BRIMBANK residents face at least three more years before any hope of returning to democracy.
The state government will introduce legislation next week that will keep Brimbank Council under Administration until March 2015.
Brimbank’s councillors were sacked in 2009 following a damning report by Victorian Ombudsman George Brouwer into the strife-torn council.
Administrators Peter Lewinsky, Meredith Sussex and Joanne Anderson were brought in to oversee the operation of the council until the 2012 election.
Local Government minister Jeanette Powell said the decision to call off the October 27 election has “considerable community support” and reflects the view of two independent reports.
“The weight of advice provided by independent reports was such that the best course of action was to maintain Administration while work was finalised,” she said.
The Minister said both reports warned of a “very real risk” of returning the damaging practices of the past and derailing important projects.
Administrators Jo Anderson and Meredith Sussex will step down at the end of October.
Peter Lewinsky will no longer be the Chief Administrator but will stay on under new chair John Watson, the current Executive Director of Local Government Victoria.
The third administrator is yet to be named.
Labor powerbroker and former Keilor MP George Seitz had made no secret of his desire to become mayor.
But he said he welcomed the Minister’s decision as “good news” for ratepayers.
“It was quite expected the administrators would stay on and I think it is a good move as it will allow them to finish some of the work they have started,” he said.
“It’s an opportunity to forget about the bad old days and have a change in culture. Since the administrators came in we have had a lot of positive news coming out of Brimbank.”
The decision has also been welcomed by Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Association president Darlene Reilly.
“We believe we need a longer time to break the networks down and clear the air,” she said.
Last week Greens PM Colleen Hartland wrote to Minister Powell, calling for a decision to be announced.
Ms Hartland says the move to cancel the Brimbank council election shows the Premier doesn’t trust voters.
“I can’t see a reason for Mr Baillieu to delay a democratic election in Brimbank until 2015, except that it is after the next State Election in November 2014,” she said.
“Voters in Brimbank will be paying rates for seven years without representation.”
See our full report and the community reaction in Tuesday’s print edition of Brimbank Weekly and online here the same day.
