Criminal charges, council mergers, and a four day work week - #562

0:00The next VLGA member exclusive lunch and learn session is on Friday the 27th of March, a free event exploring psychosocial hazards and the council's role as the CEO's employer. Attendees will gain insight into new legislation, understanding the impact of culture, workload and role clarity and ensuring appropriate systems of support and accountability are in place. Join the VLGA's Head of Local Government Programs and Policy Dawn Bray and managing partner from Justisha Lawyers Melissa Scadden as they break down the responsibilities of counsellors under this emerging piece of legislation. It's on Friday the 27th of March from 12 to 1pm, a member exclusive lunch and learn session from the VLGA. Details at vlga.org.au Coming up a counsellor and a CEO served with alleged criminal charges.

1:02New CEOs appointed at Berrigan and Juni Councils, a CEO's performance review exposes divisions within a New South Wales Council. New land valuations raised concerns about potential rate rises in southeast Queensland. Council mergers back on the table in WA, along with calls for compulsory voting and local government elections and a four day work week introduced by a major international city. Hello, I'm Chris Eddie, welcome to the local government news round up for Friday the 13th of March. Brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, the national broadcaster on all things local government, with a new episode of VLGA Connect coming away today. Support also comes from Symphony 3, simple connected customer experiences and from wrath engineering development, smarter local government systems built from real on the ground experience.

2:03Thanks for joining us for episode number 562 of the local government news round up. Headed with shocking news out of Hepburnshire Council, which is standing by its CEO Bradley Thomas and Councillor Don Henderson, after they were served with alleged criminal charges in the Ballarat Magistrates Court. The council says the charges were initiated by a private individual and that there's been no investigation or fact-finding process by Victoria Police or a public prosecuting authority. The herald son reported that the charges have been brought by local businessman David Penman, who is alleging the misuse of rape hire funds, misuse of position and misconduct in public office. He told the master that the action relates to defamation action brought by the council in response to material published online alleging corruption, dishonesty and incompetence by Mr. Thomas and Councillor Henderson. Under the local government act, Councillor Henderson is automatically stood down

3:07while the matter is managed, but Mr. Thomas is not legally required to step aside and will remain in his role. The council says it's taking the allegations seriously and will follow any recommendations made by the courts. Some of the hardest tools councils respond to start with a dog attack and East Gipsland Shire says the numbers are rising. More than 140 attacks were reported last financial year with 31 already this year, some causing hospital treatment, vet bills and the death of pets. Mayor Councillor Jodi Ashworth says the council is stepping up patrols and enforcement and urging owners to keep dogs securely contained at home and on a leash near par with playgrounds and waterways. The council says police should report attacks straight away and provide details if it is safe to do so. Pyrenees Shire council is weighing the future of its curbside waste collection.

4:07A business case to be presented to Monday's council meeting compares the current private contract, vanity that $700,000 annually against a proposed in-house model. While an internal service offers higher flexibility and direct customer responsiveness it carries an estimated $800,000 annual price tag and requires a $1.65 million capital investment for a new fleet. Council officers cite high operational and industrial risks for the transition. As a result they're recommending a one-year contract extension to June next year while preparing an internal estimate to benchmark against future public tenders. Meanwhile at Mornington Peninsula Shire, councilors are set to vote on how to roll out Victoria's waste reforms designed to standardize services and lift recycling. The changes point towards a four-bin system with separate streams for general waste, mixed recycling, food and garden organics and glass.

5:09But the Shire says key details are still unclear and it's pushing the state government to drop the separate glass bin requirement arguing most glasses already captured through the container deposit scheme and an extra bin could drive up costs. Councilors will consider full compliance, partial and delayed compliance or keeping current services and risking penalties at a meeting in Mount Eliza on the 17th of this month. With the Port Ferry Folk Festival over and access improved at the Southcomb Park precinct, Moin Shire Council says it will begin a technical investigation into the Port Ferry pool and gym in the coming days. Inspectors will assess the building, plant and pool infrastructure, including structural elements and the extended mold contamination. Mayor Councillor Jordan Lockett says the findings will guide the council's next steps and provide cost estimates for rectification, maintenance and renewal. But Alexander Shire Council has bought land in High Street, Moldon,

