In short:
Josh Gilligan will leave Wyndham City Council on 31 January 2027 after more than a decade as a councillor, including two stints as mayor. The three-term councillor says his time in office was driven by a push to make Wyndham “more than a city of housing.”
Controversial Councillor Will Call Time
Josh Gilligan has announced he will walk away from Wyndham council at the end of January.
In a statement on 21 August, Cr Gilligan revealed he will quit when the term of the municipal monitors finishes on 31 January 2027.
Cr Gilligan, who was first elected to council as a 23-year-old in 2016 and is serving his third term, said his main vision was for Wyndham to be more than a seascape of housing developments.
“I have always believed Wyndham must be more than a city of housing. A resident in Truganina or Tarneit should never have a life expectancy 15 years less, on average, than a Victorian in the eastern suburbs. This mantra drove every decision, action and agenda I pursued,” Cr Gilligan said.
“I’ll have the rest of my days to wonder whether I was right to pursue conviction politics the way I did. The kids at Bemin, and thousands of Wyndham residents, won’t ever need to wonder.”
Claims Local Government Is Being Crushed By State
He also said the state government is crushing local government and discouraging the best people from becoming councillors.
“Local government in Victoria is being regulated into paralysis. The law that governs it empowers too many vested interests, leaving the sector ungovernable and repellent to the very leaders we need in the tier of government closest to the people.”
“Thank you to past and current staff at Wyndham City I’ve had the privilege of directly working with to build a more liveable city. We set the direction. But our success depends on the men and women who work at Wyndham to deliver on the decisions we make.”
“Finally, and most importantly, to the residents of Tarneit, Hoppers Crossing and Werribee: thank you for your trust, three times over.”
“In any thriving democracy, residents are the only jury that counts. Theirs is the verdict I have put myself before, three times, including in my second term with the highest primary vote of any candidate ever to stand for election in Wyndham’s history.”
Youngest-Ever Mayor Will Leave Quite A Legacy
The combative and clever politician will leave behind a legacy that is controversial, chaotic, influential or successful depending on who you ask.
His style and conduct have landed him in hot water of late, resulting in him being suspended twice in four months earlier this year.
In February, Cr Gilligan was suspended from office for one month after an independent arbiter found he engaged in misconduct over a Facebook post targeting former mayor Kim McAliney.
In June, an independent arbiter found Cr Gilligan engaged in misconduct over comments about the future of RAAF Base Point Cook and a subsequent email exchange with fellow councillor Robert Szatkowski, resulting in a two-week suspension.
Cr Gilligan has donned the robes and chains for two stints — in 2019-20, when he became Wyndham’s youngest-ever mayor at age 26, and more recently from November 2025 to February 2026.
He was also Wyndham’s youngest-ever deputy mayor, holding the title in 2023-24 and 2024-25.
