Local Government News Roundup · Chris Eddy

Suspended, cleared, nominated and investigated - #551

February 15, 2026·24 min·1 clip

January bushfires destroyed 193 homes in Murrindindi Shire, nearly half of Victoria's total losses.

1. Local Government News Roundup #551 covers council suspensions, by-election moves, planning disputes, bushfire recovery, and budget blowouts across Australia and overseas. 2. Host Chris Eddy presents the Monday 16 February 2026 edition, with support messages from the Victorian Local Governance Association and Symphony 3. 3. The episode's core question is which council decisions, investigations, and political shifts matter most right now across Victorian, NSW, Queensland, WA, New Zealand, the US, and the UK. 4. Southern Grampians Shire councillor Katrina Rainsford is suspended for one month, effective 11 February, after an independent arbiter found misconduct on six separate occasions. 5. Mayor Dennis Hesland says the application for arbitration came from him and five other councillors, and the conduct involved a CEO-facilitated meeting, a business forum, a press interview, and emails. 6. Arbiter Noel Harvey OAM describes the behaviour as a sustained course of conduct inconsistent with integrity and respect, while noting Ms Rainsford's community advocacy. 7. Mornington Peninsula Shire Mayor Anthony Marsh is reported to have joined the Liberal Party and may seek pre-selection for the Nepean by-election. 8. The report says party state executive granted special dispensation despite a two-year membership requirement, after Marsh publicly ruled out Spring Street last month. 9. The by-election follows former Liberal Deputy Leader Sam Groth's exit from politics, and former Frankston councillor and mayor Nathan Conroy is also expected to be in the contest. 10. Kingston Council is fighting a rezoning proposal for a former Brighton landfill site in Heatherton, arguing that future residents could face health risks from the site's toxic history. 11. The Victorian Government plans to decide on the rezoning without public consultation, and a panel hearing is scheduled for 4 March involving developer Leaf Corporation. 12. Greater Geelong Mayor Stretch Contell says the Victorian Planning Minister has ignored community concerns about a proposed development at Point Lonsdale. 13. Residents fear the project will damage character, hurt small businesses, and affect a sensitive coastal area, while Contell says he supports development but not at any cost. 14. Stonnington City Council is challenging the state's building-height proposals around activity centres, including draft plans for buildings up to 16 storeys near train stations in South Yarra, Paran, and Windsor. 15. Mayor Melina Sear says council strategies already meet housing targets while protecting local character, and Murrindindi Shire Council is seeking a two-month extension after January bushfires destroyed 193 homes. 16. Mayor Damien Gallagher also wants locally delivered mental health services because the current $6.9 million funding model can require travel of up to two and a half hours. 17. Mansfield Shire Mayor Steve Raby says the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund tax has driven a 70% increase in costs for commercial businesses, and he wants the tax scrapped after the Longwood fire. 18. The tone is news-led and rapid-fire, with short council updates, quoted local leaders, and quick transitions across jurisdictions and jurisdictions. 19. Listeners following Australian local government, planning, and council finances. 20. Casual listeners wanting one deep local story only.

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