More senior execs flee ‘toxic’ Melbourne Town Hall

Two more senior executives have joined a growing exodus of staff from Melbourne City Council amid explosive “toxic workplace” claims.

Two more senior executives have left Town Hall amid claims of a toxic culture. Picture: Getty Images

Two more senior executives have left the City of Melbourne as insiders claim the workplace culture at Town Hall is becoming increasingly toxic.

Homes Melbourne chief executive and former Yarra City Council boss Vijaya Vaidyanath and City Data director Sam Shaheen have left the City of Melbourne in recent weeks.

It comes as Alison Leighton ramps up her restructure and many of those left are questioning the new culture trying to be embedded at Town Hall.

Homes Melbourne chief executive Vijaya Vaidyanath has resigned.

Sam Shaheen has also left her senior role at Melbourne City Council in recent weeks.

“If you disagree with something or raise issues with a policy or project, your career prospects at the City of Melbourne diminish incredibly quickly,” one senior Town Hall source claimed.

“The only acceptable form of thinking at the City of Melbourne is group think.”

The number of senior executives who have left their senior roles in the organisation or have announced they will depart in recent months is at least seven, with more expected to come in the New Year.

A recently departed senior manager claimed many of those who had left the council recently had been treated disgracefully.

“The treatment of so many good people has been absolutely appalling,” they said.

“It has left a very bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths.”

Alison Leighton has started a restructure that will impact a range of divisions within the council. Picture: Nicole Garmston

Roger Teale moved to a ‘special adviser’ position in the chief executive’s office.

Multiple sources claimed that a recent culture survey showed that the number of staff that believed in the organisation’s vision from the executive leadership team had dropped significantly.

However, a City of Melbourne spokesman denied the claim but would not provide a response to the Herald Sun’s questions on the issue.

The council also refused to respond to questions posed about the organisation’s culture.

Council Watch president Dean Hurlston said the ongoing and rapid churn of senior managers at Town Hall was concerning.

“This is just more proof that the City of Melbourne has a cultural problem,” he said.

“Either they keep hiring the wrong people, or the culture is poor and they cannot retain them.”

Speculation is increasing that Stonnington executive Rick Kwasek has been appointed to fill the vacant General Manager of Property, Infrastructure and Design role that was headed up by controversial executive Roger Teale.

Mr Teale earned more than $140,000 in 18 months from external consultancies for developers and property industry companies.

This potential conflict of interest was referred to the state’s corruption watchdog but it chose not to investigate the matter.

The council recently announced that Mr Teale would leave his general manager role and move into a new job in the chief executive’s office but the organisation has repeatedly refused to provide details of the position including its ratepayer-funded salary.

It’s understood Mr Teale is currently on leave.