Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors will next week vote on a proposal from Cr David Gill aimed at tightening transparency and accountability in council meetings.
Gill’s Notice of Motion 503 – Scrutiny, Transparency and Accountability calls for changes to the Shire’s Governance Rules to make sure councillors can ask legitimate questions and take part in open debate — something he says has been increasingly restricted.
If supported, the motion would trigger a review of how meetings are conducted, including proposed changes to:
- Councillor questions: Guaranteeing all councillors can ask policy-related questions of officers.
- Chair accountability: Requiring the Chairperson to give a clear, recorded reason if they reject a question.
- Dissent rights: Allowing councillors to formally challenge the Chair’s rulings — and ensuring those motions can’t be blocked.
- Procedural fairness: Requiring a two-thirds majority to end debate early.
- Clearer rules: Removing any subjectivity about what types of motions the Chairperson can reject.
Growing Frustration
The motion follows almost 12 months of growing frustration among onlookers about what they describe as a “bloc of six” — a voting alliance led by Mayor Anthony Marsh that has repeatedly shut down debate, sidelined other councillors, and made brash decisions with little public explanation.
At last month’s meeting, the bloc pushed through a motion on councillor term limits. This was widely seen as a direct swipe at Gill, one of the Shire’s longest-serving and most outspoken representatives.
During that meeting, Gill was effectively silenced by Mayor Marsh while attempting to speak, prompting him to walk out of the chamber in protest.
Read STPL News coverage of that meeting here.
What to Watch
Next week’s meeting on Tuesday, 14 October 2025, will reveal whether Mayor Marsh allows Gill’s motion to be debated — or whether the “notorious bloc of six” again moves to shut it down.
Either way, it’s shaping up to be another tense night in the chamber.
