Report into bullying at City of Sydney rangers’ department will remain secret

A CONTROVERSIAL report into endemic bullying in the City of Sydney rangers department will remain secret following a Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruling.

A City of Sydney parking ranger at work on Liverpool St. Picture: John Appleyard

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A CONTROVERSIAL report into bullying in the City of Sydney rangers department will remain secret following a tribunal ruling.

A former ranger for the City lost a four-year fight against his ex-employer to release the Warfield Report, an inde­pendent investigation into claims of bullying and ­harassment in the rangers unit.

On Thursday, the Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruled in favour of the City, which argued that the release of the report, commissioned in 2012, was on balance not in the public interest.

Senior tribunal member Kay Ransome ruled that as the contents of the Warfield Report include interviews conducted on the basis of confidentiality, its release could result in staff being more “guarded in providing information and some may be reluctant to participate in any investigation altogether”.

The report detailed claims of bullying inside the rangers’ department. Picture: John Appleyard

This could “prejudice the supply to the council of confidential information that facilitates the effective exer­cise by the council of its functions,” Ms Ransome found.

Ms Ransome did acknowledge that there was “considerable public interest in disclosure of the report” because the management of the City’s rangers unit was a matter of public importance, but ultimately ruled against its release.

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She found the report’s ­contents could have a detrimental impact on interpersonal relationships inside the rangers unit and could “expose a person to intimidation or harassment that is heavy, weighty or grave, and not trifling or tran­sient”.

Claims of problems in the rangers unit have con­tinued to plague the City, culminating in a ­SafeWork NSW investigation following the death of a ranger in 2015 that is ­ongoing.