KINGSTON councillor Jane Agirtan has returned to her duties after being stood down for nearly three months.
Agirtan was stood down from council on 9 April after it was revealed she had been charged with breaching a personal safety intervention order. At the Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on 20 June Agirtan avoided conviction – the Magistrate offered Agirtan a two-week diversion on the condition she make a $2000 donation to the Royal Children’s Hospital (“Councillor offered diversion by court”, The News 20/6/2025).
Last week Kingston Council confirmed that Agirtan had resumed her councillor position. Agirtan said “I am thrilled to be back to work representing the Chicquita Ward that elected me in November. “I am pleased that these matters have been resolved, and I look forward to working again with the community and council. I would also like to thank the mayor Cr Oxley for stepping in and looking after the Chicquita Ward community during my absence.”
Under section 229 of the Local Government Act, Agirtan was stood down until her legal matter was resolved. The Act reads that a councillor is to be stood down if charged with an offence that is punishable by a period of imprisonment of at least two years for a first conviction, and will be reinstated once the charge is withdrawn or all proceedings in respect of the charge, including any appeal, are determined.
Under subsection four of the Act, councillors have their allowance withheld until the legal process concludes. “A councillor who is no longer stood down under subsection 1 is entitled to their allowance, including any allowance previously withheld under subsection 4, unless the councillor is convicted of the offence,” the Act reads.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 16 July 2025