Elected councillors will not return to Brimbank next year, regardless of who wins the state election.
Opposition leader Daniel Andrews confirmed that if Labor was elected to government in November, he would keep administrators in place at Brimbank until statewide council elections were held in October 2016.
“I think 2016 is the logical thing to do – have them come back in as part of the normal cycle,” Mr Andrews said.
His comments come just weeks after the state government extended the term of administrators to coincide with statewide council elections.
Councillors were to return to Brimbank in March 2015, but Local Government Minister Tim Bull said keeping administrators in place until 2016 would save ratepayers from having to fund two elections in 18 months.
“A stand-alone election for Brimbank is expected to cost ratepayers $700,000, so the government’s decision will make a substantial saving for the community,” Mr Bull said.
“Extending the panel’s term will also allow the administrators to embed best practice within the organisation before returning to elected representation.”
Brimbank councillors were dismissed in November 2009 following a damning
Ombudsman’s report that found profound failures of governance.
