Vacant seats: why councils are losing elected members
The dream of serving the community has turned into a nightmare across many councils, according to Robert Bria.
Whatever your thoughts are about local government, the recent spate of resignations by mayors and councillors should alarm us all.
To those of you who have left the sector to look after your mental and physical health, I am sorry your experience on a council has ended the way it has and wish you well.
It is tragic that over time, the dream of serving your community turned into a nightmare.
For those of us who remain, if the biggest challenge facing councils in South Australia is financial sustainability, then elected member behaviour comes in as a photo-finish second place.
In the almost three years since the 2022 local government elections, there have been enough examples of elected members behaving badly to fill a heavy coffee table book.
And, while it is not my style to dump on other councils – I will never claim my council is perfect – I am alarmed by the increasing number of allegations about bullying and harassment against elected members and, in some cases, council staff.
There are far too many examples of elected members taking long periods of stress leave, regularly missing council meetings, and generally being fearful of being in the same room as their colleagues.
During my nearly 20 years as mayor, I have never seen things so bad.
Disturbingly, but not surprisingly, it appears the majority of alleged victims of this poor behaviour are women and, in many cases, women holding the office of mayor.
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Over the past 12 months, I have attended several forums for mayors where the issue of bullying and harassment has dominated the discussion, only to leave deeply unsettled, having watched fellow mayors become distressed and in tears as they talk about the lack of respect and toxic atmosphere at council meetings.
The reality is that bullying and harassment in councils is a scourge that is impacting the reputation of our sector as a trusted level of government, undermining community confidence in decision-making, our ability to deliver services and infrastructure, and costing ratepayers millions of dollars in legal fees.
Equally alarming is that it is also posing a serious threat to gender equity in local government by potentially putting off talented women from serving on council and thereby creating a leadership vacuum that communities cannot afford.
Last week, I was reliably informed that three current mayors (two male, one female) will not stand at the 2026 council elections as they can no longer cope with the bullying and harassment, meaning years of knowledge and experience will be lost.
So, why do we continue to see this type of destructive behaviour persist, and what is being done about it?
For me, the reasons are many and varied, and due to brevity can’t be fully explored in this article.
Widespread problem
It is no longer acceptable to brush off this behaviour as the wayward antics of a few ego-driven rebels looking for a cause.
A quiet “fireside chat” over a cup of tea to smooth things over doesn’t cut it.
People’s personal lives and professional reputations are being destroyed.
For starters, we need to look at the environment which appears to embolden perpetrators of bullying and harassment, intimidates victims, and demoralises council staff.
It was clear to me that after the fanfare faded, the cheering stopped, and the balloons came down, the Behavioural Standards Panel has not been the panacea some in the sector thought or hoped it would be.
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If anything, the new complaint process has at times appeared cumbersome and overtly political, not to mention ridiculously expensive.
Sanctions against those guilty of breaches are being likened to being flogged with a wet lettuce leaf, leaving victims frustrated and losing faith in a system supposedly designed to protect them from harm.
Perversely, the panel itself has become a target of complaints due to the excruciating amount of time it takes to deal with complaint matters, which suggests the ‘solution’ is now part of the problem.
I have no personal animus towards my many lawyer friends but believe the appointment of former Marion Mayor Dr Felicity-ann Lewis as new Chair of the Behaviourial Standards Panel brings an invaluable “lived experience” lens to the complaint process from someone who has sat in the chair and presided over more than a few robust council meetings.
But Dr Lewis’ appointment is only one step forward in the long road towards a better system to deal with bullying and harassment.
The Local Government Association of South Australia also needs to step up to the plate and make its voice heard that it not only realises this is a serious problem, but it is also doing something about it.
At a mayor’s forum held earlier this year, I suggested Local Government Risk Services undertake a tour of councils to impress on elected members the live and real risks associated with bullying and harassment.
To date, I’ve heard nothing.
The introduction of Section 75(G) of the Local Government Act ( 1999) is a necessary tool for directions to be issues to protect the health and safety of elected members and council staff, but even the efficacy of that power is now being questioned in the Legislative Council.
That is why I fully support the motion by The Honourable Connie Bonaros MLC calling for the Equal Opportunity Commissioner to launch an inquiry into bullying and harassment in local government.
Ripping off the band-aid to take a close look into an environment which seemingly allows this behaviour to flourish in council chambers, offices and cyberspace will let the sunlight in to help disinfect the sector.
Last week, I added my name and support to a letter authored by other mayors calling on the Attorney General Kyam Maher to support Connie Bonaros’ motion.
What is needed is a solid evidence base of data detailing the scale and impact of bullying and harassment, and the extent to which this is a gender issue.
This, in turn, will reveal the cost to local government in both human and financial terms.
I do not doubt that once this data is revealed, communities across South Australia will be shocked and appalled.
To be sure, holding an inquiry is not being promoted as the silver bullet to resolve this matter, but unless something meaningful is done soon, not only will those mayors and councillors allegedly being bullied or harassed continue to suffer, but so too will the communities that elected them.
Robert Bria is the Mayor of the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters. He was first elected as a Councillor in 1997 and has served as Mayor since October 2005.
