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Message from the Presiding Member

To the Hon Hannah Beazley BA MLA Minister for Local Government; Youth; Minister Assisting the Minister for Training and Workforce Development

The following is the annual report of the Local Government Standards Panel (the Standards Panel) for the period from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024.

The minor breach system is part of the disciplinary framework for council members in Western Australia under the Local Government Act 1995 (the Act). The system responds to and deters conduct by council members that disrupts the effective functioning of their local government.

In 2023-24 the Standards Panel received 134 complaints comprising 275 allegations; convened 23 meetings and considered 220 allegations in the 111 complaints finalised in 2023- 24, with 114 findings of no breach and 35 findings that a breach had occurred. Eighteen allegations were suspended as the respondent was no longer an elected member and one allegation was withdrawn. The panel refused to deal with 52 complaint allegations, the majority of which were determined to be vexatious and/or frivolous.

The Standards Panel's processing times are impacted by legislative requirements and the provision of procedural fairness for those elected members responding to allegations. The executive support team have streamlined their administrative support processes for the Standards Panel, which saw a further drop of nearly 14% in the average time to deliver findings of a minor breach complaint against breaches of the Act, compared with the last annual reporting period. As the reports can be quite complex, the legal members endeavour to provide reports in a timely manner and the executive team strive to ensure a timely response for the sector.

In 2023-24, the former Deputy Local Government member of the Standards Panel, Ms Renee McLennan, was replaced by Councillor Bronwyn Ife from the Town of Victoria Park through the legislated selection process. I thank Renee for her contribution, welcome Bronwyn to the Standards Panel and thank those in the sector who made an application through the Western Australian Local Government Association. I have also finished my 3-year tenure as Presiding Member of the Panel as I take on a new challenge with the Racing, Gaming and Liquor Division at the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (DLGSC).

I would like to acknowledge and thank our legal members Emma Power and Elanor Rowe for their ongoing support, as well as Councillor Peter Rogers and Deputy member Suleila Felton for their commitment this year.

I take this opportunity to also thank staff at DLGSC for their work supporting the Standards Panel, their commitment to providing the sector with timely responses and advice regarding the minor breach process, and their continued administrative and executive support to the Standards Panel.

Tim Fraser
Presiding Member, Local Government Standards Panel

31 August 2024