Moree Plains councillors have backed a plan they hope will persuade the Minister not to suspend them, with the proposal putting an interim administrator in place for three months.
Facing the possible suspension of the elected council, Moree Plains councillors have come together to agree on a plan they hope will persuade Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig to keep them in office.
The plan proposes further training in conduct and meeting rules, mediation to rebuild working relationships, and individual undertakings to behave respectfully. Council is formally asking the Minister to appoint a temporary adviser to provide advice on meeting proceedings and report back to him on implementation of the plan.
All eight councillors present at the extraordinary meeting on 2 November 2026 backed the amended response. Deputy Mayor Cr Wayne Tighe was on approved leave, and about 19 people were in the public gallery when the meeting began.
Opening the discussion, Mayor Cr Susannah Pearse called for a shared approach.
“The minister really wishes to see council coming together here and setting a path forward, and I hope that we can do just that,” she said.
The Minister is considering suspending the elected body and appointing an interim administrator for three months. Council accepts his concerns about councillor behaviour, meeting management and the apparent deterioration in working relationships, but argues councillors should be given the opportunity to address those problems together.
“I do not believe that suspending the council actually addresses the underlying problems facing the council,” Cr Peter Mailler said.
Cr Mailler said the Minister must be prepared to intervene if councillors were unwilling to participate in the improvement plan.
Cr Kelly James supported training and mediation but sought further commitments covering independent scrutiny of meeting management, how rules were applied, and the handling of complaints and investigations.
“An improvement plan must address the conduct of everyone involved, including those managing meetings,” she said.
There was disagreement over some proposed additions. Cr Mailler defended the need for mandatory training regardless of previous experience, while Cr Pearse questioned wording that could conflict with existing complaint-handling requirements.
Cr James’ initial amendment was defeated, but Cr Brooke Sauer proposed adding revised provisions to the improvement plan. Cr James seconded the proposal, which all eight councillors present supported.
Cr Pearse also acknowledged her own responsibility to improve.
“There absolutely are things that I can and want to do better,” she said.
Her proposed professional development includes further training in chairing meetings and defusing conflict, along with mentoring, subject to the Minister’s advice.
Council’s case against suspension also draws on its delivery record. Its submission points to the reopening of the hot artesian pools and Moree War Memorial Hall in April 2026, and reports that 87.4 per cent of resolutions from the current council term had been completed by 31 August.
The submission acknowledges those achievements do not diminish the conduct problems. It accepts that disorder has disrupted council business and consumed senior staff time.
Under the proposed timetable, all councillors would complete further training in the Code of Conduct, Code of Meeting Practice and appropriate social media use before 31 December 2026. The general manager and Manager Legal and Governance would also attend.
Councillors would complete training on how behaviour and working relationships affect health and safety by the same deadline. The broader mediation and reconciliation process would be completed by 31 March 2027.
The meeting resolved that all councillors sign a Good Conduct Undertaking as soon as practicable. It requires participation in the plan in good faith, compliance with the conduct and meeting codes, and respectful treatment of fellow councillors and staff. Whether all have signed is not yet established.
Council has offered progress reports as often as the Minister directs and asked for guidance on what action could follow if councillors do not participate fully and in good faith.
The submission is due by 6 November 2026. The Minister will then decide whether to proceed with suspension.
