Elected councillors will soon return to Armidale Regional Council.

The NSW council will return on December 12 after a six month-suspension imposed due to deep dysfunction.

NSW Local Government Minister Shelley Hancock suspended Armidale Regional Council earlier this year after infighting broke out between several councillors and its chief executive.

Ms Hancock now says that the restoration of elected councillors will be accompanied by a Performance Improvement Order, containing proposals for specific controls and supervision arrangements.

The Performance Improvement Order conditions require the appointment of a financial controller to improve accounting, monitoring and reporting, with a temporary advisor also in place to facilitate appropriate council conduct at meetings and workshops, which will be open to the public where appropriate.

The conditions also prevent any organisational restructure or change to the General Manager without approval by the Office of Local Government.

Administrator Viv May will present a report on the council to the Minister on November 27; and it is expected to be considered by the Minister in conjunction with Council’s response to the Order.

Local Government NSW President Linda Scott says; “The local government sector welcomes the Minister’s decision, which returns power to the hands of the people”.

“Every community in NSW deserves democratically-elected representation, and this early decision provides sufficient time for progress to be made prior to next year’s local government elections in September,” Cr Scott said.

“Councillors serve at the pleasure of the people, and it is appropriate that they be judged by the people at the ballot box.

“This judgement would have traditionally been delivered in 2020, but local government terms were extended for 12 months as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.”