6:10setting up the first project for the new Mount Alexander Affordable Housing Trust. The plan is for two modular homes for local workers, backed by $650,000 big project grant from community bank Moldon and District, plus $400,000 from the council. The homes will be managed by community housing provider Haven Homesafe and council says tenants could be on site in 2027. Well, Trove City's Mayor Sharon Gibson has led a delegation to Canberra this week, meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Member for Gipsland Darren Chester at Parliament House. A key advocacy priority was the city's advanced air mobility precinct and infrastructure activation to support future residential and commercial precincts, along with community safety initiatives and the region's economic diversification. The council says the Prime Minister has agreed to a future visit to the region. And in Bannockburn, the bus stop has become a symbol of how hard it can be

7:11to get around without a car. Golden plain Shire Mayor Councillor Owen Shireke has joined a local long wait, urging the Victorian government to strengthen public transport links to Jolong. The council says Bannockburn is the only township in the Shire, covered by the current network review. But it has just four weekday services to Jolong and fewer on weekends. Councillor Shireke says limited buses hit people on low incomes, older residents and people with disability the hardest, leaving some effectively cut off from work, health care and community life. Also happening with the Victorian State election on the horizon, Port Phillip Council has launched an online election hub, setting up the council's key asks and tracking what candidates promise in return. Mayor Councillor Alex Macon says the themes are connection and belonging backed by practical needs like more frequent public transport, community safety and wellbeing, coastal erosion protection and better community facilities.

8:11The city of Greater Bendigo is inviting experienced mural and street artists to create new work for the Pennyweight Walk Open Air Gallery right in the city centre. Only shortlisted artists will be paid to develop a concept, works due to be painted from the 16th of May. And the city of Monash is asking residents what they want from local libraries over the next five years, as it drafts a new long term vision and strategy. The council says it's already investing, but with work underway on a bigger Glen Waverly Library alongside upgrades at other branches. Submissions to the strategy are open until Sunday, the 5th of April. And congratulations to Alpine Shire Council, which has launched its online emergency dashboard, designed as a single hub for residents and visitors to find trusted updates and services. Yet another dashboard delivered by Symphony 3, it links to agencies including Vic Emergency, the SCS and CFA, plus Vic Traffic, the Bureau of Meteorology,

9:14Osnet and Northeast Water for road closures, warnings and outages. It also displays key social media feeds without requiring a login. Mayor Councillor Sarah Nicholas says the aim is to make it easier to see what's happening and what to do all in one place. Alpine Shire joins Greater Bendigo, Mildura, Ararat and Golden Plains as Victorian councils who've recently worked with Symphony 3 to deliver emergency dashboards, a cost-effective solution that can be deployed in just three days. Find out more by heading to www.Symphony3.com. Senior appointment news heads our New South Wales report today, Berrigan Shire Council has appointed Cameron Bordman as its new chief executive, starting April 7. Mayor Julia Cornwell-McKean says the appointment is an important step for the Shire, describing Cameron as an experienced local government leader with senior private sector experience as well.

10:14Mr Bordman is director of the Oceania Cybersecurity Centre and a former administrator at the City of Casey. He'll take over from interim CEO Mark Dupay, who's held the reign since July last year. Mr Dupay told the roundup he's looking forward to taking a break and focusing on committee roles and consulting work in the sector back in Victoria. Juni Shire Council has appointed Michael Jackson as its new general manager, following a recruitment process it described as highly competitive. Mayor Councillor Bob Callo says the council was pleased to make Mr Jackson its preferred candidate and believes the experience will help guide the Shire through its next stage of change. Mr Jackson most recently worked as director operations and planning at Kempsey Shire Council and also acted as general manager there for five months, due to start in Juni on 28 April on a five-year performance-based contract. Clarence Valley Council has formally noted the annual performance review of its general manager Laura Black,

11:15but the vote has exposed deep divisions. The review panel chaired by Mayor Ray Smith praised Ms Black's work to modernise the organisation and steady the workforce. It also cited the Clarence Regional Aquatic Centre delivered on time and on budget. But according to the Northern Rivers Times, Deputy Mayor Greg Clancy says he agreed with the performance ratings but not the process and he and Councillor Lynn Cairns voted against noting the review. A former Wogger Wogger Councillor is back in City Hall according to the Daily Advertiser with Mick Henderson reinstated to fill the seat vacated by Tim Koshel. Mr Koshel resigned at the end of January and because it was within 18 months of the 2024 election, the vacancy has been filled by an Australian Electoral Commission Countback rather than by a by-election. Henderson previously served on the council from 2021 to 2024 and returns immediately after confirmation of the Countback result.

