Two municipal monitors will be appointed to Wyndham City Council in Victoria for nine months in a move aimed at restoring governance standards and rebuilding community confidence following ongoing controversy and internal instability.
The Minister for Local Government, Paul Hamer, has nominated Jim Gifford and Jo-Anne Mazzeo for the roles, with their appointments subject to the required approval processes.
Gifford is a local government expert who recently acted as commissioner on the Whittlesea Commission of Inquiry, while Mazzeo has extensive experience in councillor conduct matters.
The monitors will oversee council operations from 11 May 2026 until 31 January 2027, with a focus on service delivery, organisational culture, staff wellbeing, procedures and decision-making.
Victorian Local Government Minister Paul Hamer said the intervention was about restoring public trust. “Mr Gifford and Ms Mazzeo’s extensive experience will serve them well in their roles,” he said.
“Victorians expect councils to maintain high standards and these monitors will work to restore the Wyndham community’s confidence in their councillors.”
The appointment comes amid heightened scrutiny of Wyndham City Council following a vote of no confidence in Mayor Preet Singh and ongoing public controversy linked to a character reference he provided for a man later convicted of grooming and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl.
A petition calling for his removal has also attracted 1,895 signatures, arguing his actions demonstrate poor judgement incompatible with the mayoral role.
The petition states that Cr Singh gave a reference describing the convicted offender as “a decent, hardworking and trustworthy person” and suggested the offending was “a one-off event”. It argues such a stance is “completely unacceptable” and raises concerns about public trust, particularly regarding child safety.
At a recent council meeting, councillors passed a vote of no confidence in Cr Singh, with councillor Peter Maynard describing the situation as deeply damaging to the council’s reputation. “Whilst we can all acknowledge that the mayor has done nothing illegal, he has shown an extremely concerning error of judgement, something that we simply cannot tolerate in the leader of this council,” he said.
“He may not have done anything illegal, but it’s morally reprehensible.”
Councillor Robert Szatkowski said the decision was not taken lightly. “For many in the community, the situation has been deeply, deeply distressing,” he said.
“We currently have a mayor who no longer has the confidence of the chamber and that has real consequences.”
Councillor Susan McIntyre said the issue went beyond politics. “We cannot lose sight of the victim, and other victims of sexual offences,” she said.
“Our community deserves better. The role must come before the person.”
Cr Singh stepped aside earlier this year after the controversy emerged but has indicated he intends to return to office, saying he has done nothing illegal and characterising criticism of him as a “sustained campaign waged against me on social media”.
“This reference letter was provided when I was a private citizen and is not connected in any way to the office of the mayor or councillor,” he said.
“I have accepted accountability for my error of judgement, and I have apologised sincerely and unreservedly to the victim and their family.”
He has also rejected calls to resign, saying he will not be “bullied into resigning by a politically motivated group pursuing an agenda”.
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