Adelaide City Council ‘toxic culture’ blamed on Martin, Moran in secret staff survey

Years of Adelaide City Council dysfunction should be blamed on two councillors, staff have claimed in a secret survey that’s just been made public. Read their comments here.

Two high-profile city councillors have been singled out as causing the toxic culture within Adelaide Town Hall in a damning staff survey.

But one says the survey is “old news” and was carried out during a “particularly trying time” when councillors were attempting to get information from staff about the former Le Cornu site redevelopment in North Adelaide.

Senior council managers have blamed North Adelaide residents Phil Martin and Anne Moran for the political dysfunction that has plagued Adelaide City Council since the last election in 2018.

Results of a confidential survey conducted in 2020 as part of a cultural review have been publicly released following a discussion behind closed doors on Tuesday night.

They were attachments to a report by Adelaide law firm EMA Legal, which named Cr Martin as the individual allegedly responsible for causing most of the internal problems.

Councillor Phillip Martin during an Adelaide City Council meeting at Adelaide Town Hall. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Cr Moran was criticised for sending emails to other councillors, staff and the media that repeatedly had upset senior managers and staff.

The latest documents show 100 per cent of those surveyed said they had been embarrassed by the poor behaviour of elected members toward each other, had observed unnecessary questioning which created unreasonable workloads for staff and been subjected to “harassment in the form of repeated or badgering questioning or communication” by some councillors.

Many of the managers said they had been the target of unfair personal criticism and felt they were being questioned to be embarrassed and humiliated rather than being “genuinely” sought for advice or information.

READ THE STAFF COMMENTS

All of them said they had witnessed colleagues “being subjected to harassing behaviours or unreasonable questioning by some elected members”.

Asked by investigators which councillors they were referring to, the managers named Cr Martin and Cr Moran, with one saying the majority of their feedback “relates to how Councillor Martin in particular and Councillor Moran make me feel”. Another said the pair “are repeat offenders of poor behaviour”. “They need professional counselling at best and then suspension from meetings if no change,” they said.

Councillor Anne Moran during an Adelaide City Council meeting at Adelaide Town Hall. Picture: Brenton Edwards

One manager said it “really is only two councillors who create this atmosphere”. “I have found others to be polite and respectful,” they said. Another manager also said it was a “minority of council members who cause the standard to drop and negatively influence others”. This was supported by another manager who said the “current elected member behaviour is not sustainable”.

“Good people, both elected members and administration will either to a point and lash out or good people will leave … reference Councillor Martin’s and Councillor Moran’s behaviour.”

The councillor who pushed for the staff survey results to be released, Mary Couros, said the public “have a right to know the truth to what is going on in their capital city”.

“It has been established which councillors cause issues within the council chamber,” she said.

“I often wonder how much more we could do without enduring this sort of behaviour on a daily basis.

Cr Moran said she had never been told her behaviour had hurt staff and was surprised.

She said the data had been collected at a “particularly trying time” and was now “old news”.

“It was done during the 88 O’Connell Street drama and Phil and I were asking the tough questions, and we still don’t have the answers,” Cr Moran said.

“I’ve always got on with the staff but at that time we were pushing them for answers.

“It was a small group of respondents not reflecting the general administration and most have moved on now and not because of us.

“I don’t apologise for asking the hard questions and if it upsets some of the administrators I am sorry, but I represent the ratepayers, not the staff.”

Ms Moran said City Council CEO Clare Mockler had “made good improvements” since the staff survey.

Cr Martin said a two-year-old investigation had been “resurrected as the first of the election eve Team Adelaide strategies”.