Report reviews Yarra debate but ratepayers’ group says sack the lot

Calls to sack the City of Yarra council are growing louder after a damning report into the council’s operations was released detailing “financial issues” and an “abusive” interaction.

Yehudi Blacher was appointed to performance-manage the Greens-led council in December. Picture: Nigel Hallett

The state’s peak ratepayers’ group has called for the City of Yarra council to be sacked after the release of a six-month report into its operations.

Ratepayers Victoria spokesman Dean Hurlston said administrators should be appointed to take over the Greens-run council based in Richmond.

His comments come after the government-appointed monitor delivered his report.

Yehudi Blacher, who was appointed to performance-manage the troubled council in December, said the council was in financial trouble and slammed councillors for criticising each other on social media with one interaction described as “abusive”.

And he censured councillors for not abiding by the code of conduct.

But Mr Hurlston said the monitor’s report was a failure and called on Local Government Minister Shaun Leane to sack the council and appoint administrators.

“The council has severe financial issues and it still has major issues between councillors and the community,’’ Mr Hurlston said.

Ratepayers Victoria president Dean Hurlston has called to sack the council. Picture: Kiel Egging

In his report, Mr Blacher also said some councillors “struggled to distinguish their allegiance as councillors from their party-political allegiances”.

His tenure at the Richmond-based council has been extended for another three months.

Mr Blacher also took a swipe at “mainstream media” accusing outlets covering council meetings and debate of amplifying everyday differences between councillors.

“Some councillors actively encourage and indeed use these outlets to create a false impression of controversy and indeed crisis in relation to certain matters.’’

In March, the council’s move to ban councillors from speaking publicly without permission and censor “criticism” was slammed by a residents’ group as similar to a North Korean gag order.

Mr Hurlston said the suggestion to silence councillors, the community and media was “nothing short of suppressive and impeding free speech’’.

“We live in a democracy. The monitor seems to have forgotten this.’’

Adam Promnitz, co-founder of Yarra Residents Collective, said the group was disappointed with the quality and content of the report.

“The report has failed to address systemic issues in the councils treatment and delivery of services to residents and ratepayers.

“The report has done nothing to address the underlying issues with lack of consultation and community engagement which are at the toxic core of this council. This is a council which routinely ignores and undermines its residents.”

The report has prompted an instant backlash from ratepayers and residents groups.

“We are astounded that the monitor is seeking less transparency and weaker governance in the use of secret briefings, decreasing democratic input from residents and seeking to gag councillors from openly and robustly communicating.

“The report appears to be more concerned with media reporting transparently on important community issues than addressing the causes of them. This report suggests that democratic decisions should happen away from the eye of residents.”

Mr Blacher also said he identified a culture problem in the planning department which he said appeared to feel under siege because of insufficient staffing resources and a high workload.

The council’s financial position was unsustainable, he said, partly because of the pandemic but also “structural budgetary problems”.

In a statement, the council said it was reviewing the report and that progress had been made on a new Councillor Code of Conduct and Social Media Policy.

Mr Blacher’s extension means he will now be there for the arrival of incoming chief executive Sue Wilkinson, formerly boss at Darebin council, who starts on Monday.

Yarra councillors will vote on the 2022-23 budget on Thursday.

The $219 million in spending includes $39 million in capital works projects. The forecast is for a $9.2 million surplus as the council recovers from the financial impacts of pandemic such as the cost of business support and a drop in parking revenue.