In a directions hearing on September 24, the council was ordered to prepare a full defence and lodge all affidavits it intended to rely on with the court by Friday.

But the date of filing has since been extended by 14 days to October 30.

Associate Justice Mary-Jane Ierodiaconou approved the extension on Thursday.

During the September hearing a trial date for Mr Schneider, who sought a judicial review in Victoria's Supreme Court into his sacking, was set for February 1, 2021. In a claim to the court Mr Schneider said his contract termination on July 13 in a 4-3 vote of councillors was contrary to governance rules and the council had no jurisdiction to make the decision.

Mr Schneider's lawyer David Grace pushed for the case to be heard in early December but Associate Justice Ierodiaconou said that was "very unlikely".

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