Dubbo mayor Ben Shields’ powers limited over ongoing ‘concerns’

Ben Shields, 40, was put on life support after being found unconscious at home on March 31, just days after several code of conduct complaints about his behaviour were made to Dubbo Regional Council.

The embattled mayor of Dubbo Regional Council would be supervised at all-times at work and forced to have phone calls with someone else in the room when he returns to work, under a proposal by councillors who remain concerned about allegations of “bullying and harassment”.

Ben Shields, 40, was put on life support after being found unconscious at home on March 31, just days after several code of conduct complaints about his behaviour were made to Dubbo Regional Council.

Before his life-threatening incident, Mr Shields had denounced the claims made against him as “nonsense”.

The ongoing unrest between Cr Shields’ supporters and other councillors has seen calls for an independent investigation into Dubbo Regional Council. Picture: Dylan Robinson

Councillor Shields spent several weeks in hospital and underwent multiple emergency surgeries after his medical episode, with his condition at one point thought to be so grave a public vigil was held.

In a remarkable turn of events, Cr Shields was last week said to be planning a sudden return to work.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal that amid concerns about this, another councillor sent an email proposing a policy of restrictions which were to be placed on Cr Shields under the Local Government Act.

The policy is understood to have referenced the allegations of “bullying and harassment” where were first outline on March 29 when six councillors called for Cr Shields to resign.

Dubbo Regional Council mayor Ben Shields could be supervised at all-times and forced to have phone calls with someone else in the room when he returns to work, under a policy proposed to council. Picture: Dylan Robinson

It is also believed to have referenced that several of these complaints related to conversations allegedly had over the phone.

If approved and put in place by the current CEO Dean Frost, Cr Shields would be set up to “work from home” instead of returning to his council office.

He would only be allowed to return to council headquarters if accompanied at all times by someone at the level of director or higher, and when out on official duty would also have to be accompanied by a council staff member.

His communication as mayor – both through letter and email – would have to be read by a council staff member before they could be sent.

Cr Shields was rushed to hospital on March 31 and placed on life support, just days after several code of conduct complaints about him were made to Dubbo Regional Council. (Cr Shields is pictured alongside Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Dubbo in 2018)

Any phone calls he makes as mayor would have to be done with another staff member in the room.

Mr Shields was first elected to local council in 1999 when he was just 18 years old and still at high school.

In 2017 he was named Dubbo Regional Council’s first mayor, following the merger of Dubbo City Council and Wellington Council.

The ongoing unrest between councillors led local MP Dugald Saunders to call for an independent investigation into Dubbo Regional Council.

In April, Local Government Minister Shelley Hancock said she was considering her “options”.

Cr Shields, Dubbo Regional Council CEO Dean Frost and Local Government Minister Shelley Hancock have all been contacted for comment.