Table of Contents
COMMENTARY
One of the more troubling habits of Hawkesbury Council is the way elected councillors refer to council administration as “our staff.” Phrases such as “I will always stand by my staff” have become commonplace. While this might sound loyal and supportive, it raises serious questions about whether councillors fully understand or respect their role as elected representatives.
Councillors vs. Staff: A Clear Separation of Roles
Under the NSW Local Government Act, councillors are elected to represent the community, set strategic direction, and hold the council administration to account. They are not line managers, HR officers, or the bosses of council staff. The General Manager (or CEO) is the only person legally empowered to employ and direct staff.
Councillors, by contrast, are there to represent residents, set policy, and ensure accountability and transparency.
When councillors start calling administrative staff “their staff,” they blur this important distinction. It risks creating the impression that councillors work for the organisation rather than for the people of the Hawkesbury.
The Risk of a Closed Ranks Mentality
Pledging to “always stand by my staff” sounds supportive, but it suggests councillors prioritise loyalty to council officers over scrutiny and accountability. This undermines the checks and balances that residents rely on. Councillors should be prepared to ask difficult questions, challenge advice where necessary, and put the interests of ratepayers ahead of the comfort of council administration.
Without this healthy tension, councils can slip into a culture where poor decisions go unchallenged, and where the public feels shut out from meaningful oversight.
The Community’s Staff, Not Councillors’
It is important to remember that council staff are employed with public funds. They are, in fact, public servants not the personal staff of any councillor. Councillors are entrusted with ensuring that these public servants deliver services efficiently, transparently, and fairly.
By framing the relationship differently, councillors risk eroding public trust. Residents expect their representatives to stand by the community first and foremost, not to pledge unconditional loyalty to the bureaucracy.
A Call for Accountability
Hawkesbury residents need councillors who understand the weight of their responsibility: to lead with independence, question when needed, and maintain a clear line between governance and administration. Standing by “our community” should always come before standing by “my staff.”
The language may sound like a small detail, but in politics, words matter. And in local government, blurred lines between councillors and staff can quickly become blurred lines between accountability and complacency.
