Dubbo mayor Ben Shields forced to hand over council equipment

A NSW council — whose mayor is receiving treatment in hospital — has voted to strip councillors of work equipment entitlements when they take extended leave.

As the mayor of Dubbo receives treatment in hospital, a move by his colleagues to take entitlements off elected officials who spend more than a month on leave has been described as “perfectly consistent with community standards” and “absolutely disgraceful and bizarre” by warring councillors.

Councillor Ben Shields took indefinite leave from his duties as Dubbo Regional Council mayor, after a medical episode on March 31 led to his hospitalisation.

Dubbo mayor Ben Shields is in hospital receiving treatment. Picture: Dylan Robinson

After a lengthy stay in the intensive care unit at Dubbo Base Hospital and emergency surgery to remove part of his lung at Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Cr Shields has now been transferred to a private hospital in Orange to continue his recovery.

Two days before the medical episode sent shockwaves through the Dubbo region, the city’s deputy mayor Stephen Lawrence and Cr John Ryan publicly raised concerns about the mayor’s leadership and called on him to resign.

On the day of the medical incident six of the 10 councillors signed a document calling for Cr Shields to resign.

Dubbo Regional Council interim CEO Dean Frost and acting mayor Stephen Lawrence at an extraordinary council meeting held in April 2021. Picture: Ryan Young

Cr Lawrence has been acting as mayor in the month since the dramatic events unfolded and the process of establishing an independent investigation into the council’s operations and conduct of councillors was initiated.

At the latest council meeting on Monday councillors in attendance unanimously voted to make a change to rules which has been slammed by supporters of Cr Shields.

The rule change means any councillor like Cr Shields, who is granted a leave for more than a month, will now be forced to return any council car, phone or iPad until their leave ends.

Dubbo councillor Greg Mohr believes Cr Shields has been targeted. Picture: Ryan Young

Cr Lawrence told The Dubbo News the change came about because of reports that while in hospital Cr Shields had answered calls on the council phone he was entitled to use.

“In circumstances where the mayor is on indefinite medical leave and hospitalised we were first and foremost concerned for his health, but also concerned that it doesn’t seem appropriate when such extended leave has been given, for those facilities to continue to be used,” Cr Lawrence said.

“We sought advice on the existing policy and it became clear it did not make any provision for what entitlement and facilities are to be allowed when extended leave is granted. This is unlike many other councillors, which provide for example that as soon as a councillor or mayor is on extended leave they stop receiving pay and so forth.

“We turned our mind to the more general question and introduced a new policy that is not aimed at any individual councillor or the mayor, it applies to all of us, and it simply provides that you aren’t allowed to continue to use council resources … if you’re on extended leave.’

Cr Lawrence says he’s making decisions he believes are in the public interest. Picture: Ryan Young

Cr Greg Mohr did not attend the meeting, however he slammed the actions of the six councillors — Vicki Etheridge, Anne Jones, John Ryan, Kevin Parker, Jane Diffey and Stephen Lawrence — who did.

“There’s been other councillors that have had leave of absence,” Cr Mohr said.

“Cr Parker and Anne Jones were off, if they were so concerned about this being an issue why wasn’t it addressed then when Cr Jones had four months off? Mayor Shields has requested two months off.”

The council’s decision was labelled “disgraceful and bizarre” by Cr Mohr, who has also been a spokesperson for Cr Shields’s family during the past month.

“The phone is already paid for on a plan, the car is parked at the council depot and the mayor has not had use of it since March 31.

“He’s still receiving well wishes from councillors and community members that only have his mayor email address — so why should he be cut off from the public?

“It’s not in the community interest to put further pressure on the mayor when he is receiving...treatment.”

Dubbo mayor Ben Shields has been a councillor for 20 years and it’s unclear if he’ll contest the next election due in September. Picture: Facebook

Cr Lawrence said the rule change was “perfectly consistent with community standards” and would apply to every councillor.

“The unfortunate circumstances that led to the hospitalisation of the mayor will not and cannot change or alter the decisions that council has to make in the interests of the community,” Cr Lawrence said.

“I completely reject any suggestion to the contrary and my focus will remain first and foremost on the interests of the community and I will be guided by my assessment of what is in the public interest and not by attempts to emotionally manipulate the community.”

Council meets again on Tuesday to discuss potential next steps which would need to be taken to appoint an independent investigator to probe the organisation.

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