Coober Pedy facing further four years in administration

The state government will table a Bill in parliament that could see a troubled outback town remain in administration for the next four years.

A troubled outback council could remain in administration for the next four years after the state government deemed it would not be “responsible” for locally elected members to manage the town.

The Coober Pedy Council was placed into administration in 2019 after an ombudsman’s report found it had committed maladministration by entering into an almost $200m power deal without a competitive tender process.

Under the Local Government Act, the council was due to return to an elected member body at local government elections in November, but the state government will introduce a Bill to parliament in September to extend the administration for a further four years, maximum.

Local Government Minister Geoff Brock said the decision was not made lightly.

“Removing an elected member body and replacing it with an appointed administrator is a serious decision,” Mr Brock said.

“I understand that many members of the Coober Pedy community may feel frustrated that these issues have not yet been resolved.”

Coober Pedy in south Australia. Picture: iStock

Local Government Minister Geoff Brock . Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

Former Playford Council chief executive Tim Jackson, who was appointed to a three-year term which will end at the beginning of next year, said he would not be continuing as administrator past the local government elections, regardless of whether the council remained in administration.

Mr Jackson wrote to Mr Brock this year outlining four proposed models the future of the town’s governance, including the purchase of its water and utilities by the state government.

“I proposed a whole range of things that need to happen but one of them was that administration be extended,” Mr Jackson said.

Mr Jackson said the council could be reinstated inside the maximum four years if certain changes were made.

Coober Pedy, January, 2022. Picture Simon Cross

“They need to be bedded down before you could have an elected council back,” he said.

“What the government would need to do is take some of the steps I’ve recommended like purchasing the water and electricity businesses.

“You could then have a municipal council back because it would be a much, much smaller operation just doing municipal-related things.

Mr Jackson’s alternative proposal, if the government did not purchase the utilities, would see the council establish a separate committee to manage the town’s commercial undertakings.

“If they’re not prepared to buy them, we separate the council into two organisations,” he said. “One that’s focused on commerical activities like electricity, water, airports, child care, waste water, and one that’s focused on municipal matters.”

Mr Brock said he would visit Coober Pedy next week for a community forum to address the “challenges faced by the community”.