Cambridge leads panel’s complaints list

A state government panel has received almost 100 complaints about WA councils in the past financial year, with about a fifth coming from one western suburbs council.

The Local Government Standards Panel 2022-23 financial year report, tabled in parliament this week, shows 20 out of the 95 complaints received in the reporting period were related to the Town of Cambridge.

The standards panel receive and deals with complaints made by any person, of alleged minor breaches by a council member of any rule of conduct in the Local Government Regulations or a provision of a local government’s code of conduct.

Complaints were received related to 25 local governments, out of 139 councils in Western Australia, according to the panel’s report.

A quarter of the complaints received in FY23 were about the western suburbs, with five complaints from the City of Nedlands and 20 from Cambridge.

The report also shows the panel received the second highest number of complaints, being 13, over the City of Swan.

Cambridge and Swan were the only local governments with its number of complaints in the double digits.

The report shows the panel received six complaints each for the Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale, and the cities of South Perth and Wanneroo.

Five complaints were each recorded for City of Joondalup and Nedlands.

The panel only received one complaint for the state’s capital, the City of Perth.

According to the FY23 report, the panel received 95 complaints comprising 203 allegations but considered 99 complaints covering 294 allegations.

“The findings reported in 2022-23 are a combination of allegations that were not resolved in the previous financial year and new complaints received,” the report said.

“The panel also refused to deal with 79 complaints, the majority of which were determined to be vexatious and/or frivolous.

“The standards panel made 53 findings that a breach occurred.”

According to the report, the panel imposed 31 sanctions for the 53 breaches including 18 orders for public apology, and other orders for training, monetary payment and public censures.

In the 2021-22 financial year, the City of Swan received 17 complaints, the highest number for that reporting period.

The Town of Cambridge climbed the ranks in FY23 compared to the previous year, where it was third on the list with 14 complaints recorded.

The City of Nedlands received eight complaints in FY22, according to the panel’s report.