Mark Rodda censured by TRC for comments on his Facebook posts

The Northern Daily Leader

Tamworth Regional Council takes disciplinary action against Councillor Mark Rodda for violating its code of conduct on Facebook. Video supplied from Tamworth Regional Council on YouTube

Transcript

00:00Councillors, can we pick an open?

00:02I'll call on the General Manager to report

00:04on items in closed Council.

00:06Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

00:07Councillors, this is the report from the closed session

00:09of the Ordinary Council meeting

00:11held on the 11th of March, 2025.

00:14Tonight in closed Council,

00:15you considered five items of business.

00:18For the first four items of business,

00:20you adopted the recommendations as per the business paper.

00:23In relation to item 12.5, you resolved the following.

00:28Then in relation to the report, Code of Conduct matter,

00:30Council not adopt the investigative recommendation

00:33to formally censure Councillor Rotter

00:35for the breach under section 440G of the Act

00:38due to the seriousness of the breach

00:40that warrants further penalties to be considered

00:42by the Office of Local Government.

00:44Two, under section 7.58 of the procedures

00:46for the administration of the Code of Conduct,

00:49Council formally censure Councillor Rotter

00:51for the breach under section 440G of the Local Government Act

00:55and the matter be referred to the Office of Local Government

00:57for further action under the misconduct provisions

01:00of the Local Government Act.

01:02Under section 6.3, under section 7.59 of the procedures

01:07of the administration of the Code of Conduct,

01:09the grounds on which Council is satisfied

01:11that the Councillor should be censured are as follows.

01:14Allegation one, on or about the 1st of August, 2024,

01:19Councillor Rotter placed a post on his Facebook page

01:22that contained comments which could be seen

01:23as a personal attack on Council staff

01:26and offensive and humiliating to them.

01:29They are included in particulars A and B.

01:32Additionally, the comments had the potential

01:34to bring disrepute to Council staff

01:36and the Council as a whole.

01:39The comments from the Facebook post

01:40comprising the particulars of this allegation

01:42are as follows.

01:43A, the size of Council's comms team,

01:47aka the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda,

01:51and B, out-of-touch elected Councillors

01:54and senior Council staff.

01:56The finding of allegation one is found to be substantiated

01:59in relation to the particulars containing A and B.

02:02The substantiated allegations constitute

02:04a breach of the Code of Conduct

02:05pursuant to the following clauses.

02:08Clause 3.1, you must not conduct yourself

02:10in a manner that A, is likely to bring the Council

02:14or other Council officials into disrepute.

02:17Clause 3.6, you must not harass

02:20or unlawfully discriminate against others.

02:233.7, for the purposes of this Code,

02:26harassment is any form of behaviour towards a person

02:29that A, is not wanted by the person,

02:32B, offends, humiliates or intimidates the person,

02:35and C, creates a hostile environment.

02:387.6, you must not engage in any of the following

02:42inappropriate interaction.

02:44And at point H, Councillors and administrators

02:47are making personal attacks on Council staff

02:49or engaging in contact towards staff

02:51that would be contrary to the general contact provisions

02:54in part three of this Code,

02:55in public forums, including social media.

02:59And 8.28, you must not use social media

03:02to post or share comments, photos, videos,

03:05electronic recordings or other information

03:07that is offensive, humiliating, threatening or intimidating

03:12to other Council officials or those that deal with Council.

03:17That's it, I have a motion to accept.

03:21Council abides, seconded by Council, no.

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