are chosen, according to PerthNow.

International

UK:

Kirklees Council member Dave Rowan has been suspended from the Reform UK party pending an internal investigation, according to BBC News.

The action follows the emergence of historical social media posts from 2019, which appeared to show the elected member making offensive remarks and calling for violence against a former parliamentary Speaker.

While party officials assess the matter, Council administration confirmed that Rowan will continue to hold his seat as an independent councillor.

Peter Geary, a senior Milton Keynes City Council Conservative councillor, has been fined £609 and ordered to pay £5,000 in costs after pleading guilty to offences relating to cattle registration and ear-tagging records, in a case brought by his own council.

Labour councillors have called for him to resign, but Geary said he will not step down and argued the matter could have been handled with a cheaper fixed penalty notice.

Former Melton Borough Council Labour leader Philip Allnatt, 76, has been charged with one count of sexual assault and one count of harassment without violence, and is due to appear at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on 14 September. BBC News has further details.

Leicestershire County Council has extended the temporary closure of four recycling centres due to widespread capacity pressures across the waste sector.

The facilities will remain shut while council officers work with contractors to create additional processing capacity.

A Green Party councillor in Worcestershire has quit the party and defected to the Liberal Democrats, saying they’ve lost faith in leader Zack Polanski.

Councillor Martin Allen says Polanski showed “poor judgement” on a number of issues — including comments made after four Palestine Action activists were jailed for causing around one-point-two million pounds’ worth of damage at a defence firm site.

The Greens say they’re sorry to lose the councillor, but insist the party is growing — claiming membership has quadrupled over the past year and that more councillors have joined in recent months.

Councillor Allen will now sit as a Liberal Democrat on Worcestershire County Council and Malvern Hills District Council.

USA:

The City of Dearborn in Michigan is moving its city council meeting this week after online posts announced a “Christian Crusader March” tied to anti-Islam messaging, reports CBS News Detroit.

City officials and police say the venue change is to better manage safety and crowd size, urging residents to attend the meeting peacefully if they have business there and to avoid engaging with demonstrators.

Pittsburgh City Council has clarified the city’s long-standing ban on parking on sidewalks and in bike lanes by narrowing an exception that drivers had used to challenge tickets.

USA Today reported that under the updated language, a vehicle may only be on a sidewalk when necessary to avoid a traffic conflict or to protect a person/vehicle while complying with lawful directions or traffic controls.

CANADA:

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew is urging Winnipeg city councillor Russ Wyatt to step aside from city hall duties after police laid multiple sexual assault and drug-related charges.

CBC News reports that Wyatt has been charged with sexual assault and administering a noxious substance in two separate complaints — one alleged to have occurred in 2023 and another in 2025 — along with a charge of psilocybin possession tied to the 2025 allegation. Wyatt’s lawyer says he is innocent and will contest the charges in court.

The Premier says the case highlights a gap in municipal powers to temporarily remove councillors accused of serious offences, but any change would need to respect the presumption of innocence and is unlikely before Winnipeg’s election in October.

CBC News also reports that the mayor of The Pas, Manitoba, Andre Murphy, has resigned just weeks before the Oct. 28 municipal election and says he won’t seek re-election. He has cited a desire to be closer to family. Deputy mayor Carrie Atkinson taking on most duties until election day.

Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino has declared a local State of Emergency, blaming the city council for failing to approve funding to address deteriorating roads and blighted properties.

The mayor says the conditions pose risks to residents as well as police and firefighters.

The order lasts 30 days and can be extended, reports Buffalo Toronto Public Media.

NZ:

Experienced local government leader Vaughan Payne has been appointed interim Chief Executive of the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, taking up the position on August 31, 2026.

Mr Payne previously served as Chief Executive at both Waikato Regional Council and Ōpōtiki District Council.

His contract runs through to the 2028 local government elections, bringing stability to the organisation during upcoming sector reform.