Minister for Local Government Chansey Paech has placed the Coomalie Community Government Council under official management and all elected members have been suspended from office.
The Minister has made this decision because he is satisfied there are, or may be, serious deficiencies in the conduct of the Council’s affairs.
Mark Blackburn has been appointed Official Manager and now holds the powers of the elected members to ensure the business of Council continues without interruption. Mr Blackburn is an experienced local government professional who has worked at executive levels across the Northern Territory and was the official manager at Palmerston Council several years ago.
Cathryn Hutton, who is also an experienced former local government CEO, has been appointed as the Investigator and will undertake an investigation of the Council’s affairs. She will report her findings to the Minister by 14 March 2025.
During the period Council is under official management, elected members will not be able to conduct any official Council business, and all allowances and other entitlements will cease.
Council staff will not be impacted as a result of this process.
The Coomalie Community Government Council serves around 1400 constituents over an area of more than 2000 square kilometres including Batchelor, Adelaide River, Lake Bennett, and the broader rural area.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Local Government Chansey Paech:
“A number of deficiencies have been identified in the conduct of the Council’s affairs which have led to a failure by the Council to properly meet its objectives under the Local Government Act 2019.
“The Council has been distracted from its objectives to provide open, responsive and accountable government; and to act in the best interests of the community as a whole.
“My decision today paves the way for better-functioning services across the communities served by the Council, and a more stable future for the people of the Coomalie region.”
