Community members in the Shire of Dundas have raised a vote of no confidence in its CEO and president

A vote of no confidence in the Shire of Dundas chief executive and president has been raised by community members at the annual electors’ meeting. At Tuesday’s annual general electors’ meeting, Raylene Robinson and Melinda Richards moved and seconded a vote of no confidence in Peter Fitchat and Laurene Bonza, and failure of the councillors to “hold them accountable”. The motion was carried 5-0 by members of the public gallery, and will now be considered at an upcoming council meeting. The meeting also saw the council receive the shire’s 2023-24 annual report, which included “major initiatives” proposed to start or continue in the next financial year. Minutes from the meeting suggested the shire’s financial position strengthened, with revenue growing to $12.41 million, with $3.5m in revenue from rates, $6.2m from fees and charges, and $2.1m in grants. The annual financial report showed the IGA contributed $4.1m to the shire’s revenue, with operational costs for the IGA and post office coming to $4.5m. The minutes also highlighted the council ceased financial support for the local doctor, “reaffirming” the provision of medical services is a responsibility of the State and Federal governments. The annual report states the shire has a population of 677, with 614 homes and a median age of 50.