In an interview with the Tribune on Tuesday August 26, Cr Frost announced that restrictions have been placed on himself and Cr Jones since their withdrawal of support.

"When Jasmin withdrew her support in June, this was really the trigger for these restrictions," Cr Frost said.   

In the August 27 council meeting Cr Frost placed a number of questions on the agenda regarding restrictions on Staff and Councillors.

"I ask that the General Manager formally stipulate the restrictions on staff and Councillors that he envisages for Councillors Frost and Jones. Does it include contact with staff while Councillor Frost and Jones are undertaking activities as a ratepayer? Contact with staff in Council meetings and/or contact with staff in the Council sponsored dinners that follow Council meetings? Contact with staff in committee meetings which the Councillors attend? Other occasions?" Cr Frost wrote.

General Manager David Rowe stipulated that it is a part of the council policy that no Councillor has a right to contact any staff member about Council business unless they are given permission by the General Manager.

Mr Rowe explained that it has always been common place to go through the General Manager in contacting staff, "I have allowed Councillors in the past to contact staff directly and that has been a privilege."

"Given the actions of Councillors Jones and Frost in publically expressing their lack of support for me as General Manager, I have no choice but to withdraw the access of those Councillors to staff within the organisation. All staff are employed by me. To allow Councillors Jones and Frost to contact staff directly on either Committee or administrative matters places those staff in an invidious and unacceptable position," General Manager Rowe said.

"I have a duty to my staff; by making them accessible to councillors puts them in a very compromising position. I don't wish to put any stress or anxiety on my staff members."

Mr Rowe explained that this does not extend to prohibiting contact to transact business as a ratepayer, to exchange courtesies or engage in casual conversation.

Mayor Rowena Abbey said that she supports David Rowe in streamlining the process of contact with staff.

"He has an obligation to look after the health and well-being of his staff, he is trying not to put anyone in a compromising position," Ms Abbey said.

In Cr Frost's questions he drew attention to an email sent by Mr Rowe to Councillors on June 20 2014, "Should Councillors Jones or Frost disobey this direction it will be a breach of the Code of Conduct," Cr Frost questioned what section of the Local Government Act or the Code of Conduct provides evidence that Councillors should be subject to the direction of the General Manager?

Mr Rowe outlined that the 'direction' that he referred to is in regards to contacting particular staff members, as it would be a direct contravention of the code of conduct.

Cr Frost believes this to be an issue of freedom of speech. 

"If there is discrimination between councillors that is not very good for the democracy of our community. Councillors will feel the pressure in having to conform to everything that the General Manager says."

"If discrimination is the case, I will look at different ways of lobbying at state level to have those systems changed," Cr Frost said. 

In a response from Mr Rowe he wrote, "If Councillor Jones and Councillor Frost continue to work against the aspirations of the organisation and continue in their endeavours to undermine the General Manager then it would be difficult for the General Manager to provide support to a committee that either of these Councillors served on. The same would apply to any Councillor who actively undermines the actions of staff and the General Manager."

Mr Rowe believes that the only options available to overcome the issue are, "a. Councillors 'work with' the general manager, b. Councillors resign from those committees where staff need to attend, c. Staff be withdrawn attending those committees to remove the point of conflict."

He believes that of the above options, the only course of action available to the General Manager is option c.

"Councillors themselves could resolve the issue by choosing either option a. or option b. Option a. is the preferable solution where all staff and Councillors are working together for the community however Option b. is available to those Councillors who are not prepared to work with the General Manager," Mr Rowe wrote. 

Cr Frost said that he had never worked against the aspirations of the organisation or Mr Rowe as the General Manager, "The General Manager has been confirmed in his position and we accept and support the council's decision to do that."

"I felt quite annoyed by those comments," Cr Frost said.

Cr Jasmin Jones supports Cr Frost's comments regardign this issue. 

"It's a mute point because Councillor Frost and I haven't skipped a beat in working with the General Manager, attending meetings, asking questions, getting answers and advocating on issues for residents through the GM and the permissible delegated contact through the Directors. My concern is how committees will be affected. It is my hope a workable solution can be mediated."