12:17After years of public debate, the split of Kutamundra Gundagai Regional Council is now turning into detailed back-end work. Council says the job is to unwind almost a decade of shared systems from contracts and payroll to property and supply chains. So two independent councils can start without disrupting services. Mayor Councillor Abbe McAllister says that includes a major upgrade of the Council's enterprise resource planning system now followed by months of scoping and consultation before building two separate platforms and migrating data ahead of the planned start date of July 1 next year. Council says staff are doing that work while keeping day-to-day services running and it's asking residents for patience as milestones are reached. Rising oil prices are squeezing freight in regional New South Wales and regional cities New South Wales says the state risks sliding backwards on productivity unless long-known bottlenecks are fixed.

13:17The group's chair, Liz Moore Mayor Councillor Steve Krieg, says the freight network is worth about $66 billion but bridge limits, detours and underloading are holding it back. Regional City's New South Wales says it's mapped 93 bottlenecks and has business cases ready for 10 priority projects with 10 priority fixes ready to go. Councillor Krieg has agreed to join us here on the local government news round up next week. Look out for that in round up extra on Wednesday. Upper Hunter Shire Council has moved to solidify its regional partnerships and progress the future of aged care in Merrowa following an extra-ordinary meeting this week. Council has voted unanimously to inform the Minister for Local Government that the Shire intends to remain a member of a joint organisation. The Council highlighted that the joint organisation model is the most effective way to support ongoing collaboration across the Hunter and mid-coast regions. While the Shire expressed a clear preference to retain its existing membership

14:19in the Hunter joint organisation, it has reserved the right to review this position should the Minister impose any changes. Meanwhile, the future of the 16-bed gum and place hostel is moving into a new phase after meeting in a closed session to discuss confidential commercial details. The Council resolved to note the expressions of interest received from aged care providers. The General Manager has been delegated the authority to continue negotiations with interested parties to operate the facility as a licensed assisted boarding house with a further report to come to Council. And Orange City Council says one recent court case should be a wake-up call for dog owners after two separate attacks on people. The Council says four dogs were involved, roaming off a property and then not being kept under control in public. In one incident, a person suffered multiple bite wounds and needed medical care. The court fined the owner $4,500, banned them from owning dogs for five years

15:19and ordered legal costs of $6,500. Councillor David Mallard says the Council will take action when owners breach the law and urges people to keep dogs contained at home and on a leash in public unless in a designated off-leash area. In other years, Paramata City Council is urging the federal government to rethink plans to sell the 1.23 hectare Lancer barracks site described as the oldest active military facility in Australia and part of the area's living heritage. Lord Mayor Councillor Martin Zaita says the priority should be keeping it in public ownership. China's men's and women's cricket teams are spending six weeks training at Blacktown International Sports Park. Blacktown City Mayor Brad Bunting says the visit shows the venue is built for everyone from community sport to elite programs. And Willingong Council is pushing ahead with two new skate parks, one at McCabe Park in the City Centre and another at Therule. It says tender documents for design and construction are nearly ready

16:20and once a contractor has chosen, the next step is targeted workshops with local skaters and the wider community to shape a draft concept. This is the roundup for Friday the 13th of March, brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, which is holding one of its member exclusive Lunch and Learn sessions on Friday the 27th of March from 12 noon. This free event will explore psychosocial hazards and the council's role as the CEO's employer. The VLGA's Head of Local Government Programs and Policy Dawn Bray and managing partner from Justice Lawyers Melissa Scadden will lead the Lunch and Learn session. They'll break down the responsibilities of councillors under an emerging piece of legislation. You can register for the event by heading to the events page on the VLGA website. That's at vlga.org.au Now, if you own land in Southeast Queensland, your next rates notice could be based on a much bigger number.

