The City of Perth council was formally put on notice for dysfunctional conduct following a closed-doors meeting on May 19, 2026 [1].
This action signals a potential shift in how the city is governed, as state officials suggest that the current leadership has failed to meet basic governance standards. The move could lead to the forced merger of local government bodies to ensure stability.
Local Government Inspector Tony Brown issued the notice after determining that the council's behavior breached expected norms. "The council’s conduct is dysfunctional and does not meet the standards expected of local government," Brown said [1].
The governance failures have prompted a response from the state government. John Carey, the Western Australian Minister for Local Government, indicated that the state is now reviewing the structure of local administration. Carey said, "Amalgamations are back on the table" [2].
Council amalgamations involve merging two or more local government areas into a single entity. This process is typically used to reduce costs, or resolve persistent leadership crises within a specific municipality. The state minister's comments suggest that the dysfunction in Perth has reached a level where structural change is being considered as a primary solution [2].
The notice serves as a formal warning that the council must rectify its conduct or face further intervention. State officials said the review of possible amalgamation is intended to improve overall local government performance [1, 2].
“"The council’s conduct is dysfunctional and does not meet the standards expected of local government."”
The threat of amalgamation suggests the Western Australian government is losing confidence in the City of Perth's ability to self-govern. By placing the council on notice, the state is creating a legal and political pathway to potentially dissolve the current council structure in favor of a larger, merged administrative body to eliminate persistent dysfunction.
