One brother is part of a regular event in which a diverse group must make decisions on projects which often involve large amounts of money, but are frequently distracted by petty squabbles and silly antics. The other brother is the host of Channel 9’s The Block Glasshouse. 

In the latest episode from Mid-Western Regional Council, now seen live via webcast from the comfort of your home, Cr Peter Shelley apologised for referring to Cr Percy Thompson as a “scumbag”. 

This was the latest of many Code of Conduct complaints which have cost council thousands of dollars and considerable time over recent years. 

A recent comparison of NSW councils released by the Division of Local Government found Mid-Western Regional Council spent $13,348 resolving Code of Conduct complaints in 2012/13, compared to an average of $4908 for similarly sized councils.   

Of seven Code of Conduct complaints lodged with Mid-Western Regional Council, only two were found to require action, suggesting some complaints may have been trivial or “tit for tat”. 

Figures are not available for 2013/14, but Mayor Des Kennedy noted in April that the cost Code of Conduct complaints had “blown out” to $30,000 to $40,000. 

The hope that greater public scrutiny would encourage councillors’ to improve their behaviour was one of the reasons for webcasting meetings. 

The latest Code of Conduct complaint arose from a period before webcasting of meetings began, so it is too soon to judge whether it will achieve this aim. 

But for the sake of ratepayers who foot the bill for Code of Conduct complaints, it’s hoped that councillors will not only be mindful of that their actions are being viewed by a wider audience, but also find a cheaper way of resolving their differences and concentrate on the job they were elected to do.