Councillor Luke Williamson has been formally censured over an April 2025 conversation with a council staff member. Photo: Snowy Monaro Regional Council.
An independent councillor has been formally censured over a discussion in council chambers from early 2025.
During its March meeting, Snowy Monaro Regional Council voted to formally censure councillor Luke Williamson for misconduct.
Limited details about his behaviour have been made public, as discussion of the censure was closed to the public.
When the meeting reopened, CEO Noreen Vu said an investigation had found, on balance, that there had been multiple breaches of the council’s code of conduct.
She said the censure related to an incident that occurred in “council rooms” before its April 2025 meeting.
“[He] engaged in inappropriate behaviour when he discussed a confidential council matter relating to a complaint lodged by the staff member with council in relation to the alleged misconduct of another councillor.
“Further, this conversation by Cr Williamson made the staff member feel uncomfortable; the conversation also appearing to be seeking to persuade the staff member to withdraw their complaint in respect of the other councillor,” she said.
Ms Vu said the censure came after an investigation, which found Cr Williamson’s behaviour was sufficiently serious to warrant formal censure through provisions of the Local Government Act 1993.
“[Those provisions particularly include] the harm that the alleged conduct has caused the alleged complainant; the impact of the alleged conduct on the council and councillors and public confidence in it; and that the alleged behaviour was deliberate and reckless in its disregard for the harm it may cause,” Ms Vu said.
It found it breached five sections of the council’s code of conduct, as it:
- was likely to bring council or council officials into disrepute;
- was improper and unethical
- caused, comprised or involved intimidation or verbal abuse
- involved the use of position to influence other council officials in the performance of their official functions to obtain a private benefit for himself or for somebody else
- took detrimental action or caused detrimental action to be taken against another person substantially in reprisal for a code of conduct complaint they have made.
Mayor Chris Hanna, councillors Tricia Hopkins, Narelle Davis, Tanya Higgins, Bob Stewart and Lynda Summers voted in support of the censure motion.
Coucillors Nick Elliott, John Rooney and Reuben Rose voted against it.
Cr Williamson was approached for comment by Region.
