City of Casey councillors shut down meeting, leave with police after facing crowd of fuming ratepayers

A council meeting in Melbourne’s southeast made headlines after police were called to keep the peace with a crowd of raging residents. So, why did things turn so ugly?

A council in Melbourne’s southeast made headlines this week after councillors were escorted away from a meeting by police following an onslaught of abuse from a fuming crowd of ratepayers.

It was the first meeting the City of Casey had conducted outside of business hours to allow for residents to attend — but the meeting had to be adjourned following an onslaught of “abuse” from the crowd.

The audience of about 500 booed, swore at and shouted over councillors as they attempted to work through a list of 63 questions submitted by outraged ratepayers.

Police are called to the council meeting to keep the peace. Picture: Supplied

Police officers were called in to escort councillors and staff from Bunjil Place following “threatening behaviour” from some residents.

So, what made ratepayers so mad?

First, understanding the City of Casey

City of Casey is the most populated and fast growing council area in Victoria with more than 360,000 residents, covering Berwick, Narre Warren, Cranbourne and surrounds.

The council was run by administrators for five years after a corruption scandal in 2020 resulted in all councillors being sacked by the state government.

Two former Casey councillors were exposed for corruption after swaying planning and land use decisions in exchange for payments.

After five years under administrators, Casey residents were last year able to vote in a new chamber of councillors and finally attend meetings now commencing at 6pm.

A crowd of about 500 residents gathered to demand answers from councillors over local issues. Picture: Facebook

#1. Local laws and permits for private property

City of Casey Council has copped backlash over changes made to local laws, which now require residents to apply for private land use permits to store some vehicles and caravans on their properties.

Homeowners are mandated to fork out between $300 and $623 for a permit before they can ride recreational vehicles, store caravans or park more than two unregistered vehicles on their own properties.

The laws mean residents need council permission for a permit before they can ride their motorbikes on their own land.

Casey council has issued 20 permits — 16 of which were for long or oversized vehicles — in the last 18 months, generating $8000 in income. Still, Mayor Stefan Koomen claimed the permits were “not a revenue raising exercise”.

Councillors said the laws helped “ensure any nuisance impacted neighbours is mitigated or removed”.

But residents slammed the laws as “unjustified and ridiculous”, booing at council’s answers and demanding laws be made “fair and reasonable, without any cost to residents”.

Mr Koomen was met by a chorus of boos and told to “shut your f---ing mouth” as he explained the laws were not unique to Casey.

“They are only issued when it is absolutely necessary typically when complaints are made — please allow me to finish — when complaints are made regarding the local amenity, safety and wellbeing,” he said.

Residents asked how having a permit for a vehicle would make it less of a nuisance to neighbours, and if the council would be providing a workspace “free of charge” to those residents who couldn’t afford permits for their passion projects.

“What gives council the right to restrict someone from tinkering on their pride and joy on their property?,” one resident asked.

Casey residents are demanding council review its local laws. Picture: Facebook

It has been widely reported that residents need to acquire permits to work on their vehicles at their own homes under the new laws — but councillors clarified at the Tuesday night meeting that residents could “tinker” without a permit.

In a recent case, council removed three unregistered vehicles from a property in Hampton Park after three months of trying to liaise with property owners.

Council confirmed it had no plan to review the local laws.

#2. A proposed waste transfer facility

Casey council approved a planning permit for the development of a waste transfer station on Hallam Rd, leaving residents fuming.

Ratepayers say their concerns over the development’s impacts on health, environment, traffic, air and water quality were “largely ignored” by administrators at the time it was approved.

The station would be constructed across the road from an established tip within 250m of the nearest family home.

Residents shouted profanities at councillors before police were called. Picture: Facebook

But the EPA’s separation distance guidelines — which are merely frameworks and not rigid requirements — recommend waste transfer stations be built 500m away homes.

“How does council justify approving this facility despite clear noncompliance with the EPA’s new separation buffer guidelines?” one resident asked at the Tuesday night meeting.

The crowd launched into a fit of laughter when the mayor said an air quality assessment had “identified that the risk of offensive odour was assessed to be low”.

Mr Koomen said he was putting pressure on the EPA to “respond in full” to residents’ concerns about the proposal.

“Since being elected mayor I’ve written to the EPA to stress the importance of the EPA’s role in ensuring that the community has a chance to voice their concerns about the proposed location and the potential risks for community health and safety,” he said.

The development will need to be approved in full by the EPA before construction can commence.

More than 1400 residents have signed a petition tabled to parliament to stop the development.

#3. Covid-19 vaccinations

Casey councillors were grilled over their immunisation policy and stance on the safety of Covid-19 vaccinations.

Residents pushed for council to reveal its response to a local government in Western Australia calling for the suspension of Covid-19 vaccines due to allegations of synthetic DNA contamination.

“These claims have been previously debunked by the Therapeutic Good Administration and as such council officers did not support it,” a councillor started.

Residents then launched into a chorus of boos, with one calling the councillors “criminals”.

Casey council meetings are held every third Tuesday of the month.

The council told the Herald Sun: “No decisions have been made about future Council meetings at this stage.”

Originally published as City of Casey councillors shut down meeting, leave with police after facing crowd of fuming ratepayers