By LAURA WAKELY
BRIMBANK may never be free of the factional fighting and alliances that contributed to the sacking of the council in 2009, according to a report.
Government consultant Doug Owens told Local Government Minister Jeanette Powell in his 7 March report that the term of the Administrators should be extended at least for two years.
It followed a report Ms Powell requested from Municipal Administration Inspector Bill Scales in November last year, which also recommended Brimbank City Council stay under administration until 2016.
The reports were released on Friday, after Star exclusively broke the news that the Government would introduce legislation into Parliament to delay council elections until March 2015.
Chair of Administrators Peter Lewinsky will stay on, but be replaced as chair by current Executive Director of Local Government Victoria John Watson, while Adminstrator’s Joanne Anderson and Meredith Sussex will step down in October.
The third Administrator is yet to be announced.
“The weight of advice provided by independent reports was such that the best course of action was to maintain Administration while work was finalised,” Ms Powell said.
“Both reports identified that the premature return to an elected council carries the very real risk of a return to the discredited and damaging practices of the past and the derailing of numerous important projects commenced under Administration.”
In his report, Mr Owens said it was clear those named in the reports that led to the 2009 sacking were preparing to run in the October elections this year, which would reintroduce “power relationships and alliances” that could “undermine” the governance of the council.
“Time has not caused the political tensions to dissipate but the end outcome of the election cannot be accurately predicted and the question arises as to when (if ever) political tensions in Brimbank will dissipate,” Mr Owens said.
Mr Scales said the Administrators had begun to “establish a pattern of good governance” and should stay on long enough to complete all the projects begun under their term.
Mr Lewinsky told Star that the announcement wouldn’t change council plans or workloads, but meant council had two and a half years of “free air” to embed good practices.
“I think the change of the panel reflects the fact that the nature of the first three years is going to be different too, in terms of the workload, the direction, the focus, it has to be different,” Mr Lewinsky said.
“We had to address a lot of issues that hopefully won’t be around in the second phase.
“I have absolutely no doubt we’ll achieve a lot built on the foundation that was in the first three years.”
In a statement provided to Star Ms Sussex and Ms Anderson said they had enjoyed their time at Brimbank and were proud of the “positive outcomes for the community” achieved through initiatives they’d introduced.
The decision has been met with a mixed reaction among the Brimbank community, with some residents outraged that they won’t be able to elect their representatives.
