THE State Government has passed legislation to officially sack the controversial Brimbank City Council.

On the same day, some of the laid-off councillors filed a legal challenge for unfair dismissal against the government, in the Victorian Supreme Court.

State Parliament passed the Local Government (Brimbank City Council) Bill on Thursday, effectively dismissing the 11 council officers who had been suspended in September, after a report from the council’s interim administrator Bill Scales found the councillors had failed to govern effectively.

Residents groups praised the council’s official dismissal.

“It’s fantastic they sacked everyone,” said Jason Rooth, secretary of the Cairnlea Residents Association.

Susan Jennison, president of the Keilor Residents and Ratepayers Association, said her group was “relieved” at the State Government’s ruling.

However, Liberal MP Bernie Finn criticised the government for sacking some councillors “for the sins of the councillors who went before them.” Mr Finn said Margaret Giudice and Marion Martin were without guilt.

Ms Giudice said the government should have only sacked the six councillors who were being investigated for wrongdoing by Mr Scales.

“Our lawyer Michael Pierce has told us we have good prospects of succeeding in the court case as none us have been charged under the Local Government Act,” she said.

She said the government should also declare which councillors were being investigated because she was innocent and her name would not otherwise be cleared.

Former mayor Troy Atanasovski, who was alleged in Mr Scales’ report to have wrongly questioned a parking ticket with council officers, said “there was no justice whatsoever to sack council.”

“We haven’t done anything wrong, it was all the previous council,” he said.

“Scales messed the report up, but nonetheless we’ll keep fighting.”

Another councillor, Sam David, defended the group’s performance since 1997.

He said they had built plenty of infrastructure and taken the council out of being $50 million in debt.

Mr David, Mr Atanasovski and Ms Giudice said if their names were cleared, they would consider running for the next council elections in 2012.

A spokeswoman for Mr Wynne said the administrators who would replace the council until then would not be named until later this week.

Planning Minister Justin Madden said discussions were taking place with candidates for the positions, which may be full-time or part-time.

“It would not be unusual for some eminent person or persons who have a track record of governance and administration to be appointed to these positions,” he said.

But residents groups warned the State Government to appoint administrators who were genuinely interested in helping Brimbank.

Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Association president Darlene Reilly said the administrators would need to be independent and unbiased.

In parliament, Mr Finn called for the State Government to hold a Royal Commission into corruption within Brimbank City Council.