June 4, 2026
A Parliamentary Inquiry has begun into the effectiveness of the Office of the Independent Assessor (OIA) and Councillor Conduct Tribunal, the bodies which handle complaints against local councillors.
The inquiry – by the Local Government, Small Business and Customer Service Committee – will consider if any changes are necessary to the Local Government Act 2009.
A State Government spokesperson said that under the previous Labor Government the OIA “was excessive and demoralised councillors, wasting millions of dollars in ratepayers’ money on legal fees”.
The inquiry will focus on five key areas:
- The effectiveness and efficiency of the OIA in dealing with complaints
- The effectiveness and efficiency of the Councillor Conduct Tribunal
- Alternative structural models for the OIA “to enhance consistency across government and provide tailored integrity support for councillors”
- Rights of review for Councillor Conduct Tribunal decisions
- Any necessary changes to the Local Government Act 2009 or the functions of the OIA or Councillor Conduct Tribunal
A report will be delivered by November 6.
“We promised to review the councillor conduct framework to ensure it’s meeting the needs of the local government sector and the communities they serve,” Local Government Minister Ann Leahy said.
“We want to ensure that the processes in place are efficient, effective, and provide the right balance between accountability and fairness.”
