The Victorian Greens are calling on the Allan Government to urgently introduce legislation to restore democratic decision-making in Hepburn Shire Council, warning a loophole in Victoria’s Local Government Act has left thousands of residents without elected representation.
Greens Leader Ellen Sandell and Deputy Leader and Local Government spokesperson Dr Sarah Mansfield have written to Premier Jacinta Allan and Local Government Minister Paul Hamer calling for immediate intervention.
Five Hepburn Shire councillors have been automatically stood down following a private prosecution, leaving the council unable to function and effectively stripping more than 16,000 residents of their democratic voice.
The Greens are not commenting on the merits of the private prosecution itself, but say no individual should be able to bring a democratically elected council responsible for delivering essential local services to a standstill without meaningful oversight.
The Greens are calling on the Government to:
Introduce urgent standalone legislation during the next sitting week to restore democratic decision-making at Hepburn Shire Council while broader local government reforms are considered.
Support urgent intervention by the Director of Public Prosecutions to determine whether the current private prosecutions should proceed, helping resolve the uncertainty facing the council and community.
The Greens warn the same legislative loophole could affect any Victorian council unless Parliament acts.
As stated by the Deputy Leader of the Victorian Greens and Local Government spokesperson, Dr Sarah Mansfield:
“Councils are the level of government closest to communities. It’s how we all get a say in the decisions that get made about our local areas and that’s why it is so important that every community has a functioning, democratically elected representation.
“Hepburn Shire, like councils all across the country, are responsible for delivering hundreds of public services that people rely on, from youth services and road management to local libraries and health services.
“This loophole extends beyond Hepburn Shire. The Government needs to work in good faith and bring forward urgent standalone laws to fix this as soon as possible, so that no other community faces the same risk of having their council shut down like this.”
