Council to be sacked
SOUTH Gippsland Shire Council is likely to be sacked by tomorrow (Thursday).
Victorian Parliament is now debating a bill that the council be dismissed.
The government’s move comes after the Commission of Inquiry and municipal monitor both recommended council go.
“We have accepted the recommendation of the Commission of Inquiry to dismiss the council until October 2021,” Minister for Local Government Adem Somyurek said.
“The dismissal of the shire will ensure that residents, ratepayers and business of South Gippsland get a council that functions in their best interests.”
The Legislative Assembly is now debating the bill, which if passed, will be considered by the Legislative Council tomorrow.
The commission found conflict between the councillors was negatively impacting on council’s performance, had reduced its standing in the community and the resignations of six councillors had weakened council’s legitimacy.
“This conflict has had a detrimental impact on decision-making by councillors. This both in relation to long term strategic decisions critical to the sustainability of the council as well as decisions on potentially controversial issues,” the commission’s report stated.
The commission stated it believed the issues that led to council being in this position had not been resolved.
The commission found council staff have been subjected to unfair criticism “due to the public not distinguishing between their role and that of councillors”.
The monitor, Peter Stephenson, found that among councillors, “intimidating and/or disrespectful behaviours are commonplace as are long email threads of ‘tit for tat’, accusatorial messages”.
Council has cancelled today’s open session and public presentations in the wake of the news.
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