WA local government minister hails beefed-up laws as biggest reform in sector for 25 years
The often mundane cogs of local government turn without much scrutiny, because the vast majority function as they should.
But if the recent string of council dramas across Perth has taught us anything, it's that we need to look a lot closer.
The state government is watching, and is unapologetic about plans to beef up its powers to intervene.
But tinkering with other branches of democracy can put governments on dangerous ground.
Who can forget former Liberal premier Colin Barnett being forced to wave the white flag after attempting to slash the number of Perth councils in half back in 2015, not long before he left office for good.
It's a lesson Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley is likely to be keeping front of mind.
There's no hiding how ticked off Ms Beazley has been with Nedlands council.
What started off as a spot fire of dysfunction turned into raging flames of controversy.
"It's been incredibly frustrating," she told Stateline.
While she describes it as an outlier, there are clear recent examples of dysfunction gripping other councils.
As recently as April, a commissioner had to be brought in to run the Shire of Derby/West Kimberley after five council members resigned.
In Port Hedland, councillors have been walking out the door amid allegations of "extreme views" — including one councillor who made national headlines praising Russia's elections as the most "transparent" in the world and congratulating Vladimir Putin.
And who can forget the "soap opera" saga of the City of Perth?
That culminated in the sacking of the entire council back in 2018 amid backbiting and a Corruption and Crime Commission finding that former lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi "signally failed in her duties … by not disclosing gifts and contributions to travel" she received while in her role.
Ms Beazley said she would have preferred to act sooner on Nedlands, but the Local Government Act proscribes clear limits on the minister's power.
But she is hopeful law changes passed late last year, which she describes as the "biggest reform to the sector in 25 years", will ensure earlier intervention is possible.
Among many things, they will see the establishment of a new local government inspector to oversee WA's 137 local governments.
The inspector will have broad powers to investigate allegations of bad behaviour, reminiscent of those wielded by the state's corruption watchdog or those tasked with independently investigating the state's prison sector.
The new inspector will be able to demand someone appear and give evidence, produce documents and information, and enter local government property without a warrant.
But when it comes to broader reform, Ms Beazley is not planning on taking a leaf out of the Liberal playbook under Colin Barnett.
"I'm not going to go down the route of forcibly merging local governments, as what happened in the previous government," Ms Beazley said.
However, she said she would be open to "boundary adjustments" in the case of councils facing financial viability issues.
The premier is also on the record saying while he thinks there are too many local governments in WA, the "system that we have is what it is" and it's not his policy to try to slash that number.
Perhaps the best way to ensure the viability of this often unloved branch of democracy is for us to all pay more attention, and not just when local councils hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
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The Advertiser
4 hours ago
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Elderly man charged with murder after woman's stabbing
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Emergency crews were called to a residential unit in Patricia Street, Mays Hill, in the city's inner west, in the early hours of Saturday following reports a man in his 20s had sustained serious injuries. He was located and treated at the scene by paramedics for an apparent life-threatening knife wound to the torso before being taken to Westmead Hospital. Police said a second man of similar age was found nearby with a wound to his arm. He was also transported to Westmead. It is understood the pair and others at the address were known to each other. The Coleraine incident comes days after an Australia-first knife ban targeting young offenders. Victorian parents were urged on Thursday to hand in their children's machetes and knives at police amnesty posts. A total of 45 stations across the state will host disposal bins set up for the three-month initiative. Carrying one of the deadly, long and broad-bladed knives is outlawed, while a sales ban with some exemptions is already operating. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491 An elderly man has been charged with the murder of a woman, while another man in his 20s is fighting for life following separate overnight stabbing attacks across two states. Homicide Squad detectives were investigating an attack on an elderly woman who was found fatally injured at a house in Coleraine, about 35km from Hamilton, in Victoria's southwest. Local officers found the 81-year-old woman alive shortly after 1am on Saturday, but she died at the scene. Police arrested and interviewed an 81-year-old Coleraine man who was known to the victim before charging him with murder on Saturday evening. He has been remanded in custody and will face the Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Monday. In a separate incident, two men were also stabbed at a house gathering in Sydney's west overnight, one of them suffering critical wounds. Emergency crews were called to a residential unit in Patricia Street, Mays Hill, in the city's inner west, in the early hours of Saturday following reports a man in his 20s had sustained serious injuries. He was located and treated at the scene by paramedics for an apparent life-threatening knife wound to the torso before being taken to Westmead Hospital. Police said a second man of similar age was found nearby with a wound to his arm. He was also transported to Westmead. It is understood the pair and others at the address were known to each other. The Coleraine incident comes days after an Australia-first knife ban targeting young offenders. Victorian parents were urged on Thursday to hand in their children's machetes and knives at police amnesty posts. A total of 45 stations across the state will host disposal bins set up for the three-month initiative. Carrying one of the deadly, long and broad-bladed knives is outlawed, while a sales ban with some exemptions is already operating. