Misinformation refuted, bridge decision deferred, defamation win - #540

In this Summer Series update from the Local Government News Roundup:

• Councils mobilise to deal with yet more extreme weather events
• Greater Geelong refutes misinformation about the future of its waterfront bollards
• Waverley Council defers a decision on the future of the Bondi Park bridge
• A controversial prayer hall defies a council shutdown order
• Cessnock proceeding with a controversial rate rise proposal
• and a Perth mayor wins a $250,000 defamation case.

Transcript

Another week, another extreme weather event.

A sudden storm brought severe flash flooding to the southwest of Victoria last Thursday, impacting parts of Surf Coast Shire and Colac Otway Shire council areas, and causing a partial closure of the Great Ocean Road.

The Australian and Victorian Governments have activated disaster assistance for both councils. They are being supported for the running of emergency relief centres, emergency accomodation, restoration of essential public assets, and counter disaster operations.

A community information point is active at the Lorne Visitor Information Centre, with council staff on hand during Monday to provide information and assistance.

Surf Coast Shire is providing information of road conditions and the status of affected properties on its website. It says Lorne is open for business and fully accessible by road from the north and south, and that businesses would appreciate support at this important time of the year.

Colac Otway Shire Council, already dealing with the Otway Complex fires from earlier in the month, says the shops, beach and Great Ocean Road are open at Apollo Bay but asks people to take note of traffic changes and beach closures, with a large amount of debris and other hazards in the water.

Elsewhere in the state, as crews continue work to contain bushfires, Murrindindi Shire Council announced it was working with Victoria Police to increase patrols of affected areas.

It described it as a precautionary step after reports of suspicious activity and commentary on social media about theft.

Mayor Damien Gallagher has been providing daily updates on the fire situation via the council’s Facebook page.

Strathbogie Shire is also providing a regular stream of important community information via its page, and both councils are running emergency relief and information hubs at various locations across their shires.

Wild weather also continues to impact parts of coastal NSW and southeast Queensland.

Central Coast and Shellharbour Councils were among those to announce the closure of some beaches and pools to the public on the weekend due to the conditions

Central Coast Council warned people to avoid local waterways for up to three days due to increased pollution from stormwater runoff, and said there were multiple road closures across the region.

The City of Greater Geelong has refuted what it called “misinformation” and “clickbait” in local media, claiming it would no longer being investing in the much-loved bollards on the city’s waterfront.

The council said it has been working with the original artist’s family, Deakin University and the city’s advanced manufacturing industry on a plan to be unveiled soon - a plan CEO Ali Wastie said is “first class.”

She said there was never an intention to remove the bollards, and expressed disappointment that the erroneous reporting had unnecessarily stirred community outrage.

Ararat Rural City Council is advancing a housing development at 87 Queen Street, transforming the former Prestige Fabric Mill site into approximately 90 new homes with 70% dedicated to affordable housing.

The project is supported by a $7.3 million Federal Government grant for infrastructure.

The draft subdivision plan is now available for public feedback before final approval, marking a major step in addressing the region's urgent housing needs.

The City of Port Phillip has been awarded $2 million from the Victorian Government's Safe Local Roads and Streets Program to fund four pedestrian safety projects across Balaclava, Port Melbourne, St Kilda, and St Kilda East.

Construction is scheduled to begin between January and late 2026.

From The Guardian:

The future of Bondi's heritage-listed footbridge remains uncertain, after Waverley Council decided to postpone any decision on whether to demolish or preserve the structure used by the alleged gunmen in December's tragic attack that claimed 15 lives.

At an extraordinary council meeting on Thursday evening, Mayor Will Nemesh announced that any decision about the bridge would only be made after extensive consultation with the NSW government, the Jewish community, and the families of victims.

In the meantime, Council has approved a temporary memorial featuring mural panels along the Bondi Beach promenade, and agreed to nominate several individuals for national honours, including Boris and Sofia Gurman, who lost their lives trying to stop the attackers.

A controversial prayer hall in Bankstown continues to defy council orders to shut down.

The Al Madina Dawah Centre on Kitchener Parade was told to cease operations last month after council discovered it was operating without proper consent.

The facility, which is frequented by controversial Sydney cleric Wissam Haddad, only has approval to operate as a medical centre.

Despite the closure order, council surveillance has revealed the centre remains active, with people seen entering and leaving through a back entrance.

Canterbury Bankstown Council has now issued a three-thousand-dollar penalty notice to the operators and says it will continue monitoring the site, with further legal action possible if the unauthorised use continues.

Port Macquarie Hastings Council has been notified that the NSW Minister for Planning has declared a proposed 18-storey mixed-use development at 29 Park Street a State Significant Development.

The proposal includes 210 dwellings—35 of which would be affordable housing—along with entertainment and commercial spaces.

Mayor Adam Roberts says the Council was not consulted before the declaration and has not been provided any opportunity for input. The NSW Government will be responsible for assessing any future development application, with Minister Paul Scully acting as the consent authority.

Cessnock Council has voted 9-4 to apply for a 39.9% rate increase with IPART.

If approved, it would add nearly $600 to average annual household rates, according to a 2NM report.

The decision came despite a petition with almost 6,000 signatures opposing the rise.

Meanwhile, North Sydney Council is due to consider its special rate variation proposal at an extraordinary meeting tonight.

MidCoast Council is investigating multiple incidents of deliberate tree vandalism across the region, including poisoning and ringbarking of mature trees in Forster, Upper Lansdowne, and Tuncurry.

Tree vandalism carries penalties of up to $3,000 for individuals and $6,000 for corporations. The community is being encouraged to report suspicious activity.

