SA councils want new laws to deal with bullying and harassment, but the Local Government Minister is not onboard.

South Australia’s Local Government Association has called on the State Government to strengthen and streamline the code of conduct for councils.

LGA president Lorraine Rosenberg said the state Ombudsman should be granted powers to impose tougher penalties on councillors found to have bullied or harassed their colleagues.

Under the proposed reforms, elected members could be suspended for up to three council meetings or forced them to pay costs, including legal fees, for investigations into their actions.

But SA Local Government Minister Geoff Brock has rejected the proposal, saying councils must be responsible for regulating behaviour in their chambers, not the State Government.

“How elected members behave is a matter for them, their council and their community,” Mr Brock said.

“I appreciate that bullying and harassment can be difficult to deal with – however it is still a matter of behaviour.

“Councils will continue to have tools on hand to deal with such matters through behaviour management, the application of work health and safety mechanisms … and even using police if the matter becomes serious enough.”

The SA Government is midway through a review of the code of conduct in response to concerns that is has become a tool that encourages petty complaints among quarrelling councillors.

Mr Brock said any changes in the wake of the review would be in regard to the “integrity” of council decision making, not elected member behaviour.

Ms Rosenberg said “bullying, harassment or other behaviours that damage the operation and integrity of councils” should not be tolerated.

“A stronger code of conduct, including greater penalties for breaches, is needed to ensure councils can efficiently and effectively resolve issues,” she said.

Reports in the Eastern Courier Messenger last week alleged that SA’s Burnside Council had spent over $156,000 on legal fees in just four months “managing and responding to” allegations that Councillor Lance Bagster had bullied colleagues.

Cr Bagster denies the claims.