AFTER months of turmoil following an investigation into alleged corruption, Casey Council has been sacked.
All councillors were dismissed last week by the state government. The dismissal came after a state government appointed municipal monitor recommended that the entire council be removed.
An interim administrator will run the council for a 90 day period. A panel of three permanent administrators will then be appointed, who are set to run the council until October 2024.
Noelene Duff has been appointed as the interim administrator.
Local government minister Adem Somyurek said “we did not take this decision [to remove the council] lightly, the monitor found serious failures at Casey City Council and we acted swiftly to protect residents and ratepayers.”
“We’ve acted swiftly to implement the recommendations of the monitor and through the appointment of Ms Duff residents and ratepayers will see an improvement in the standards of conduct, transparency and integrity in the City of Casey,” he said.
“Ms Duff will work with the CEO to ensure that the council is focused on governing in the best interests of the local community and providing first class services.
“We will now work towards rebuilding the council so it can provide the first class services and representation the local community deserves.”
An investigation undertaken by the state’s peak anti-corruption body has looked into alleged financial links between City of Casey councillors and developer John Woodman.
In December, Frankston councillors agreed to prepare a report looking into whether developers embroiled in the IBAC investigation have lodged applications in Frankston (“Report into development applications”, The Times, 23/12/19).
First published in the Frankston Times – 25 February 2020
