Janet Dore and Penelope Holloway have been appointed as municipal monitors to work with Brimbank City Council from the 12th of February to the 31st of December 2024.
The main role of the monitors is to help the council improve its performance and understand its role better, providing assistance and advice in several areas, including confidentiality requirements, management of conflicts of interest, meeting procedures, decision-making processes, and governance rules.
Ms Dore has served as a municipal monitor for Strathbogie, Wodonga, and Ararat councils, while Ms Holloway has experience as the Acting CEO for the Office of Local Government NSW and is currently serving as a Board Director for the Victorian Planning Authority.
The appointments come as the government plans to introduce legislation that will elevate governance and integrity standards in the 79 councils across the state, thus encouraging quality candidates to run for office in the elections scheduled for October.
The reforms will also introduce mandatory training for elected representatives, a uniform councillor code of conduct, and strengthened powers for the Minister to address councillor conduct.
Brimbank joins its neighbour, Moonee Valley, as the second council to have municipal monitors appointed this year.