Liverpool Council Acting CEO, Jason Breton, has confirmed an election for a new council will go ahead on 14 September.
NSW Minister for Local Government, Ron Hoenig, had flagged the delay of the election until a public inquiry into serious allegations of misconduct by the Council was completed, however the NSW Government backed down from the action this afternoon.
There will still be a public inquiry, as previously announced by the Minister for Local Government and the Council looks forward to participating, Mr Breton (pictured) said in a statement.
“This is a good development for the ratepayers of Liverpool,” he said.
“Council always wanted to ensure the election goes ahead for two reasons: so the voters of Liverpool do not lose their voting rights and Council does not forfeit the $1.8 million cost of staging the poll.
“It’s a double win for the residents and ratepayers – their right to vote is not taken away and ratepayers are not burdened with paying for an election that would otherwise been denied them.”
On Monday, the Council lost its Land and Environment Court bid to halt the public inquiry and the release of an interim report, arguing the Office of Local Government had shown bias in publishing the report and that the Minister’s efforts to suspend the council and delay the local election were unlawful.
The court found that no bias had been shown, clearing the way for the Minister to progress the inquiry.
Mr Breton today confirmed the Council would appeal the ruling.
