The Times newspaper group has received a statement today from current Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council Mayor, Charlie Sheahan, that he will be resigning from his role as Mayor of CGRC on July 8.
Sheahan said, “Last Thursday 27th June I gave notice to all councillors and all staff that as of the 8th of July, I would be resigning as Mayor.
“I will continue as a councillor up until the elections in September.
“I will not be seeking re-election.
“My decision came as a result of a late urgent business item before council at last Tuesday’s ordinary meeting.
“The business item was to engage the electoral commission to run the Local Government Election for the 14th of September, at a cost to the ratepayer in the vicinity of $220,000.
It appears Mayor Sheahan’s frustration have boiled over at the lack of inaction to demerge CGRC from the Minister of Local Government Ron Hoenig and his Premier Chris Minns. Hoenig infamously visited the CGRC Council in October of 2023 and has done little since to progress what is a very disappointing and unworkable forcibly merged Council, which continues to run at large deficits. Minns hasn’t set foot in the electorate since being elected even though he dashed to the Barwon electorate which shares a border with SA and QLD in the first few weeks of being Premier, regarding dead fish in a river system. It remains to be seen if the demerger of CGRC is now dead in the water or not, and the Times will be speaking with CGRC Councillors this week.
Mayor Shehan said, “Myself, councillors and staff were expecting the Minister to defer our election given that CGRC is in the process of demerging and that he had previously stated that he could do this if the process was delayed.
“I had pursued clarification on this right up until the meeting and had even requested the premier to intervene and somehow persuade the Minister to defer the election in our case.
“To go to an election now when our council is once again before the Boundaries Commission and under review is not practical, not fair to the candidates or the incoming council and can be seen as an unnecessary waste of money if and when another election is needed for new councils.
“I have lost all trust in the minister in regards to the demerger process, he has shown no real commitment or resolve to expedite a solution to the problem of his own making.
“The minister has shown no support or concern for our communities or our staff, who are facing extraordinary difficulties on a daily basis.
“Many staff have left the organisation, often in tears, losing their jobs, and careers that they love and cherish, jeopardising their livelihoods.
“I personally don’t want to see anyone else suffering because of this situation.
“I stated in my speech in the chamber that I would not be a party to anything that would prolong the anxiety and suffering that I have witnessed throughout my entire two terms of this merger.
“I have had enough, agreeing to an election for the existing CGRC is only going to prolong the process and is playing into the minister’s hand.
Sheahan highlighted that the demerging of Council was Labor policy and had been passed a few years ago at their state conference. Sheahan’s resignation comes at the same time that the Labor Party bends its own rules to suit itself by not suspending a Federal MP for crossing the floor in a vote, which normally means immediate expulsion from the party to not support the party’s vote.
He said, “I thank Councillors Bowden, Boyd and Glover, for seeing this as I do and putting the communities’ interests first and foremost, and not supporting going to an election.
Councillors received a letter from the Office of Local Government before the meeting which made a number of possible outcomes known it what could be described as veiled threats. It stated, “As the appointment of the Electoral Commission is an important statutory requirement for the electoral process, a failure to resolve to appoint the Commission could result in application of the various intervention powers available to the Minister under the Local Government ACT, including Performance Improvement Order and/or suspension.”
Some may agree that any action from the Minister would be deemed as taking the matter seriously, something that Sheahan believes hasn’t been the case thus far.
Sheahan stated that in his opinion, the last minute email may have influenced some of his fellow Councillors.
He said, “I am very sorry it has come to this, I wish the incoming Council to be elected in September well and hope for a change in the near future to provide a better future for all.
Charlie.
The Times will be reaching out to CGRC Councillors this week for their views.
