April 20, 2026

Email to City of Melville Council and copied to the Local Government Inspector

Dear Councillors

As it is understood this communication will be intercepted and may be redirected, it is also published on https://melvilleshadowcouncil.org/

I have read your director legal, governance & risk’s verbose report “Committee Review M26/7,” seeking your endorsement to disband rather than enhance Council advisory committees.

I note that report’s inclusion of duplicity and bias, presumably intended to mislead.

Please refer to the DLGSC pages posting more accurately about their latest reforms. https://www.dlgsc.wa.gov.au/local-government/local-government-reform

The director legal, governance & risk’s report was misleading in that it omitted addressing and had excluded any reference to the reform’s theme to ensure local governments better serve residents and ratepayers with Stronger local democracy and community engagement.

And further, that report also excluded and omitted any reference to Council’s policy CP-021 Advisory and Management Committees – posted on your website as being the current relevant Policy. see attached

That report does not explain how excluding “community engagement” was not dysfunctional when referenced to the State Governments stated reform outcomes or how Council would not be compromising itself by voting against compliance with its own published policy.

If voting as the Council has habitually previously done, simplistically in favour of administrator directives, Council will be seen to be voting against its community’s values and endorsing executive direction disguised as advice and by that contravening your legislated requirement to vote on the informed merits of the subject.

Why has Council continued since 2019 to fail and refuse to comply with its own Policies?
Why has Council continued since 2019 to accept the failure or refusal of your executive managers to comply with properly authorised Policy?
Why does Council accept without question, the denigration of Council arising from the continued usurping without authority, of Council’s role by executive?