State government continues to ‘consider’ monitors report amid City Hall power struggle

‘Fringe party groups’ have tipped the balance of power at Geelong council as City Hall anxiously awaits the release of a report handed to the state government two months ago.

Local Government Minister Melissa Horne has not yet released the report into Geelong council. Picture: David Geraghty.

The state government is remaining tight-lipped about the contents of a report compiled by the monitors it appointed to oversee City Hall, as backroom bickering continues to cause friction among councillors.

This weekend marks two months since Local Government Minister Melissa Horne was handed the report by monitors Peter Dorling and Prue Digby.

Her office has repeatedly said she is “considering the report” and that it will be made public “in due course”.

A council spokeswoman confirmed the cost of the monitors, which ratepayers must pick up, was $107,626 in 2023.

The wait for the release of the monitors’ report comes amid a clear power shift in the corridors of council – one that could broadly be defined as a move to the left.

Many council watchers have commented that Peter Murrihy’s controversial move to redirect a state government funding application from Bell Park to Newtown and Chilwell was a clear show of strength.

“He knew (he had the numbers) and that was part of the public display,” one insider said.

“He wanted to show that he controls the numbers on council since the fringe party groups joined the voting ranks of Geelong council.”

Geelong council deputy mayor Anthony Aitken and mayor Trent Sullivan.

Since the 2020 election when Put Climate First candidate Belinda Moloney was the only new councillor elected, Labor member Melissa Cadwell, Socialist Alliance-backed Sarah Hathway, and left-leaning Elise Wilkinson have been sworn in.

The trio, who all supported Mr Murrihy’s alternative motion, respectively replaced Sarah Mansfield, Kylie Grzybek and Stephanie Asher.

Labor member Jim Mason and Bruce Harwood also supported Mr Murrihy.

Mr Murrihy, a former police prosecutor, campaigned for council as an independent.

Another council insider took particular aim at long-serving councillors Eddy Kontelj and Anthony Aitken, claiming the pair “are angry they no longer have control of the council and no one listens to them anymore”.

“Kontelj’s pet projects don’t get the support they used to get when he was part of the bloc of six councillors – Grzybek, Asher, (Ron) Nelson, (Trent) Sullivan, Kontelj and Aitken.

“And now that Asher and Grzybek are gone, Kontelj, Nelson, Sullivan and Aitken are struggling because they can no longer just ram things through the chamber.

“Aitken is in love with the sounds of his own voice and thinks he can just keep talking and people will eventually just do what he wants.”

Eddy Kontelj and Trent Sullivan. Picture: Alan Barber.

Ms Digby and Mr Dorling were tasked by the state government to monitor the governance processes and practices of council.

A key focus of the pair was council’s management of conflicts of interest, as well as its decision making, including the use of notices of motion and the adequacy of governance rules.

Local government elections later this year will see Geelong council revert to 11 single-member wards.

Originally published as State government continues to ‘consider’ monitors report amid City Hall power struggle