In an effort to silence residents with difficult questions, Western Australia's Cockburn Council routinely limits question time and threatens residents who defy these limits with AU$1,000 fines. The Mayor, Stephen Lee, is now on extended leave after the Crime Commission had found him guilty of misconduct for having accepted an undeclared election campaign donation of AU$43,000 from the Singapore-controlled developer Australand, which wanted to build the controversial Port Coogee Marina.

See also: Postscript: Cockburn Councillors threaten to use ratepayer funds to sue residents, Appendix: Cockburn Community advertisement of 18 Nov 08

The CBD Residents' Associations are inviting people all over Melbourne to a serious pow-wow tonight (Wednesday 24th) 6pm, the Bluestone Room, Coopers Inn (cnr Exhibition and Little Lonsdale Streets)

Macedon Ranges Residents' Group (MRRA) is coping with professional undermining from a similarly named rival association and opponents who are very well funded. Maybe your group is having similar problems?

See original article on www.mrra.asn.au

Victor on tvConfused by bureaucracy, conflicted by development, and disorganised by new residential enclaves, local Frankston citizens find their voice in sticking up for a man and his goat in the face of bullying by-laws.

What you can do: visit freevictor.com and sign the petition.

Australian Greens lead Senate candidate for Queensland Larissa Waters will today meet Douglas Shire Council Mayor Mike Berwick to discuss how the Greens can help to overturn the decision to amalgamate local Councils.

... Golden Cockerel goes back to Council and asks for an extension to the working hours, 3am-10pm 19hrs a day they cry. They are concerned that the Company cannot make enough profit in 12hr days, six days a week. If the People want cheap Chickens, then that is the price Residents of Mt Cotton must pay for the benefit of us all, and Rightly So! I don't want to pay more for my chicken! Who does? ...

The Coalition Government has exposed its hypocrisy on council amalgamations with its current attack on the Queensland Government according to Independent Member for Calare, Peter Andren.

Queensland Premier Peter Beattie and his Local Government Minister Andrew Fraser have forgotten the meaning of the word 'democracy'. Mayors who consult with their own constituents over the question of the abolition of their local governments face instant dismissal. These provisions were added to the legislation which forces many Queensland local councils to amalgamate with neighbouring councils at the last minute when the legislation was rushed through in the early hours of Friday 10 August.

The argument in favour of forced amalgamations has been comprehensively demolished by Professor Brian Dollery of the University of New England ...

When we were under the Grenville Shire, very ordinary citizens ran it in unison with their fellow residents. Things got done and rates were kept very low despite the fact that Grenville had it's own road maintenance crew and machinery. Since we've fallen under the banner of the Golden Plains Shire, we've had a reduction in some services and unwanted town projects thrust upon us by a shire well out of touch with residents desires.

Australian Greens Lead Senate Candidate for Queensland, Larissa Waters said today's recommendations from the Local Government Reform Commission would be the death of Local Government democracy and is demanding the Beattie Government reject them.