By Ruza Zivkusic
FOUR members of Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Association (SunRRA) havefailed to show cause why they should not be prohibited from attending Brimbank City Council meetings.
SunRRA president Darlene Reilly and members John Hedditch, Brian Carroll and Garry Collins may be declared “prohibited persons” this week by the council as the response time for them to contest the ban passed last Friday.
The four sent letters to council stating it was “impossible” to show cause as council did not release the specific allegations of times, dates, places and the behaviour of misconduct of the four.
“It seems that council is saying that councillors have observed the behaviour and that’s all that they need to do to suspend the people,” Mr Hedditch said.
“The real issue is one of natural justice and whether the council is prepared to make a decision to ban us without providing us all a process in which natural justice can happen,” he added.
Ms Reilly sent a letter to all councillors last Friday informing them of the documents concerning the issue for them to consider in the decision making.
Mr Hedditch said that the outcome would be “interesting” as council had put itself in a “no-win” position.
“If it bans us it will have all hell break loose from civil libertarians and the community. If it doesn’t then questions must be asked about the competence of those involved given they have commenced proceedings against us without providing proper evidence and have therefore lost the trust and confidence of the residents because they have abused the council’s powers,” he said.
