Brimbank council’s new leader soon to be named

A replacement for outgoing Brimbank administrator Peter Lewinsky is expected to be named soon.

Mr Lewinsky, who stood down last Thursday to take on a new role with Darebin council, said he had suggested several names for the position but could not disclose further information.

As reported by the Weekly on January 21, Mr Lewinsky said he was confident the council scheduled to be elected in March next year would thrive due to a cultural change created under administrators’ watch since late 2009.

In other matters relating to local administration, the state government has introduced new powers to allow Victorian mayors to eject misbehaving councillors from meetings.

Local Government Minister Jeanette Powell said the impetus for the changes was “beyond what occurred at Brimbank” in 2009 and followed several examples of inappropriate behaviour statewide over many years.

The new laws will give mayors the power to suspend a councillor from a meeting after two warnings.