Queensland Labor member Jo-Ann Miller has labelled Ipswich City Council an "outlaw local government gang" and taken a scathing swipe at her own side of politics, as new laws pass to dismiss the embattled local government body.

Ipswich Council will be sacked this morning and an administrator in place by Thursday, after the State Government's drastic laws were put to a vote following damning allegations of corrupt behaviour by several Ipswich councillors and executives spanning decades.

The Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) has charged 15 people associated with the council, including two former Mayors, with a total of 86 criminal offences including fraud, corruption and extortion.

Arrangements have been made for the bill to be signed this morning by the deputy State Governor.

Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe announced this morning that Economic Development Queensland general manager Greg Chemello would take over as administrator from midnight, assisted by former CCC investigator Stan Gallo, barrister Simone Webb, community consultant Jan Taylor, planning expert Steve Greenwood and auditor Robert Jones.

During yesterday's debate on the bill, Member for Bundamba, Jo-Ann Miller, told Parliament she had long been a lone wolf in taking a stand against the alleged corruption and cover-up.

"People know about outlaw motorcycle gangs that thumb their noses at the law, at the institutions and people," Ms Miller said.

"This council is, I believe, an outlaw local government gang, which has exhibited the same traits but only worse.

"The councillors wore the Ipswich City Council colours, but they didn't ride bikes, they used taxpayer-funded cars and they rode in private jets.

"Finally this Government has been forced to listen. I've clashed swords and I've rattled cages and I've got a few kicks in the teeth for good measure."

Mr Hinchliffe said he had been assailed by phone calls, emails, letters, documents and reports of investigations into various aspects of the operation of the Ipswich City Council.

"There are no circumstances in which I could stand by, knowing what I know, hearing what I hear, reading the allegations that I do, and do nothing," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"I had formed the view that those in charge — the councillors of the Ipswich City Council — were either unable or unwilling to provide the certainty so needed by the people of Ipswich."

'Bullying, favouritism, sexism'

Mr Hinchliffe said he had been deeply distressed by stories and allegations of corruption, misconduct and bullying.

Stirling Hinchliffe said he felt compelled to sack the council. ( News Video )

"Just last week, whilst attending a seniors event in my electorate, an elderly woman came up to me and held my hand and said that in dissolving the council I was doing the right thing.

"She spoke of her son — a man with significant responsibilities in his role as a senior employee of the Ipswich City Council — who would ring her and cry, while telling her about his experiences.

"One anonymous letter to my office from a young woman spoke of bullying, favouritism, sexism, inappropriate expenditure, inappropriate language and poor treatment of some staff."

Councillor David Martin, who was only elected in August last year said he was still trying to wrap his head around the fact he was losing his job.

"I came in after all the allegations, after everything happened and even the major players were gone from council before I started," he said.

He said council workers on the ground were copping abuse from the public.

"Our poor workers get abused, our poor workers cop the brunt of community angst," he said.

"The girls downstairs in the call centre, they get abused daily.

"They are in the firing line and they have done nothing wrong either."

Councillor David Martin said workers on the ground were copping abuse. ( ABC News: Lucy Murray )

The bill prevents any appeal to the Supreme Court, but Mr Hinchliffe denied this was interfering with the independence of the judiciary.

"The bill expressly preserves review rights on the grounds of jurisdictional error, held by the High Court to be a defining characteristic of the court," he said.

Sacked councillors will be free to run again in Ipswich at the next election in 2020, or for other councils after the Government removed a prohibition from the draft version.

The LNP supported the dissolution legislation but local government spokeswoman Ann Leahy said the Government should have acted earlier, based on complaints by Bundamba MP Jo-Ann Miller.

"It was clear months ago — and some will say years — that the long term protection racket within the Labor Party was starting to unravel in Ipswich," Ms Leahy said.

Former Ipswich mayors Andrew Antoniolli (L) and Paul Pisasale have both been charged by the CCC. ( ABC/AAP )

In May, Mr Hinchliffe issued Ipswich councillors with a show cause notice warning them he intended to sack the council, hours after Andrew Antoniolli stood down as mayor in response to being charged with fraud by the CCC.

He was the second successive Ipswich mayor under a cloud, with Paul Pisasale also facing fraud and corruption charges.

The council responded to the show cause notice by launching action in the Supreme Court and argued the Minister did not have the jurisdiction to dismiss or suspend the council.

The court action prompted the State Government to draft new legislation as a last resort, which would give the Minister the power to sack the council until at least 2020.

His decision was backed by the CCC, which released the damning report into the Ipswich council earlier this month, alleging a culture of corruption and improper use of power.

The CCC also found staff were bullied into covering up alleged illegal activity over a number of years.

Has this happened before?

Several Queensland councils have been sacked by the state government in the past 40 years.

The Gold Coast City Council was dismissed in 1978 by the National Party-led government of Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen.

The Burke Shire was sacked in 1988.

Forme Fraser Coast mayor Chris Loft has lodged an appeal against his sacking. ( Facebook: Chris Loft )

In February 2007, the Johnstone Shire Council in far north Queensland was dismissed by the Beattie Labor government in response to what local government minister Andrew Fraser called "internal conflict, inappropriate behaviour and financial problems".

"After suffering through an ineffective council for some time, which has become mired in a culture of bullying and petty argument at the cost of its constituents, the people of the Johnstone Shire require strong, stable leadership and effective decision making," Mr Fraser said.



Two years ago, Deputy Premier Jackie Trad threatened to dump the Fraser Coast Regional Council amid claims of a "dysfunctional" and "toxic working environment".

Mayor Chris Loft was later sacked for misconduct and inappropriate conduct.

The Supreme Court is yet to rule on his appeal against that decision.