Local councillors should make decisions in the best interest of the community, not powerful lobby groups.
That's why the Greens want to ban political donations from property developers and the gambling industry during local government elections.
In 2018, political donation laws were reformed at a state government level but not at a local government level. That means powerful interest groups remain free to buy influence from local councillors.
As a result, local communities lose out.
We see this when property developers build huge apartments complexes designed to maximise profits rather than for liveability and sustainability. Or when gambling industry giants are able to increase the number of pokies at a venue, despite strong community opposition.
We need to strengthen local democracy and ensure local communities come first. It's time to ban dodgy donations in local government.