Queensland councils, individual councillors and mayors will face sacking or dismissal by the local government minister under new laws that will be put to a vote in state parliament next week.
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Stirling Hinchliffe announced the move at a Local Government Association Queensland conference on the Gold Coast on Thursday after cabinet decided this week to support his proposed reforms.
Amendments to the Belcarra Bill that is currently before the parliament would allow for automatic suspension on pay of any mayor or councillor charged with one of a series of corruption or integrity offences.
It will also give Mr Hinchliffe powers to sack or suspend a council, councillor or mayor where it is deemed in the public interest.
"It will still involve a requirement for natural justice for those people subject to those processes," he said.
"There's an opportunity for them to look at that and ultimately there's the opportunity for judicial review."
Mr Hinchliffe said it was too soon to say if he would then use his beefed-up powers to sack the Ipswich City Council.
The council has been given 21 days to show cause why it should not be sacked.
Thirteen people, including two mayors and two chief executive officers, are facing a total of 67 charges stemming from the CCC's probe into the Labor-affiliated council.
No one has yet been convicted.
"The reasons that have caused me to take these steps are the mounting challenge, we're talking about 13 individuals that are facing charges in relation to the situation in Ipswich City Council," Mr Hinchliffe said.
"That demonstrates that this is something much much deeper than a particular individual but I note that the shortcomings of the current legislation mean that we're not maybe nimble enough to respond."
The Belcarra bill contains the first wave of changes that are being made by the Labor government in response to the recommendations contained in the Crime and Corruption Commission's report into local councils.
The Liberal National Party opposition welcomed the announcement but said Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's Labor government had been too slow to act.
"When will Annastacia Palaszczuk explain why she did nothing about alleged corruption at Ipswich despite knowing about the issue for more than a year?" shadow local government minister Ann Leahy said.
"There's a lot of chest-beating from the Labor government now, but Annastacia Palaszczuk still hasn't apologised for not acting to protect the people of Ipswich."
Alan MacSporran, chair of the CCC, last week said more charges against more councils was likely.
Former Ipswich City Council mayor Andrew Antoniolli stood down and resigned from the Labor Party last week after being charged with seven counts of fraud by the corruption watchdog.
Mr Hinchliffe has been criticised in the past for not taking such action following corruption charges against Logan Mayor Luke Smith, who remains in the role.
Australian Associated Press
