Observers reach for the popcorn as City of Nedlands crisis reaches dramatic climax
It was some kind of week in the City of Nedlands, and for its Mayor Fiona Argyle.
After the resignation of four councillors on Monday left Nedlands without the ability to form a quorum, it left an embarrassing mess for Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley to clean up, as most observers reached for the popcorn.
Ms Beazley announced she would be dissolving the council and appointing three commissioners to take the reins.
And with the ticking clock of local government elections looming in October, the spotlight is well and truly on Perth's wealthy western suburbs.
Alleged in-fighting and inefficiency has plagued the City of Nedlands for years.
"The city has not been on the right track for a very long time," Ms Beazley said on Tuesday.
The spectacle kicked off on Monday morning when councillor of 23 years Ben Hodsdon formally resigned, describing the council as "consistently toxic and dysfunctional" — and another three councillors followed him out the door.
He cited the recent children's hospice issue as one of his final straws — a situation that led Lands Minister John Carey to describe Nedlands as "one of the worst councils in Western Australia" last month.
The council opposed plans to build a parkland for terminally-ill children on an A-class reserve near the new $34 million facility in Swanbourne, forcing the government to intervene.
Protecting the reserve became a line in the sand for the council, despite vocal criticism, but Mr Hodsdon said there was tension bubbling below the surface.
"There were four councillors that were in favour and five councillors plus the mayor that weren't in favour of the proposition," he told the ABC.
"I think to a certain degree it was the idea that they were losing control … so I think people had their nose out of joint because of the fact it was going to be built at Swanbourne and they didn't like that idea."
Nedlands Mayor Fiona Argyle sees it a different way.
"Leadership is a really really lonely game, but I've learnt that it takes a team to win," she told the ABC on Friday.
"That team voted unanimously for our council to proceed and try and protect that area.
After the chaos of Monday's resignations, Ms Argyle took to the airwaves in an explosive interview during which she made several bold claims.
"I am the most popularly elected mayor since the 1970s," she told ABC Radio Perth.
Ms Argyle was first elected as mayor in 2021 and was re-elected in 2023 with a total of 2,670 out of 5,340 valid votes.
According to the Western Australian Electoral Commission's website though, Laurie Taylor was elected mayor of Nedlands in 2003 with 3,790 votes — or 71 per cent — out of 5,319.
"I was re-elected popularly … twice," she told the ABC.
"I did that, I haven't taken any political donations I've done that with all my own money."
In addition to alleging councillors "deliberately worked against [her]", Ms Argyle has said security was increased in the council chambers as a result of councillor behaviour.
A City of Nedlands staff member confirmed to the ABC a ranger had attended several ordinary council meetings, but it "did not involve anything to do with the councillors".
The staff member said the ranger was asked to attend because of concerns regarding members of the public.
The mayor also said she wasn't able to meet with Ms Beazley to discuss several complaints about her colleagues' alleged behaviour.
The ABC has seen an email sent by Ms Argyle in May this year requesting a meeting with Ms Beazley, which was denied in an email back from the minister's office citing her schedule.
"While the council is under investigation, I didn't find it entirely appropriate for me to be communicating with the mayor," Ms Beazley said on Tuesday.
As for what's next for Ms Argyle, she says that's up in the air.
"Certainly all the options are on the table, but I'm not saying anything at the moment … I'm just trying to recover from what the government has done to a good mayor," she said.
Commissioners will run the council until at least the October local government elections, but they can not stay beyond that.
"We can only intervene though under the WA Local Government Act to make sure that the state government discharges its responsibilities," Premier Roger Cook said on Friday.
With nothing stopping Ms Argyle and the remaining councillors from renominating, should they be elected, the council could return come October.
Which means there might be a sequel to this local government blockbuster.
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