Victoria’s Local Government Minister Melissa Horne has announced the introduction of new powers to deal with councillor misconduct.
New sanctions, including fines, suspension and disqualification, to deal with councillors found guilty of misconduct were outlined by the Minister at Friday’s VLGA FastTrack day to a packed room of mayors and councillors.
The changes are expected to come in before the next round of council elections in October 2024.
The Chief Municipal Inspector will gain new powers to issue infringement notices, and there will be a model code of conduct and ongoing training requirements for councillors.
The changes follow a ‘culture review’ conducted under former local government minister Shaun Leane, and sweeping governance recommendations from IBAC’s Operation Sandon report.
The number of councillors who have resigned this year alone is approaching 30, with many citing the pressures of the role and toxic working relationships as factors in their decision.
Minister Horne said she would be asking the sector for input into the proposed changes from February, with the aim of introducing legislation into the Parliament in March.
She said she hoped the changes would boost community confidence in local government, and help to encourage quality candidates to put themselves forward for elections in October 2024.