17:23ABC News has reported that the state's latest valuations show big jumps in several fast-growing areas, including Ipswich Up 51%, and rises of around a quarter on the Gold Coast, and the Sunshine Coast. Value General Laura Dietrich says the figures reflect strong demand, migration and new infrastructure, but the office does not set council rates. She says valuations are just one input, and council still decide how to raise the revenue they need. The new figures take effect in June, based on land values as at October 1st. Lock your Valley Regional Council has moved to a lay fears about the new valuations. It's one of the 15 affected councils. Deputy Mayor Councillor Chris Wilson said council sets rates using a model that smooths out big swings. He says the council's average rate increase over the past four years is 3.7%, and the aim is to keep rises to the minimum needed to maintain services.

18:24The Gold Coast is rolling out a $10 million programme to build modular change rooms designed for women and girls at community sporting clubs as participation surges. Mayor Tom Tate says construction is due to begin mid-year, with new buildings offering toilets, showers and dedicated change facilities for female players. He says women's participation on the Gold Coast has risen by almost 50% since 2021, exposing how many clubs are still built around male-first layouts. Bunderburg Regional Council is trying to capture a fleeting, but important record, the highest water reached in last week's flooding, with some areas still cut off. Council survey teams can't get into document flood heights, so the council is asking residents who can do it safely to mark the water line with a stick or other marker and take a photo showing the height plus the date and time. Local disaster management group Chair Mayor Helen Blackburn says the community's images will help build an interim record

19:26to guide recovery and improve future planning. On the Cassowary Coast, new flood sensors are going live on the council's disaster dashboard in a three-year trial aimed at giving earlier warning of local flash flooding. Sensors have been installed in known trouble spots, feeding real-time water level data into the online map. Cassowary Coast Regional Council says residents can tick water levels on the dashboard, then tap a sensor to see recent trends and zoom in on specific timeframes. Mayor Theresa Millwood said the trial should help people spot risks sooner, but the community should still rely on official warnings during severe weather. And copper theft can knock out street lights, phone lines and rail signaling, and it can cause councils and utilities heavily to repair. In Morton Bay, the council says new laws are aimed at cutting off the trade that makes the crime pay. Mayor Peter Flannery says the city has been pushing for tighter rules after repeated thefts, hit local infrastructure and ratepayers,

20:28the changes strengthen penalties and enforcement and put more scrutiny on scrap metal dealing to make it harder to profit from stolen copper. Let's go to South Australia where Port Lincoln's mayor is being recognised for lifting women's voices in local government. The entire Miss Love has been named South Australia's 2026 Joy Bayluch Award winner, presented by the local government association, honouring women who lead, inspire participation and make a difference in their communities. The council says councilor Miss Love has used the role to push for more inclusive decision-making and to advocate for regional priorities like housing, child care, health services, environmental management and major infrastructure. Mayor Miss Love says the award is an honour and that women's voices must be heard as communities plan for the future. Strieky Bay council is asking state election candidates to put some big local issues on the agenda from water to phone coverage. The council says mobile black spots are a major break on the air peninsula

21:31with Telstra identifying a need for more than 30 extra towers. Radio 5.00C reported that the council wants an 8 million-dollar contribution to help fund the build and another 500,000 for a detailed study into long-term water supply options. And in South Australia's Riverland, the push for more affordable homes is taking a practical step forward. In daily essay reports that Renmark Peringer council has signed off on a $3 million expansion of its community waste water system, paving the way for new development on the edge of town. Mayor Peter Hunter says the plan has been 10 years in the making and the cost will be recouped over time through developer contributions. The site could eventually host more than 500 homes aimed at people priced out of metropolitan Adelaide. In Western Australia the question of whether some council should merge is back on the table. Local government Minister Hannah Beasley says the collapse of the city of Nedlands council has sparked a wider conversation about what structures best serve local communities.

22:36She was speaking on ABC Perth and says the sector should be open to amalgamations where it makes sense and where councils can deliver services more effectively. She says it's not just about Nedlands but about making sure local government is stable and focused on what residents need. Some country councils in Western Australia say it's time to revisit compulsory voting at local elections. As turnout drops and councils worry candidates can be elected on very small numbers. ABC News reported that the city of Bustleton has backed the move. After Mayor Phil Cronon says mandatory voting is democracy working at its best. Supporters argue voluntary voting can leave space for fringe campaigns, while critics say forcing people to vote will not fix disengagement. And the local government Minister Hannah Beasley has flagged interest in reforms as Walga gathers feedback ahead of expected changes. Let's wrap up the week with our global report and we're going again to the Philippines today

