Western Australia's government has introduced a package of reforms to crack down on councillors behaving badly.
The changes to the Local Government Act will be the most significant in its more than 25-year-history, the state government says.
Among the reforms, councillors will face three-month suspensions if they seriously breach the Act, and 10-year bans from local government elected office if they are suspended three times.
A new Inspector of Local Government will be appointed to investigate and oversee complaints, along with local government monitors, who can help resolve ongoing issues.
Recording council meetings will be mandated, and larger tier one and two local governments will be live-streamed.
The reforms were based on five years' worth of findings and recommendations out of a number of reports, as well as consultation, Local Government Minister John Carey said.
"In recent weeks and months, we have seen examples of councils not operating as they should, and poor behaviour among elected members - the changes we're introducing are aimed at addressing those issues sooner," he said.
"The public are fed up with dysfunction and repeat bad behaviour by a small number of councillors. Chaotic meetings and petty squabbles are not good enough."
The government plans to introduce the legislation to parliament by the end of the year, and the minister has set up a working group to figure out how to best implement the reforms.
The changes will also result in tighter rules and clearer definitions around confidential meetings, and introduce parental and medical leave entitlements for elected members.
Australian Associated Press
