What’s behind WA’s ‘dysfunctional’ local government saga?
From the top of Western Australia to the heart of Perth, councils across the state have fallen into disarray, raising the question of how something so “dysfunctional” can be fixed.
Over the past year, councils everywhere have operated in a dysfunctional state; This led to mass resignations and the appointment of commissioners to replace councillors.
This dysfunction has caused so much concern that Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley has put councils “on alert”, telling them: “This bad behavior needs to stop.”
Over the past 12 months commissioners have been appointed to two councils: the Town of Port Hedland and the City of Nedlands. A commissioner was also appointed for the Shire of Derby/West Kimberley in April 2025.
Then, earlier this month, it was revealed another commissioner would be appointed, this time for the Shire of Carnarvon, after six elected members, including the mayor, tendered their resignations within a three-day period.
The district this week issued a statement saying it was a “significant and unusual situation” that only father and son Dudley and Burke Maslen remain on Gascoyne council.
Last September, three commissioners were appointed to the Town of Port Hedland after four council members and the mayor resigned from their positions.
Former mayor Peter Carter claimed the decision to leave was due to dysfunction within the council.
Beazley appointed commissioners Jessica Shaw, Martin Aldridge and Ron Yuryevich to oversee Hedland council’s activities until local government elections in March this year.
In July, all five councilors resigned from their positions in the City of Nedlands due to “dysfunction”; This meant the local government, which oversees one of Perth’s wealthiest postcodes, failed to secure a quorum.
The mass exodus meant that all remaining elected members, including the then mayor Fiona Argyle, were removed from their positions and replaced by commissioners.
Describing the ordeal as a “shameful saga of dysfunction and division”, Beazley appointed David Caddy, Bianca Sandri and Cath Hart as the three commissioners who will take over council responsibilities until the March election.
One of the key disagreements that led to mass resignations was the council’s failure to agree on plans for WA’s first nursery, which proposes using the neighboring Allen Park Grade A reserve as a recreational area for children.
It was later revealed that there was also the city. Being investigated by WorkSafe More than 70 people have left their jobs in 18 months due to allegations of staff misconduct and inappropriate workplace behaviour.
The resignation of five councilors in the Shire of Derby/West Kimberley in April 2025 led to the appointment of Jeff Gooding as local government commissioner.
Gooding said in a statement that his role would be “to act as a council” after the remaining four councilors are removed from their positions.
“I understand that the issues contributed to the resignations of former Council members. However, it is not my role to investigate these specific issues. That does not mean that I cannot understand or attempt to understand the background to the decisions that were made,” Gooding said.
“But my strong focus will be on the future of what needs to be done for the Shire of Derby West Kimberley Council.”
In August, Beazley announced the appointment of WA’s first local government inspector, Anthony Brown.
Brown’s role as inspector allows him to investigate the state’s 139 local councils and has the power to intervene to ensure compliance with laws and codes of conduct.
The inspector can also report violations of up to $1,000 and assign monitors to assist local governments with conduct and compliance issues.
Monitors are installed to work constructively with council members and staff to resolve issues before they escalate.
Less than two weeks into his term, an overseer was appointed to the City of Perth, and the City of South Perth and the Serpentine-Jarrahdale Shire soon began receiving their own overseers as well.
The way forward
On Tuesday, Beazley announced further measures to ensure elected council members comply with the code of conduct.
Three local government judges have been appointed to replace the local government standards panel to consider complaints against councillors.
Rob Lilley, a barrister and former WA police detective, has been appointed to the first chief referee position.
The two assistant referees who will help make findings, decide on mediation and impose recently enhanced penalties are Conor Fahey and Lee McIntosh.
Beazley said he was extremely concerned about the “increasing levels of dysfunction and mismanagement evident in parts of the local government sector”.
“I have shown that I will not tolerate this level of dysfunction and mismanagement and have been decisive in appointing commissioners when necessary,” he said.
“I have warned local governments that this bad behavior must stop. Those who are doing the wrong thing need to change and focus only on what is in the best interest of their community.”
The combination of the local government inspector, monitors and arbitrators will help improve “accountability, transparency and decision-making in local governments across the state,” Beazley said.
But former premier Colin Barnett does not believe the new roles will be enough to end the chaos between councils.
Barnett, who has long championed the idea of local government amalgamation, said 139 councils across the state were “too many” to allow for good governance.
“I think it’s worth doing to reduce the number of councils in metropolitan areas by consolidating some of the smaller ones,” he said.
“Councils that work effectively are generally larger councils like Stirling, Cockburn and the City of Perth, and they have professional staff and are much more skilled.
“Not only are councils too numerous, there is no doubt that they cannot meet the demands from local councils, especially smaller ones.”
Barnett said 100 councils across the state would be a good target to achieve and would have a clearer definition of what the council’s role is.
“I would say to councilors: ‘If you don’t start doing this and have a plan to bring the councils together and reduce the number to, say, 100… you’re going to end up dead.’ “And I think that’s what we’re seeing,” he said.
“And I think councils have created this problem themselves by not taking action.
“Some say, get rid of [local councils] … I don’t agree with that or want that, but I would like to see them clearly defined, focused on their role, and doing it well.”
