09-07-2025
Unhinged mayor delivers extraordinary response after FOUR councillors quit within hours of each other - before she bizarrely talks herself up
The mayor of one of the wealthiest councils in Australia erupted into an unhinged rant after four of her councillors quit on the same day, claiming it was 'good news'.
The City of Nedlands was thrown into turmoil after councillors Hengameh Amiry, Noel Youngman, Fergus Bennett and Ben Hodsdon resigned within hours of each other.
Mayor Fiona Argyle told ABC Perth Radio on Monday it was 'a fantastic day' when the councillors resigned, including one who had served for more than two decades.
In the train-wreck interview that spanned seven minutes, Argyle claimed the councillors had deliberately worked against her.
'I am the most popularly elected mayor since the 70s,' she boasted to host Geraldine Mellett.
'I welcome these resignations. I think it's really good news.'
When pressed on her role in the collapse of the council, Argyle boasted about her achievements.
'I'm a globalised girl with almost three university degrees and can speak two languages,' she said.
'I have done nothing but work really hard for the ratepayers.'
Her most controversial comments came when she responded to criticism over the council's push to retain Crown Land earmarked for a park as part of a $34million hospice for dying children in the plush coastal suburb of Swanbourne.
The project, which sparked widespread backlash, was seen as a catalyst in the council's demise.
She maintained opposition to the development was not about the children it was designed to serve, but rather giving away land belonging to the council.
'No one hates dying children, everyone loves dying children,' she said.
'But should Class A reserve land be handed over to private use?
'That is the city's land. It is like giving away Hyde Park, Jardin du Luxembourg, the Royal National Park in Sydney.'
Western Australia does not currently have a dedicated children's hospice facility.
Western Australian Lands Minister John Carey has moved to take part of the reserve out of the hands of the council, stating it had not maintained the space in 'any meaningful way' describing it as a treeless 'dustbowl'.
He said last month he thought Nedlands was one of the 'worst councils in Western Australia'.
'This is NIMBYism gone mad,' he told the ABC.
'It makes absolutely no sense to want to keep a barren land there instead of a beautiful garden that will serve families and sick and dying children.'
Perth Children's Hospital Foundation chair Ian Campbell said the City of Nedlands had 'made absolute fools of themselves'.
Western Australian local government minister Hannah Beazley, the daughter of former deputy leader of the Keating government, will appoint a commissioner to oversee the dysfunctional council.
Beazley cited 'repeated poor behaviour' and a breakdown in governance.
These sentiments were echoed by the four councillors who all tendered their resignation on Monday, leaving the council without a quorum.
But Argyle rejected the suggestion the dysfunction was of her making and labelled Nedlands one of the great cities of the world.
Despite the turmoil, the council has been nominated for the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize for creating a vibrant place to live.
When pressed on allegations of poor leadership, Argyle remained defiant and committed to public service, despite admitting that the role had taken a personal toll.
'My family want me to quit. I have four kids,' she said.
She dismissed claims the council's collapse would damage her political future, instead floating the idea of launching a new political party and running for higher office.
'I can do whatever. I have choice. I'm an educated, smart woman,' she said.
Argyle said, 'If anyone says anything bad about me, I will sue them.'
'I am really a good mayor who is highly educated and works hard and has been nothing but honest,' she said.
Argyle has also been involved in numerous controversies since she was elected in 2021, including a failed legal fight to stop her neighbours building a two-storey home next to her home in the well-heeled western suburbs.
She was also found to have breached the city's code of conduct by using offensive language when referring to another person, which led to recommendations for her to undergo counselling.
