For years, the Victorian Local Governance Association has fought to define itself as the council sector’s gender equality champion. That was the pitch. More women in council chambers. More support for women candidates. More training. More recognition. More government partnership. On its own, that is not a bad cause. Councils should reflect the communities they represent. But the VLGA’s latest constitutional changes show something much bigger is now underway. This is no longer

The first results from the National Council Census 2026 are in - and they are savage. Around 5,000 participants nationwide have had your say. This is not a mild protest vote. It is not a few angry residents venting after a bad planning decision or a rates notice shock. These numbers point to something much bigger: a national collapse in confidence in local government. The early no-confidence indicators are brutal: 89.4% THINK COUNCIL WASTES MONEY 85.2% SAY COUNCIL DOES NOT MA

Wyndham City Council is asking councillors this week, to adopt a new suite of privacy and integrity policies. On the surface, they sound responsible: privacy, transparency, whistleblower protection, fraud control and modern governance. But read the fine print and a very different picture emerges. This is a policy package that gives Council enormous internal power over residents’ information, staff conduct, investigations, surveillance, AI use and complaint handling - while of

The Municipal Association of Victoria wants you to believe it’s delivering results with its new “State Council Resolution Dashboard.” But dig deeper and the truth is brutal. Behind that slick interface sits a 146-page document of motions, advocacy requests, and recycled demands to the State Government - everything from housing, roads, climate, gambling, waste, policing, even bus shelters. Page after page reads the same: “Call on the State Government…” “Advocate for funding…

Council Watch has gone line-by-line through the Draft Budget… not the glossy summary, but the actual numbers. And what we found should make every ratepayer stop and think. They are spending MORE on computers and IT than they are on roads. Yes. Seriously. FIRST – THE OPERATING MONEY PIT Before a single road is fixed or project delivered, this is where your money disappears: • Materials and services: $252.720M • Employee costs: $234.131M • Depreciation: $78.534M That’s HALF A B

Melbourne’s push to flood established suburbs with high-rise apartments is running headlong into a problem no planning map can wish away: the numbers are not stacking up. Across 60 designated activity hubs, zoning changes now permit towers up to 20 storeys and beyond near major transport investments. On paper, the housing yield is immense. Capacity runs into the hundreds of thousands of dwellings. In reality, only a fraction of those homes are commercially viable under curren

While the engines roar at Albert Park and the government celebrates a multi-million-dollar spectacle, Middle Park residents say they are the ones left paying the real price - and they’re pointing the finger squarely at City of Port Phillip. For four days each year, nearly half a million racegoers descend on the area. Locals say what follows is predictable: footpaths buried under dumped e-scooters and e-bikes, driveways blocked, cars crammed into every available strip of aspha

To the extent that I, (Dean Hurlston) have made statements about Cr Jami Klisaris that may have negatively impacted her reputation and standing within the community, I regret doing so. I wish to apologise for any such statements and withdraw them entirely. I wish to apologise for any distress caused to Cr Klisaris for the way these statements were made.

Explosive allegations this week that women councillors no longer feel safe under the alleged behaviour of Municipal Monitor John Tanner — the very man appointed by Minister Nick Staikos himself to Hobsons Bay & Kingston Councils. 👩‍⚖️💥 Council Watch has seen shocking claims that women councillors have been allegedly: Spoken to in a condescending, aggressive, or bullying tone 😡 Yelled at , with tables thumped 💢 Targeted and pressured to obey his "directions" Denied

Plaques, photo ops, and self-promotion over community service! When did serving the people turn into serving themselves? By Dean Hurlston...

Cover of the latest Yarra Council Mayoral Report It is hard to deny that feeling of joy you get when you are hit by a refreshing breeze...

In recent months, a growing chorus of Victorian councils has intensified its campaign to scrap the State Government’s rate cap policy....

By Council Watch | April 2025 At its core, the Local Government Act 2020 is a document of strategic precision — not democratic...

By Council Watch The recently released Municipal Monitor’s Report on Colac Otway Shire Council is intended to be a roadmap to better...

Local governments in Victoria are no strangers to controversy, but one of the most glaring and persistent failures lies in the poor...

Across Australia, ratepayers are growing increasingly frustrated. Despite paying record-high council rates, they are witnessing a steady...

Local councils across Victoria (and in every state) collectively contribute tens of millions of dollars each year to a range of...

In a scathing critique of Victoria’s political landscape, Council Watch has raised concerns over widespread Council corruption , with...

When a Council treats your poorly, just remember, they must be FAIR and unbiased in their decision-making process. Council Watch gets...

These council elections have seen a massive changing of the guard. Not all change is bad. In order for the sector to improve, here is...