Crackdown: Victorian Local Government Minister Melissa Horne is planning to introduce legislation to parliament which she says will improve the performance of councils.
The Victorian Government will introduce legislation to parliament next year, hoping to lift public confidence in local government by improving the performance and accountability of councillors across the state.
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Local Government Minister Melissa Horne said almost 30 councillors had resigned for a variety of reasons from Victorian local councils since January, and municipal monitors had been appointed to eight councils in the past 18 months.
They include Strathbogie (twice), Glenelg, Horsham, Darebin, Wodonga, Geelong and Yarra, while Moira Shire Council was dismissed and replaced with administrators.
Ms Horne said the reforms would introduce mandatory training for elected representatives, a uniform councillor code of conduct and strengthened powers for the minister to address councillor conduct.
Those powers will include the minister being able to suspend or disqualify individual councillors found to have created a risk to health and safety or prevented the council from performing its function.
“Victorians rightly have high expectations of their local councillors and these changes will ensure residents can have confidence their best interests are being served,” Ms Horne said.
“Having a model code of conduct and mandatory training makes sense and extends reforms we introduced before the last council elections. They will help encourage quality candidates to come forward for the 2024 polls.”
The Chief Municipal Inspector will also have enhanced powers, including the ability to issue infringement notices.
The government plans to introduce the legislation in the first quarter of 2024.
It said the amendments to the Local Government Act 2020 will address recommendations made by integrity bodies such as the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission and the Chief Municipal Inspector.
Welcome reforms: Rural Councils Victoria chair Mary-Ann Brown says “a few bad apples” among the state’s local government councillors were “undermining” public and state government confidence in the sector.
Rural Councils Victoria, the body that represents 34 rural councils across the state, has welcomed the minister’s announcement with chair Mary-Ann Brown saying, “it is clear that something needs to be done urgently”.
“The vast majority of local councillors are decent, hard-working representatives for their communities, but a few bad apples who behave in a bullying or outrageous manner are undermining public and the state government’s confidence in the whole sector,” Cr Brown said.
“Rural Councils Victoria has held meetings with the minister to discuss issues such as good governance, training for new councillors and a strong statewide code of conduct for councillors that holds those who bully or otherwise abuse their positions to account.”
Cr Brown said she hoped the reforms would allow individuals who might cause trouble to be dealt with, rather than a whole council being undermined.
“Sacking a whole council to manage the bad behaviours of one individual goes too far, which is why RCV welcomes ministerial powers to address individual councillor misconduct and discourage poor behaviour,” she said.
Cr Brown said she also hoped the changes would encourage greater diversification on councils.
“We want councils to be diverse and reflective of their communities. Bad behaviour only serves to deter people from engaging with local government,” she said.
“The proposed changes strike a good balance between encouraging high standards of behaviour and providing avenues to deal with poor behaviour.”
