Orange council code of conduct complaints down but still costly

Council was told there had been only two complaints made about councillors and the CEO from July 2020 to April 2021.

While no breaches had been found one of them has been appealed to the Office of Local Government and is awaiting a decision.

However, the two complaints still cost ratepayers about $4500 for them to be investigated.

There were seven complaints two years ago, 18 in 2016-17 which cost nearly $40,000 while two complaints in 2014-2015 cost $86,450 and involved a breach being recorded.

Cr Kevin Duffy said he 'commended' council on the low number.

"This term of council, we've hardly spent any money on codes of conduct compared to the previous council," he said.

"The previous council was 10s and 10s and 10s of thousands of dollars."

Cr Duffy said people making complaints should be named and held responsible where complaints were found to be frivolous.

"It's just the dopiest legislation in Australia," he said.

Cr Glenn Taylor said codes of conduct complaints were for serious allegation including 'corruption, serious wrong-doing, bullying or whatever.'

"But some of the frivolous rubbish that's gone through over the years, that's a cost," he said.

"This council term has significantly lowered the amount we are spending on this, but it is far, far too much."

Mayor Cr Reg Kidd said it was "the biggest abuse of law" he had seen.

"I was the victim of a swag of them and I know who the councillor was, I know who the staff member was," he said.

Cr Stephen Nugent said complainants should not have to pay to make a claim.

"If people had to stump up $2200 to make a complaint no one would make a complaint, no one would use the system," he said.

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