Record number of complaints noted

The Shire of Denmark has recorded one of the highest number of complaints about councillors in WA, according to a recent report.

A Local Government Standards Panel report revealed the Shire received seven complaints in 2016-17, equal with the Town of Cottesloe as the most of all local governments in WA.

Of the seven complaints, four related to former councillor Yasmin Bartlett, submitted by previous serving councillors who took issue with posts Ms Bartlett made on social media about former Shire chief executive Dale Stewart. Former councillors John Sampson, Belinda Rowland and Barbara Marshall, and newly re-elected Cr Roger Seeney submitted the complaints.

Ms Bartlett has since resigned of her own accord from the council and was ordered by the Standards Panel to make a public apology.

She is appealing that order with the State Administrative Tribunal and argues she was sharing matters in the public interest.

Shire of Denmark chief executive Bill Parker said the panel only published outcomes of complaints if they were substantiated. “It has been reported that the Shire received seven complaints during the period under review,” he said.

“Of these seven complaints, four were in relation to a single issue that resulted in a councillor being ordered by the Standards Panel to make a public apology.”

WA Local Government Association president Lynne Craigie raised concerns about the complaints process, in particular that complaints could be lodged without sufficient cause.

“Nobody wants the validity of this process reduced by frivolous claims,” she said.