Darebin councillors ‘poor behaviour’ costs community $600K

An independent monitor has released a damning report on the “poor behaviour” of Darebin’s councillors, with staff feedback stating the organisation was “collapsing”.

A monitor appointed to watch over a council in Melbourne’s inner north claims bad behaviour among councillors has cost ratepayers more than $600,000, with staff claiming the organisation was “at risk of collapsing”.

Monitor John Watson published a report on Darebin Council following a year of working with councillors and officers, finding that councillors’ “very poor behaviour” which included bullying of staff, had cost the community a “conservative” minimum of $600,000 since the council was elected in 2020.

A monitor was appointed to the council after the Local Government Minister received reports alleging “bullying, intimidation and disrespectful behaviour” between councillors.

Mr Watson labeled labbeled expenses incurred by poor councillor conduct “high and unnecessary costs” and said the financial circumstances of the municipality were “not healthy”.

The report found that more than $500,000 was poured into councillor code of conduct matters, such as mediation processes between councillors, arbitration, legal advice, an integrity and conduct officer, the development of a Good Governance Action Plan, extra governance induction sessions and monitor services.

He also said the council’s staff turnover costs were above normal.

“(I) raise serious concern about the council’s priorities,” Mr Watson say in his report.

He also attributed the financial state of the council to investments in projects that were not in line with the city’s wider needs, the use of in-house services with inflexible high labour costs rather than outsourced services used by other councils and significant financial borrowing.

“Unless the council takes some difficult and potentially unpopular decisions, the city’s financial sustainability is threatened within the next few years,” Mr Watson said.

Mr Watson said bad councillor behaviour also had negative impacts on council staff, with feedback from officers including that councillors “intimidated” staff and caused stress, with “attacks” on senior staff in council chambers and some staff requiring “wellbeing assistance following interactions with councillors”.

“There had been, in my opinion, instances of very poor behaviour towards staff and the organisation,” Mr Watson said.

“One councillor, in my opinion, inappropriately addressed or questioned staff causing unnecessary distress.

“Councillors have come to have unreasonable expectations of staff to respond to their requests, often at very short notice.

“Comments by some councillors towards or about staff and the organisation have been damaging … A failure by other councillors to stand up for staff and the organisation was disappointing.”

Mr Watson said the staff vacancy rate at the organisation was in excess of 20 per cent, with some staff leaving because of councillor behaviour.

One Darebin council employee’s feedback stated they believed “the organisation (was) at risk of collapsing”.

Despite the allegations and concerns raised, Mr Watson said he did not observe any bullying or intimidation by the chair or by councillors.

In February this year, former Darebin mayor Lina Messina said the council would provide a good governance action plan to the local government minister within six months.

But Mr Watson said the council did not complete this task and several councillors refused to make a clear recommitment to the code of conduct when asked to do so by the council’s chief executive.

He said that “political and personal divisions” were present between councillors and they were “too quick” to lodge applications for arbitration processes rather than work to resolve issues themselves.

Darebin Residents Group administrator Tim Holdsworth said the report highlighted a long list of poor decisions made by the council.

“Darebin has found itself in a terrible financial position... this position was entirely avoidable and hamstrings councils ability to deliver projects for the next decade,” he said.

“Our councillors are there to represent the interests of us residents, but instead have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees bickering amongst themselves and taking a self indulgent license overspend on pet projects, leaving other projects half finished or not even started.”

Mayor Julie Williams said the minister’s directions would be followed within the specified timelines.

“We accept this report as an important opportunity to address the challenges highlighted by the monitor’s report,’’ she said.

“It’s a challenging time for the entire community, and we stand committed to respond positively to the findings to ensure the health of our long-term financial position while ensuring the priority investments in areas of most need, such as technology.”