Representatives of 18 local councils from across metropolitan and regional Victoria are set to appear before Victoria’s Public Accounts and Estimates Committee (PAEC) in public hearings scheduled for this week.
The Committee is inquiring into fraud and corruption controls in local government. The inquiry is a follow-up on two Auditor-General reports tabled in 2019 and 2022.
Representatives of the councils, academics, a representative of the Office of Local Government, NSW Government and the Victorian Information Commissioner, Sean Morrison, will also appear before the Committee.
Council representatives to appear before the Committee are listed as:
- Greater Shepparton Council – Mayor, Shane Sali and Director Corporate Services, Chris Teitzel;
- Strathbogie Shire Council – Deputy Mayor, Scott Jeffery and CEO, Rachelle Quattrocchi;
- Wellington Shire Council – Mayor, Scott Rossetti and Manager Governance, Carly Bloomfield;
- Wyndham City Council – Deputy Mayor, Josh Gilligan and CEO Stephen Wall
- Hume City Council – Mayor, Jarrod Bell; CEO, Sheena Frost; Head of Government Relations and Advocacy, Joel Kimber;
- Knox City Council – Mayor, Lisa Cooper and CEO, Bruce Dobson;
- Loddon Shire Council – Mayor, Dan Straub and CEO, Lincoln Fitzgerald;
- Southern Grampians Shire Council, Mayor, Denis Heslin; CEO, Tony Doyle;
- Warrnambool City Council – Mayor, Ben Blain and CEO, Andrew Mason;
- West Wimmera Shire Council – Deputy Mayor, Jodie Pretlove and CEO, David Bezuidenhout;
- East Gippsland Shire Council – Mayor, John White; General Manager Business Excellence, Sarah Johnston and Manager Governance and Regulatory Services, Janelle Skipworth;
- Moira Shire Council – CEO, Matthew Morgan; Manager Governance, Risk and Performance, Amanda Finn and Manager Finance, Beau Mittner;
- South Gippsland Shire Council – Mayor, John Schelling and Integrity Manager, Rhys Matulis;
- Cardinia Shire Council – Mayor, Jack Kowarzik and Interim CEO, Peter Benazic;
- Nillumbik Shire Council – Mayor, John Dumaresq; CEO, Carl Cowie; Director Governance, Communications and Community Safety, Blaga Naumoski and Chief Financial Officer, Melike Sukunda;
- City of Whittlesea Council – Councillor Blair Colwell and CEO, Craig Lloyd;
- Manningham City Council – Mayor, Deidre Diamante and CEO, Andrew Day;
- Port Phillip City Council – Deputy Mayor, Bryan Mears and CEO, Chris Carroll.
The hearing will be held in the Legislative Council Committees Room (LCCR), Parliament House, from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm today (28 July). It will be broadcast on the Committee’s website.
The full schedule is available on the Committee’s website.
The Committee has advised it will table its report no later than 20 November.
