Corrupt ex-MP quits Sydney council

Ex-NSW MP Ivan Petch has quit from Sydney's Ryde City council after being found to have acted corruptly.

The ICAC in June ruled the former Ryde mayor had acted corruptly by releasing information about porn found on a council employee's laptop.

Shortly after the commission's findings, he was suspended from his duties as a councillor and on Monday, he tendered his resignation.

Petch's resignation came hours after he lost a Supreme Court challenge to overturn the ICAC's corruption findings against him.

Local Government Minister Paul Toole said Petch, a former Liberal state MP, had indicated he would not seek to return to office for five years.

"I expect councillors to adhere to the highest of standards - standards that the community would expect of their elected officials," Mr Toole said in a statement.

The ICAC had recommended Petch be dismissed and charges laid against him after he was found to have corruptly released "confidential information concerning the discovery of adult material" on former council general manager John Neish's laptop.

Petch released the information to various people in an attempt to "encourage its reporting in the media so as to undermine Mr Neish's credibility and reputation".

Soon after pornography was discovered in 2013 on his computer, Mr Neish resigned from the council.

Although the material had been located on Mr Neish's computer, that, in itself, did not establish that he was responsible for the material being there, the commission said.

Within hours of the findings, Mr Toole suspended Petch from his council duties.

Petch held the seat of Gladesville from 1988 to 1995.