What will prompt NSW Minister of Local Government Shelley Hancock to call a public inquiry into Wingecarribee Shire Council?

Related: Wingecarribee Shire Council interim administrator to recommend a public inquiry to the Minister of Local Government

If there is an inquiry, the local council elections slated for December 4 could be postponed.

The council would also join a long list of other councils across NSW that have had public inquiries. To date, there have been 16 public inquiries held in the last 18 years.

Related: 'Not a good example of local government'; two reports highlight Wingecarribee Shire Council shortcomings

Wingecarribee Shire Council interim administrator Viv May threw his support behind a public inquiry at the July 28 Extraordinary Meeting of the council. His final report to the Minister of Local Government, Ms Shelley Hancock, will be released at the August 11 Ordinary Meeting of the council.

It's not the first time Mr May has supported a public inquiry into a council.

While he was at Armidale Regional Council as the interim administrator, between June to December 2020, he called for a public inquiry. However, the council was reinstated and a public inquiry did not happen.

Related: Let Wingecarribee vote | Letter to the Editor

Currently, the Central Coast Council is the only council in NSW facing a public inquiry. It will not hold a local council election this year.

That council was suspended in October 2020 and a public inquiry was called six months later on April 26, 2021.

Roslyn McCulloch has been appointed as the commissioner to undertake the public inquiry into the Central Coast Council.

She was previously in charge of the public inquiry held for Balranald Shire Council in January 2019.

In her final report, Ms McCulloch recommended an administrator be appointed to Balrandald Shire Council until the ordinary council elections were scheduled for 2024.

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A spokesperson for the Office of Local Government said the minister's position regarding Wingecarribee Shire Council had not been finalised.

"The minister's decision will be informed by advice from the Office of Local Government and the interim administrator's report," they said.

According to the Office of Local Government website, under section 438U, the Minister for Local Government, Ms Shelley Hancock has the power to appoint a commissioner to conduct a public inquiry into a council.

The website continued "this is a necessary step before a council can be dismissed. The Minister of Local Government may order an inquiry at any time or as a result of a section 430 investigation."

Furthermore, the Office of Local Government website states that, "public inquiries are essential if a council becomes dysfunctional through maladministration, corruption or some other reason. After the inquiry process, the minister may appoint an administrator."

No timeline of the process has been indicated, at this point, the likelihood of a public inquiry into Wingecarribee Shire Council is still unknown.

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