At the end of last week’s lengthy council meeting, a public question revealed that eight out of nine Cardinia Shire councillors currently live in the shire.
Local resident Andrew McNabb thrust the councillors’ living arrangements under the microscope at the meeting, held on Monday 18 October, when he submitted a question asking councillors to individually answer “yes or no” as to whether they currently lived in the municipality.
Cardinia Shire Mayor Brett Owen answered Mr McNabb’s question on behalf of all councillors at the meeting, revealing that due to temporary circumstances, not all of them currently lived in the shire.
“I will not be asking them individually, but eight of the nine councillors currently live in the municipality,” Cr Owen said at the meeting.
Cr Owen said he believed it was “inappropriate” for each councillor to answer yes or no to this question, as the reason one councillor currently lived outside the shire was due to a “temporary personal situation” and all councillors remained eligible to hold office.
In a more recent follow up statement, a Cardinia Shire Council spokesperson said that “one councillor has made temporary arrangements” but this did not disqualify them from holding their position on council.
“All councillors are eligible to hold office within Cardinia Shire as per the Local Government Act,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson did not disclose any further information.
