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  • 4 hours ago
WA’s Local Government Minister has flagged further sector reform to allow commissioners installed at problem-plagued local council to stay in charge for longer. The City of Nedlands and Town of Port Hedland have held special elections for new councillors and mayors, but Hannah Beazley had wanted to extend the appointment of commissioners running both councils.

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00:03Extraordinary elections for two extraordinarily troubled local governments.
00:07Ratepayers hoping for less dysfunction and more action.
00:11I would like to see the councillors not fighting anymore and disagreeing about things.
00:18I just feel a sort of malaise, we just feel a sense of hopelessness in a way.
00:23We need to see fresh faces because people have been on the council for some years.
00:32Nedlands and Port Hedland holding elections to replace two sets of commissioners
00:36appointed by Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley last year.
00:40She dismissed both councils, left unable to function following several councillor resignations.
00:46However...
00:47My preference would have been to be able to install those commissioners for more than six months
00:52and definitely the feedback that I had from absolutely everybody in the sector,
00:56it was that they thought that I had that ability.
01:00The Minister now wants further reform.
01:03Flexibility in the Local Government Act for longer commissioner appointments
01:06after councils are vacated.
01:08That's after flagging compulsory voting and four-year full spill elections.
01:13I'm not interested in a power grab at all.
01:16What I am interested in is having the right tools available for me and also the inspector to use in
01:22the right circumstance.
01:23But the opposition is concerned despite agreeing the act is outdated.
01:27When it comes to commissioners, of course they play an important role in those councils.
01:33But for a minister to have oversight and power in that area, I would like to see the detail there.
01:39Reform needs to have an end date.
01:41If you liken it to any workplace, if you talk about a structural reform in a workplace,
01:45there's no better way to get everyone on edge.
01:47Monitors appointed at both councils by the Local Government inspector
01:52will oversee the transition from commissioners to new councillors and mayors.
01:58But the City of Nedlands and the Town of Port Hedland are still facing a huge task ahead.
02:04Risks at Nedlands predicted to cost $27 million to fix while Port Hedland requires stability given its economically crucial mining
02:13operations.
02:14High stakes not only for those elected, but ratepayers as well.
02:18I twice confirmed for Ali for damnati to call Sky remain strong.
02:19Colander's detection also for a political función of the-,ैled
02:20Clear時 that corpus as well in generalist,
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