Close Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Read Our Newspapers Online
    • Read the Latest Western Port News
    • Read the Latest Mornington News
    • Read the Latest Southern Peninsula News
    • Read the Latest Frankston Times
    • Read the Latest Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
  • Competition
  • Home New
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Sunday, June 15
Facebook X (Twitter)
MPNEWSMPNEWS
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Home New
Breaking News
MPNEWSMPNEWS
Home»News»Walkout halts debate
News

Walkout halts debate

By David HarrisonMay 26, 2014Updated:June 16, 2014No Comments3 Mins Read
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

A COUNCILLOR walkout forced the abandonment of the Special Purposes Committee meeting held on 19 May when two confidential items came up for debate.

Veteran council watchers could not recall any previous councillor walkout at Mornington Peninsula Shire. It was a dramatic and pivotal moment in shire events.

The meeting had reached agenda item 3, “Confidential Items”.

The minutes record that “Cr Fraser and Cr Rodgers left the meeting before consideration of this item and did not return”. Hugh Fraser and Tim Rodgers represent Nepean ward.

The meeting was then adjourned at 5.50pm. The minutes state that “Cr. Colomb left the meeting at 5:50pm during discussion of this item and did not return”. Bev Colomb is a Briars ward councillor.

The minutes continue: “Due to no quorum, the Special Purposes Committee Meeting lapsed at 6:04pm.”

It is not known what subject the confidential items covered. But it would not be surprising if one item involved the highly contentious Southern Peninsula Aquatic Centre – possibly the only matter divisive enough to spark a response as unprecedented and extraordinary as a councillor walkout.

Absent from the meeting were councillors Lynn Bowden, Graham Pittock and Frank Martin, who resigned from council the following day due to ill health.

The walkout meant only five councillors remained in the chamber – Antonella Celi, David Gibb, Anne Shaw, Andrew Dixon and David Garnock – one short of a quorum.

Section 85 of the Local Government Act deals with lack of a quorum at council meetings. It gives the local government minister or a council’s chief executive officer power to require all councillors to attend a “call of the council” meeting.

If a councillor does not appear within 30 minutes of the scheduled starting time for such a meeting, or does not remain at the meeting, the council CEO “must immediately advise the Minister in writing”, the act states.

The minister may then order that “the councillor is incapable of remaining a councillor”.

These provisions are broadly aimed at preventing continued disruption of council business by recalcitrant councillors.

It is beyond contemplation that councillors Fraser, Rodgers and Colomb would not attend a call of the council meeting, or would walk out of one.

It is highly improbable that shire CEO Michael Kennedy would resort to calling such a meeting after just one, albeit dramatic, such occurrence.

What is certain that the trio were so offended by, and opposed to, the subject matter in the confidential item that they acted to highlight it. While they cannot reveal confidential information without breaching the law, matters such as this have a habit of becoming public.

While Cr Fraser, a highly experienced barrister, is in his first term as a councillor, he has rapidly made his mark as a careful and forensic operator.

Councillors Colomb and Rodgers are veterans with high reputations for probity and closely examining matters that come before council.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Related Posts

Museums join forces

June 11, 2025

Court win over noise

June 11, 2025

Wastewater talks rejected

June 11, 2025

Cancer survivor advocates for health ‘transformation’ for all women

June 10, 2025
Add A Comment

Comments are closed.

Peninsula Essence Magazine – Click to Read
Peninsula Kids Magazine – Click to Read
Letters to the Editor
Property of the Week

14 Bass Street, McCrae

June 3, 2025
Council Watch

Council adopts ‘fresh vision’ with ‘stronger community ties’

May 6, 2025

Council hubs to stay open despite $389 per visit

April 30, 2025
100 Years Ago This Week

A Costly Joy Ride that ended in the lock-up

June 10, 2025
Interview

Firefighter shows skills from sea to snow

February 5, 2024
Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Home New
About

Established in 2006, Mornington Peninsula News Group (MPNG) is a locally owned and operated, independent media company.

MPNG publishes five weekly community newspapers: the Western Port News, Mornington News, Southern Peninsula News, Frankston Times and Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News.

MPNG also publishes two glossy magazines: Peninsula Essence and Peninsula Kids.

Facebook X (Twitter)
© 2025 Mornington Peninsula News Group.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.