23:39where Manila's city government is moving to a four-day work week, but with longer days at the office. The Manila standard report of this week that Mayor Francisco Domegoso has signed an order shifting most city departments to Monday through Thursday, without stretching to as late as 7pm. Friday's will be off for most offices, but essential and frontline services will keep running using rotating staff schedules. Mayor Domegoso says the move is tied to national energy conservation measures as global oil prices rise amid Middle East tensions. City officials say the goal is to cut fuel use and operating costs and ease traffic without disrupting basic services. In the UK, Mayor Steve Rotherham says Liverpool's north docks could be the next big regeneration story with a mayoral development corporation now moving into the business case stage. Speaking at a property conference in Cannes, the Liverpool City Region Mayor says

24:41the plan is to pull major projects under one delivery body, with stronger powers to speed up planning, land assembly and infrastructure. A statutory public consultation on the scope of the corporation is due by summer with the full business case expected to reach the UK government within six months. Liverpool City Council leader Liam Robinson says the aim is to unlock thousands of new homes and high quality jobs. A small town in the northeast of Washington state in the US says it's been scammed out of $330,000 after criminals impersonated its insurance provider. Officials in Newport say the scammers contacted the city by email, posing as the association of Washington's cities, and the money was transferred as part of a fraudulent financial transaction. The city says there's no evidence, residents' personal information was exposed and that the breach appears limited to city finances. Mayor Keith Campbell says Newport reported the incident to local police and the FBI

25:44and that an investigation is ongoing according to Spokane Public Radio. Here's an update on a story I recently brought you out of Vancouver in Canada. City Councillor Sean Or there is suing the Mayor Ken Sim over an allegation that Councillor Orr handed out illegal drugs at Christmas. The claim first surfaced when Councillor Lenny Zah told Chinese language media that some Councillors would drug users and Zah later apologised. But video shows Mayor Sim made the specific claim about Councillor Orr before quickly issuing his own apology. Councillor Orr says the damage has not been undone according to city news and that the remarks were made deliberately and in bad faith. A civil claim filed on the 10th of March is seeking damages. A dispute over a freedom of information request in Cam loops in Canada has escalated to a formal inquiry. Councillor Margot Middleton says the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner

26:44is investigating allegations that Mayor Reed Hamer Jackson has not complied with a request received last August. According to CFJC today, the applicant asked for copies of the mayor's texts and emails from June and July last year tied to city and mayoral business. Councillors passed a resolution calling on the mayor to provide the records immediately. If that doesn't happen, Councillors say they'll look at compelling reimbursement for staff time and legal expenses linked to the inquiry. And to New Zealand, or just off of, on the Chatham Islands, a spending audit is raising serious questions about governance at the local council according to staff. The Auditor General says former Chief Executive Paul Eagles should not have had control of a project to upgrade the council house he lived in. After costs rose by more than $250,000, the report says Mr Eagle created or edited quotes and contracts and backdated some procurement paperwork

27:47leaving what it calls a misleading picture of events. Mr Eagle has apologised saying documentation was incomplete and that they panicked trying to fix it. The council says it's now reviewing controls, policies and reporting. And now you're up to date on another big week of the local government news roundup. I hope you've found something of interest in our episodes this week. This was number 562, recorded on the morning of Friday the 13th of March. Our podcast is brought to you by the Victorian Local Governance Association, the National Broadcaster on all things local government, with support from Symphony 3's simple, connected customer experiences and wrath engineering developments, smarter local government systems built from real on the ground experience. Join us back here next week for much more news. My guest on roundup Extra, the Mirror of Lismore, Steve Krieg and some exciting news as we hit our 5th birthday milestone. The roundup is recorded in the city of Greater Jolong Victoria

28:48on the land of the water orang people of the Cooler Nation. Until next time, thanks for listening and bye for now. Support for the local government news roundup comes from Wrath Engineering Development, smarter systems for local government like RedGMS, helping councils manage gravel pits and projects, track quality, test results, blending options and haulage and know the true cost per ton from day one. Wrath Engineering Development can give you a one-off report that uses your existing pit data to pinpoint the best gravel sources for your next resheting program or disaster restoration works, saving your council time and money. The local government systems built from real on the ground experience talk to the team at Wrath Engineering Development head to rathed.com.au to find out more.