Zoe Moffatt
Trevor Dance, Hume Councillor for the Jacksons Creek Ward said proposed legislation to tackle badly behaved councillors does not address the issue.
The state’s peak body for council staff, Local Government Professionals (LGPro), proposed legislation on February 24, which could suspend councillors for up to three years for bad behaviour.
Cr Dance said while he welcomes tougher penalties for bullying behaviour by councillors, he was concerned the changes did not address many of the issues.
“I have been calling for and will continue to call for legislation that protects both employees of the council and the elected council members from bullying, regardless of whether the perpetrator or victim is employed or elected,” Cr Dance said.
When contacted for comment, Hume council said it “welcomes LGPro exploring new legislation to provide greater protections for both Councils and Councillors alike.”
“However due to the ongoing VCAT appeal being undertaken involving Cr Trevor Dance and Hume council, no further comments can be made at this time,” council said.
LGPro wrote to Local Government Minister Melissa Horne about addressing the culture and conduct issues in Victoria’s councils.
It said councillor misbehaviour needs to be addressed through multiple measures, including; education, training, mentoring, as well as promoting “greater understanding of fundamental aspects of good governance.”
“We believe there is a perception outside of this employee group that local government executives have more authority to act on councillor misconduct than they do under law, resulting in the issue’s longevity.” the letter stated.
“This issue is a legal limitation, and thus we are providing an in-depth case for legislative change with amendments and guidelines that are ready to be acted upon.”
LGPro also said extraordinary cases of poor behaviour leads to expensive workcover claims, reputational damage and dysfunction
“[Ultimately the] loss of the dedicated talent of local government professionals who leave the sector.”
Cr Dance said while change is desperately needed the problem is more complex and requires a holistic approach to cover elected officials and employed staff.
