Mildura Rural City Councillor, Jason Modica, has been suspended from his duties as a Councillor for two months and ordered to apologise to Council following a review by the Councillor Conduct Panel.
“We are confident in the process that was followed throughout this matter,” the Council said in a statement following Cr Modica’s suspension.
“It has really highlighted the robust measures in place, not just in the local government sector more broadly, but within our own Council, particularly around conflicts of interest.
“It can give our community every confidence in the reporting mechanisms in place and the level of accountability and scrutiny our Councillors are subject to through the course of their work for the community.”
The conduct review arose from the actions of the former Mayor following his failure to declare a conflict of interest in 2021 over a proposal for a business to be built in direct competition to his sister’s local business.
While Cr Modica maintained he did not vote against the proposal because of his sister’s business, saying he believed the proposal went against the local planning scheme.
He did however admit to knowing about his sister’s business and the conflict of interest it caused and conceded he should have removed himself from discussions.
“As the panel report touches on, there is nothing wrong with a Councillor having a conflict of interest, which is why you see our Councillors stepping out of Ordinary Council meetings from time to time – it’s an illustration of our strict governance processes at work,” Council said.
“It’s also about ensuring any conflicts of interest are identified by the individual Councillors and acted upon appropriately.
“We will continue to work to ensure our community has confidence in the decision-making process and that our Councillors have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities under the Local Government Act and the Councillor Code of Conduct.”
The Councillor Conduct Panel’s determination will be tabled in full at this month’s Ordinary Council Meeting.
