Mr Dwyer is accused of spending more than $500,000 on a corporate credit card while general manager of Hay Shire Council between 2014 and 2017.

The ABC claims documents show Mr Dwyer paid back $117,000 of personal expenditure billed to the card, with some payments coming after his employment at the council had ended.

In a statement, Cootamundra-Gundagai mayor Abb McAlister said “anything less” than an independent audit of Mr Dwyer’s spending since joining the council “would amount to poor corporate governance practices”.

“While there are no allegations whatsoever that similar issues have arisen during Mr Dwyer's employment with our council, our councillors are unanimously of the opinion that there needs to be an independent confirmation that our council's financial records, as they relate to Mr Dwyer's general expenditure and credit card expenditure, are in order,” he said.

During an extraordinary meeting held behind closed doors on Thursday night, the following resolution was proposed and unanimously passed:

“As a result of the ABC report on Hay Shire Council aired on the 15 November 2018, it is moved Cootamundra Gundagai Regional Council stands their General Manager, Allen Dwyer, aside on full pay in the effort to achieve good governance for the community/ratepayer and conduct an immediate external audit on Council's credit card usage, policy and procedures.

“This is not a presumption of wrongdoing by the General Manager but a prudent corporate governance step in order to ensure that Council's finances are properly managed and accounted for.”

As a result of that resolution, Mr Dwyer was suspended with pay, pending the completion of the investigation, which starts on Monday and is expected to take two-to-three weeks.

Phil McMurray will act as general manager in his absence.

“There is no presumption of wrongdoing by Mr Dwyer,” Cr McAlister said.

“It is hoped that he will shortly return to work, with this matter having been satisfactorily resolved.”