East Gippsland Shire councillor Ben Buckley suspended for leaking confidential information to the media

AN 81-year-old regional councillor has been suspended for leaking sensitive information to the media.

AN 81-year-old regional councillor has been suspended for leaking confidential information to the media.

East Gippsland Shire’s Ben Buckley had been found guilty of serious misconduct by a councillor conduct panel for confidentiality breaches in late 2015 and mid-2016.

He allegedly released sensitive council information to a local newspaper and also to another person.

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Cr Buckley was given a four-month suspension but appealed the decision to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

VCAT vice-president Judge Frances Millane upheld the suspension recommended by the panel.

“Confidentiality is one of the most fundamental aspects of the governance framework of the (Local Government) Act,” she said in her decision.

VCAT has upheld the suspension of East Gippsland Shire councillor Ben Buckley.

“No one individual has the right to interpret and determine how to apply the law on a case-by-case basis.”

The Local Government Inspectorate said in a statement that it had investigated the release of confidential council information by Cr Buckley and completed its report in February 2017.

Chief Municipal Inspector David Wolf said: “The actions of a councillor to release confidential information destabilises the operations of the council and damages the reputation of councillors across the state.”

The Inspectorate said that as Cr Buckley had already served one month of the suspension, he was able to return as a councillor after three months.

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