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491 An elderly man has been charged with the murder of a woman, while another man in his 20s is fighting for life following separate overnight stabbing attacks across two states. Homicide Squad detectives were investigating an attack on an elderly woman who was found fatally injured at a house in Coleraine, about 35km from Hamilton, in Victoria's southwest. Local officers found the 81-year-old woman alive shortly after 1am on Saturday, but she died at the scene. Police arrested and interviewed an 81-year-old Coleraine man who was known to the victim before charging him with murder on Saturday evening. He has been remanded in custody and will face the Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Monday. In a separate incident, two men were also stabbed at a house gathering in Sydney's west overnight, one of them suffering critical wounds. Emergency crews were called to a residential unit in Patricia Street, Mays Hill, in the city's inner west, in the early hours of Saturday following reports a man in his 20s had sustained serious injuries. He was located and treated at the scene by paramedics for an apparent life-threatening knife wound to the torso before being taken to Westmead Hospital. Police said a second man of similar age was found nearby with a wound to his arm. He was also transported to Westmead. It is understood the pair and others at the address were known to each other. The Coleraine incident comes days after an Australia-first knife ban targeting young offenders. Victorian parents were urged on Thursday to hand in their children's machetes and knives at police amnesty posts. A total of 45 stations across the state will host disposal bins set up for the three-month initiative. Carrying one of the deadly, long and broad-bladed knives is outlawed, while a sales ban with some exemptions is already operating. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Men's Referral Service 1300 766 491 An elderly man has been charged with the murder of a woman, while another man in his 20s is fighting for life following separate overnight stabbing attacks across two states. Homicide Squad detectives were investigating an attack on an elderly woman who was found fatally injured at a house in Coleraine, about 35km from Hamilton, in Victoria's southwest. Local officers found the 81-year-old woman alive shortly after 1am on Saturday, but she died at the scene. Police arrested and interviewed an 81-year-old Coleraine man who was known to the victim before charging him with murder on Saturday evening. He has been remanded in custody and will face the Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Monday. In a separate incident, two men were also stabbed at a house gathering in Sydney's west overnight, one of them suffering critical wounds. Emergency crews were called to a residential unit in Patricia Street, Mays Hill, in the city's inner west, in the early hours of Saturday following reports a man in his 20s had sustained serious injuries. He was located and treated at the scene by paramedics for an apparent life-threatening knife wound to the torso before being taken to Westmead Hospital. Police said a second man of similar age was found nearby with a wound to his arm. He was also transported to Westmead. It is understood the pair and others at the address were known to each other. The Coleraine incident comes days after an Australia-first knife ban targeting young offenders. Victorian parents were urged on Thursday to hand in their children's machetes and knives at police amnesty posts. 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SBS Australia
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News.com.au
9 hours ago
- News.com.au
Vision emerges of sacked NRL reporter's alleged crash
Footage has emerged of former Fox Sports reporter James Hooper's alleged drunken accident in Sydney. The prominent NRL reporter has been sacked by Fox Sports and subsequently stood himself down from his role with Triple M after being charged with high-range drinking offences. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. Now Channel 9 has obtained footage of the crash, which took place in Leichhardt on Thursday night and allegedly involved a number of other vehicles and Hooper's ute. Paul Green, who lives right by the accident site, is heard on the footage and told the network what he had witnessed. 'He just tried to get out of there straight away,' Green alleged. 'Put the car in reverse to try to reverse off the car he was collected on and he couldn't get off. 'So he was not really coherent. He headed up the street, unfortunately for him he headed up the wrong way. 'We lost sight of him in the dark but then he turned around and that's when the police caught up to him at the roundabout down the bottom of the hill.' Hooper is alleged to have collided with three parked cars and returned a positive breath test of 0.253, more than five times the legal limit. Hooper was the chief rugby league reporter for Fox Sports, along with roles as a columnist for Fox Sports and a sideline reporter with Triple M. Southern Cross Austereo (SCA), which owns and operates Triple M, confirmed to Hooper has opted to cut ties with the network. 'Triple M acknowledges the decision of James Hooper to stand down from his commitments with the network,' SCA Head of Sports Content Ewan Giles said. 'We thank him for his contribution.' A statement from NSW Police read: 'At 7.30pm on Thursday, police were called to Allen Street, Leichhardt following reports of a crash. 'Officers attached to Leichhardt Highway Patrol attended to find a utility had collided with three parked cars before coming to a stop.' He has been charged with high-range drink-driving and three counts of damaged property and will appear in court on September 15. The decision from Fox Sports was effective immediately, with Hooper's final appearance on NRL 360 occurring on Wednesday night this week. Fox Sports' managing director Steve Crawley confirmed the news in a statement. 'James has been a great contributor since he joined us in 2016, but he's also battled some significant personal issues from time to time,' Crawley said. 'In speaking to him today, James also acknowledges that things need to change for him.' Hooper was approached by The Daily Telegraph for comment, stating: 'I've let the game of rugby league, my employers, my wife and kids down terribly. 'Clearly I'm not handling the tough side of the job. 'Hopefully this is the punch between the eyes that will set me straight.'
