Dubbo council issued performance improvement order

The outgoing mayor of a western NSW council says councillors accused of misconduct need to “fess up” after the state government put the organisation on notice.

A move by the state government to issue the troubled Dubbo Regional Council with a performance improvement order (PIO) has been welcomed by the outgoing mayor who says councillors need to “fess up to wrongdoing”.

Local Government Minister Shelley Hancock said the proposed PIO would help lift behaviour standards and see an independent adviser temporarily appointed to ensure the scandal-plagued council complied with the order.

Local Government Minister Shelley Hancock says Dubbo Regional Council has seven days to respond to her PIO proposal. Picture: Sue Graham

“After a turbulent period, the NSW Government is becoming involved to ensure Dubbo Regional Council gets back on track,” Mrs Hancock said.

“This proposed PIO is intended to lift councillor standards of behaviour, ensure proper processes are followed, protect the health and safety of staff, provide strict supervision, and encourage community confidence in Dubbo Regional Council.

“The NSW Government will continue to monitor the situation closely.”

For two months council has been consumed by infighting after councillors went public with a call for mayor Ben Shields to resign.

After a suicide attempt and hospitalisation, councillor Shields announced this week he would quit council on Thursday.

Dubbo mayor Ben Shields wants the council sacked. Picture: Ryan Young

He said the PIO was “the start of the sacking process”.

“There are a number of councillors at the moment with very serious allegations against them in relation to their dealings with staff,” Cr Shields told The Dubbo News.

“Some of those councillors have been very vocal about me resigning while there are allegations.

“I think what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. I would urge those councillors to fess up because their names will eventually come out.”

Cr Shields said the current council was “totally and utterly unworkable”.

“The very fact they hired a new general manager without even doing a recruitment process or advertising shows there is something very, very wrong at Dubbo Regional Council.

“I’ve been saying from day one this process of sacking the council needs to happen.”

Cr Shields said his comments were not driven by a desire for payback.

“It’s not payback because the Office of Local Government is totally independent of council,” he said.

Mrs Hancock said the council had seven days to respond to her notice of intention to issue the PIO

She said before a final decision about whether or not the order would be imposed would be made once any submissions were considered.