A council meeting descended into chaos and became so rowdy that police were called after residents expressed their fury over laws restricting what they could do on their own property.
Around 500 local ratepayers voiced their frustration at the City of Casey council meeting in Narre Warren, located 44km south-east of Melbourne’s CBD, on Tuesday night.
The chaos began when Mayor Stefan Koomen started the meeting with an Acknowledgement to Country.
Many residents shouted in disapproval, calling for the mayor to stop, but he continued and read an Acknowledgement of Diversity, further angering the ratepayers.
The mayor was then questioned by residents who were furious about the council’s new regulations, which require private landowners to obtain permits for storing unregistered vehicles and limit vehicle repairs on personal property.
Under the updated rules, homeowners and residents must apply for a permit and pay a non-refundable $150 application fee if they plan to make major modifications to a vehicle on their property.
Additional permits are also necessary for storing various items: $150 for a recreational vehicle, $350 for a shipping container, $473 for a long or heavy vehicle and $250 for an unregistered vehicle.
Mayor Koomen said the permits are not intended to generate revenue. The council explained the purpose of the permits is to ‘support and protect the peace, health, safety, and wellbeing of the community’.
A council meeting descended into chaos, with police (pictured) having to escort councillors out, after locals vented their fury over laws about what they can do on their own property
Around 500 ratepayers vehemently expressed their anger at the City of Casey council meeting (pictured) in Narre Warren, 44km south-east of Melbourne’s CBD, on Tuesday night
But the angry residents were not buying their excuses.
One furious local roared out ‘just shut your f****** mouth’ as Mayor Koomen spoke.
The council was also slammed for approving a $27million waste transfer facility on Hallam Road, which would be within 250metres of residential homes.
The waste station, which will process 550,000 tonnes of municipal waste each year, was approved by administrators days before new councillors were sworn in.
Locals were enraged by the councillors’ responses to questions about the proposed facility, with boos and shouts of ‘b*******’ heard.
At one point, a council staff member is heard saying ‘we either need to have a break or persist (with the questioning)’.
They again asked the crowd to be quiet, but the meeting was adjourned when that didn’t happen.
‘Under clause 79 of the City of Casey government’s rules, I’m adjourning this meeting for 10 minutes,’ they said.
Locals were enraged at the council’s new regulations requiring permits for storing unregistered vehicles and restrictions on repairing vehicles on private property
But when the meeting started back up just before 8pm, it was soon adjourned again and postponed until a later date.
Councillors and council staff were escorted by police for their protection.
Many Aussies unleashed at the council on social media.
One said: ‘They need to do a vote of no confidence on all council members and get rid of them, they have no right to do what they’re doing to people that own their own property.’
‘Casey Council did not care about the people that attended,’ a second added.
‘They just wanted to read what was on their paper and continue to control and dictate to us and also act as if they have power and the right to enter private property when they like and treat us with disrespect and as if we don’t know what’s happening.’
A third said: ‘They have no right to do what they’re doing to people that own their own property’.
Another added: ‘This is council overreach and dystopian. Councils should be abolished as they no longer add any value to peoples lives.’
