24/10/2026
Thank you ALGWA NSW for your advocacy. A safe place for one helps make safer places for all
🚨 ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
Women should be able to serve their communities without fear, threats, abuse or violence. MISOGYNY MUST BE CALLED OUT — NOT TOLERATED.
As President of ALGWA (NSW), I am committed to keeping female councillors and council staff safe. We stand with every woman who has been targeted simply for doing her job.
📢 If you have experienced this abuse, please speak up in the comments. You are not alone.
Being an elected woman must never mean accepting abuse as part of the job.
✊ Support women. Call out misogyny. Demand action.
ALGWA (NSW) commissioned the Report. It lists 7 recommendations to make change.
Recommendation 1: Formal Statement of Acknowledgement
Responsibility: Minister for Local Government and Deputy Secretary, Local Government
Action: Issue a joint Statement of Acknowledgement recognising the widespread harm caused by bullying, harassment, intimidation and abuse of women in NSW local government.
Purpose: To publicly acknowledge past and ongoing harm, accept institutional responsibility, and signal a sector-wide commitment to reform.
Outcome: Establishes trust, legitimises reform, and creates a foundation for accountability.
Recommendation 2: Sector-Wide Zero Tolerance
Responsibility: Local Government NSW, Office of Local Government (OLG), Councils
Action: Implement a mandatory zero-tolerance policy for bullying, harassment, intimidation, abuse and discrimination across all councils.
Purpose: To ensure harmful conduct is named, prohibited and sanctioned consistently.
Outcome: Removes discretion and normalisation; establishes clear behavioural boundaries.
Recommendation 3: Legislated Positive Duty
Responsibility: NSW Parliament
Action: Amend the Local Government Act 1993 to impose a positive duty to ensure safety, inclusion and respect.
Purpose: To shift responsibility from individuals to institutions and require proactive prevention.
Outcome: Embeds gender-aware governance obligations across the sector.
Recommendation 4: Safe and Accessible Reporting and Support
Responsibility: NSW Government, OLG, Statutory Independent Body
Action: Establish a centralised, independent reporting and support mechanism.
Purpose: To enable confidential reporting, early advice and trauma-informed support without local political interference.
Outcome: Increases reporting confidence and protects complainants from retaliation.
Recommendation 5: Independent Investigation and Sanctions
Responsibility: NSW Government
Action: Empower an independent authority to investigate breaches and impose proportionate sanctions.
Purpose: To ensure timely, impartial and enforceable accountability.
Outcome: Restores credibility to conduct standards and deters misconduct.
Recommendation 6: Mandatory Education and Training
Responsibility: Councils, OLG oversight
Action: Require compulsory, ongoing training on respectful conduct and gender-based political harm.
Purpose: To embed prevention, leadership responsibility and bystander intervention.
Outcome: Builds shared capability and cultural change.
Recommendation 7: Transparent Monitoring and Reporting
Responsibility: NSW Government, OLG, Statutory Independent Body
Action: Implement sector-wide data collection, public reporting and periodic evaluation.
Purpose: To identify trends, hotspots and system performance.
Outcome: Enables accountability, learning and democratic transparency.
Ron Hoenig MP Jodie Harrison MP Darcy Byrne
