The state government may delay the return of elected councillors to Brimbank City Council until 2016.
Speaking exclusively to Star Weekly last week, Premier Denis Napthine said the government was in two minds about reinstating councillors in March, 2015, as planned.
Instead, the government is considering leaving administrators in place until the statewide council elections in October, 2016.
Dr Napthine said Brimbank residents were concerned about wasting money on two elections in 18 months.
“The Minister for Local Government is currently meeting with Brimbank residents and other ratepayers in response to their concerns about the potential waste of council rates if two elections are held within 18 months,” Dr Napthine said.
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“These concerns stem from the issue that the commissioners are due to hand over to newly elected councillors in March, 2015; the next general elections for all 79 Victorian councils are scheduled for October, 2016, and the cost of holding the two elections is estimated to be over $1.3 million.
“The minister will consider the views of the community and other relevant information. If he feels any extension of the commissioners
’ term is justified, he will bring a submission to cabinet to draft legislation to then be debated in the Parliament to extend their term.”
Administrators were first appointed in 2009 following a damning report by Victorian Ombudsman George Brouwer into the strife- torn council.
The administrators were originally brought in to oversee the operation of the council until the 2012 election, but the government extended the administration of the council until March, 2015.
Chairman of administrators John Watson said the council would work with the government to ensure a smooth transition back to elected councillors when the time came.
“A concern that has been raised by several community groups and individuals has been the cost for them to stand for two elections in 18 months, and it is certainly a concern we share,” Mr Watson said.
“Aside from the substantial cost to ratepayers of two elections in 18 months, the cost for potential candidates to run two campaigns will be substantial and potentially prohibitive.
“It would be a great shame for Brimbank if community-minded and committed people are unable to run because of this.”
Darlene Reilly, from the Sunshine Residents Association, said she believed residents supported postponing the return of councillors.
“We support staying in administration even longer than 2016,” she said.
“We want Brimbank to stay in administration at a minimum to align with the rest of the council elections in the state, because of the cost to the ratepayers.
“We honestly believe that previous councillors are waiting to run, and the period of time hasn’t been long enough to really weed out or discourage a lot of the old group from coming back.
“The groups behind the councillors that ran before are all still very much there and they’re all still active in the area … it’s our opinion that politics should play no part in local government. We’re looking for community members to step up.”
Western Metropolitan MP Bernie Finn went one step further, telling Star Weekly that he did not want to see councillors back at Brimbank until at least 2020.
“I see way too many ghosts of the past wandering around,” Mr Finn said.
