The Mayor of Ipswich, Andrew Antoniolli, is standing down after Queensland's Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) charged him with fraud.  The Ipswich council is to be sacked.

Mr. Antoniolli wouldn't comment on the situation, except when asked about news that the council was to be dismissed:  "You're kidding me," he quipped, as quoted by the ABC.

The CCC charged Antoniolli with six counts of corruption for allegedly using council money to "purchase auction items from charitable organisations between 26 October 2011 and 20 May 2017". 

And even though the situations are not believed to be related, Antoniollo is the second Ipswich mayor to be charged by the CCC in recent years.  Former mayor Paul Pisasale is awaiting trial on charges of corruption, extortion, fraud, perjury, and attempting to pervert the course of justice.  And their not the only ones charged in the CCC's investigation.

"The situation in Ipswich we see today is of the gravest concern," said Minister Stirling Hinchliffe to the state parliament.  "Twelve people, including two Mayors, are facing a total of 66 charges. 

"When an entire community loses faith in its elected leaders - as is the case in Ipswich - it's time to act," Mr. Hinchliffe said.

The Queensland state government of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will move to dissolve the council and replace it with appointed administrators.  She said it's because the people of Ipswich had lost confidence in the council: 

"Enough is enough, this will stop.  I am stopping it, the people of Ipswich deserve better," said Ms. Palaszczuk, "There are too many charges levelled against too many officials for anyone to have confidence in the management of Ipswich City Council."