Walgett Shire Council has condemned the deliberate destruction of the century-old marble soldier statue at the Walgett ANZAC Memorial Park, calling it a cowardly act of desecration against a symbol of community remembrance and sacrifice.

The Council is working with NSW Police to identify those responsible and is reviewing security arrangements while committing to restore the memorial and pursue full accountability.

Meanwhile, the council has closed the Collarenebri Landfill after the discovery of alleged asbestos contamination. The matter is under investigation with further updates to follow.

Queensland regional councils are divided over proposed changes that would give mayors more power to direct staff and participate in recruitment, according to the Townsville Bulletin.

The state government is reviewing the Local Government Act, with changes partly sparked by issues during former Townsville Mayor Troy Thompson's tenure.

Flinders Shire Council supports the reforms, saying they would ease the burden on small councils with limited resources and improve the flow of information between elected members and staff.

But Charters Towers Regional Council has raised concerns the changes could blur the line between governance and operations, potentially allowing political interference in merit-based hiring decisions.

The council has also warned against making sweeping reforms based on what it called an isolated incident in Townsville, saying most councils already operate effectively under current frameworks.

The proposed legislation also includes changes to by-elections, conflicts of interest, and code of conduct breaches.

From the Cairns Post, a local mayor is calling on the Queensland government to boost police numbers in the tourist town of Kuranda, as businesses continue to deal with a wave of break-ins and anti-social behaviour.

Mareeba Shire Mayor Angela Toppin says she's been lobbying Police Ministers and Commissioners directly for additional officers, but so far, help hasn't arrived.

The current station operates 18 hours a day with just a handful of officers. Some local businesses have been broken into four times in six months, forcing them to spend valuable time cleaning up damage instead of serving tourists.

Police Minister Dan Purdie says enforcement blitzes across the Far North are driving down crime, but he has not any specific commitment to additional Kuranda resources.

From Pulse Tasmania:

Hobart City Council is advancing plans for a protected cycling corridor in North Hobart, with community consultation set to begin early this year. The project, which has decades of planning history and received $50,000 in state funding, will include bike lanes, pedestrian upgrades, and public transport improvements, though no final cost estimate has been determined yet.

Kangaroo Island Council has installed 23 new Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) across the island at publicly accessible locations such as campgrounds, boat ramps, and sporting venues. It brings the total to approximately 40 AEDs island-wide ahead of new legislation that took effect on January 1, 2026.

From ABC News: A Perth mayor has won a quarter of a million dollars in a defamation case against one of his own ratepayers.

City of Canning Mayor Patrick Hall took action against Richard Aldridge over ten social media posts made between 2021 and 2022.

The posts accused Mayor Hall of misusing his position by endorsing council candidates — claims that Supreme Court Justice Marcus Solomon found were defamatory.

Justice Solomon ruled seven of the posts crossed the line, describing Mr Aldridge's actions as reflecting a "long-standing, deep and personal animosity" towards the mayor.

Mr Aldridge, who represented himself in court, had argued his posts were matters of public interest — but the judge rejected that defence.

The City of Darwin reports steady progress on Cyclone Fina recovery over a three-month period, focusing on high-risk areas with several parks now reopened and regular mowing schedules restored across most sites.

Despite ongoing wet season challenges, crews are working to remove 1,203 stumps from road verges and clear debris, with safety remaining the top priority as the municipality gradually returns to normal.

UK:

From BBC News: More than a third of eligible councils in England have requested to delay their elections scheduled for May, a move that would affect over 2.5 million voters.

Twenty-five councils have asked the government to postpone their ballots by a year to 2027, as ministers carry out a major overhaul of local government structures, replacing the current two-tier system with new unitary councils.

Most of the councils requesting delays are Labour-led, though two are Conservative-led and one is Liberal Democrat. The government is expected to approve the requests in the coming days.

The Scottish Government has proposed two new council tax bands, as part of its draft budget, to increase funding to local authorities.

Higher rates of council tax will apply to high-value properties that will undergo a revaluation.

The Local Government Information Unit said the budget provides short-term stability for councils but fails to address fundamental structural issues, including the lack of multi-year funding settlements and dedicated resources for adult social care pressures.

CEO Jonathan Carr-West said it avoids the structural reform required to put local government finance on a sustainable footing.

NZ:

Kaipara District Council's CEO Jason Marris has resigned after three-and-a-half years, with his tenure marked by natural disasters including Cyclone Gabrielle and the Mangawhai tornado, as well as navigating controversial issues under former mayor Craig Jepson.

His last day will be April 10.

US:

A Venezuelan national and employee of New York City Council has been detained by ICE at a routine court check-in.

The Department of Homeland Security claims Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez overstayed a 2017 tourist visa and lacked work authorisation.

City officials dispute this and say he has a valid work visa through October.

City leaders, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani, have condemned the detention as government overreach and are calling for his immediate release, with a rally planned for Tuesday at the ICE office in lower Manhattan.

In West Haven, Connecticut, city officials are taking action on a mysterious problem that's been keeping residents awake at night—literally.

WTNH dot com reports that residents in West Haven's south side have been tormented by a persistent, low-frequency humming sound for years.

The mysterious hum has grown worse over time, and is affecting residents' sleep, mental health, and ability to concentrate.

Last week, the City Council voted to allocate sixteen thousand dollars for an acoustic study. Mayor Dorinda Borer says they believe they know the source, but they need definitive proof.

The study will involve setting up microphones for ten consecutive days.

If the weather cooperates, officials expect results within thirty days of completing the study, finally bringing answers—and hopefully relief—to frustrated residents.