Panel findings send clear message on council member behaviour

The independent Behaviour Standards Panel – which was established in 2022 to deal with complaints about council member behaviour that cannot be resolved at council level – handed down suspensions to one former and one sitting city councillor for behaviour contravening the Local Government Act 1999.

Those councillors, one who resigned before the Panel delivered its ruling, would be required to issue public apologies for their conduct and be suspended from their positions for three months without an allowance.

The decision comes after the LGA released its independent Local Government Leadership and Behavioural Management Review in June, undertaken by Flinders University, which found that poor behaviour can have serious, negative impacts on individuals, councils and communities when it occurs.

The review drew on feedback and experiences from 252 survey responses and 53 in-depth interviews from Mayors, Councillors, CEOs and senior staff at councils across the state.

LGA South Australia President, Mayor Heather Holmes-Ross said communities expect their elected representatives to act in a manner befitting their trusted, influential positions as local leaders and that the sector will not tolerate serious and repeated misbehaviour.

“No one should be subject to bullying, harassment or harmful behaviour while they’re trying to do their job, and the same goes for council members and staff,” Mayor Holmes-Ross said.

“The Behavioural Standards Panel was introduced as an independent body that councils can refer behavioural complaints to, should they not be able to resolve them internally.

“The Panel’s recent rulings make clear that council members will face consequences for actions that bully or harass colleagues or staff, which is a step in the right direction that is hoped will lift behavioural standards to a level that communities expect and deserve of their elected representatives.

Feedback gained from participants in the Local Government Leadership and Behavioural Management Review highlighted how faster, tiered consequences and simplified pathways for behavioural issues, including early intervention services and stronger provisions, could further strengthen the existing behavioural framework.

Mayor Holmes-Ross acknowledged the cost, resources and time councils spend trying to resolve behavioural complains in-house before referring them to the Panel could be reduced, and LGA was working to identify improvements.

“Ratepayer funding shouldn’t be spent on legal fees to resolve internal behavioural conflicts, which in many cases can drag on far too long due to existing legislative provisions,” Mayor Holmes-Ross said.

“The Flinders University review into local government leadership and behaviour has given us clear feedback from council members about what they’d like to see improved when it comes managing behavioural matters, and we’re listening and taking action.”