By LAURA WAKELY
LOCAL Government Minister Jeanette Powell was contacted by Brimbank residents who feared the return of councillors.
Ms Powell told Star she had received a “range of correspondence” from residents who strongly opposed the elections, which were to be held on 27 October because they feared a “return of dysfunctional local politics”.
Star broke the news earlier this month that Administrators would be in place at Brimbank City Council until March 2015.
Chair of Administrators Peter Lewinsky will remain on the panel but be replaced by current Executive Director of Local Government Victoria John Watson as chair.
A spokesperson for Mr Watson said he did not want to comment until he entered the role in November.
A third administrator has not been announced.
“Over recent months I carefully considered whether Brimbank City Council is ready for a return to elected representation,” Ms Powell said.
“I sought advice from my Department, which has provided detailed progress reports from the Chair of the panel of Administrators, and independent analyses by two eminent persons, Mr Bill Scales AO and Mr Doug Owens.”
As previously reported by Star, both Mr Scales and Mr Owens recommended the extension of administration at Brimbank.
Ms Powell introduced the legislation in Parliament last week.
The bill acknowledged the human rights issues under section 18 of the charter act which enables each eligible person the right to vote and be elected.
But Ms Powell claimed the bill is “reasonable and justified” as “serious concerns” about governance in Brimbank still exist.
She told Parliament that the Administrators were rebuilding governance process, strengthening the council’s financial position and imitating a number of projects that would “revitalise” the community.
Ms Powell said a “premature return” to council elections would create “unacceptable risks” and “set back” the Administrators’ reform, making projects vulnerable to politicisation.
Both Labor and the Greens have both criticised the extension of administration, but only Western Metropolitan MP Colleen Hartland has declared she’ll vote against the bill when it returns to Parliament on 6 June
