Bill to sack Whittlesea Council passes parliament
Whittlesea councillors will be sacked and a panel of administrators installed until at least 2024 after a bill to remove the controversy-stricken council was passed.
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Whittlesea Council will be replaced by administrators until 2024 after a bill to sack the council passed parliament.
The Local Government (Whittlesea City Council) Bill 2020 will see immediate dismissal of councillors at the controversy-stricken council.
An interim administrator will be appointed within days before establishing a full panel.
The panel will remain until at least the October 2024 elections.
Municipal monitor Yehudi Blacher’s report found clear evidence that governance had collapsed at the council and recommended its dismissal.
Minister for Local Government Adem Somyurek said it was not a decision taken lightly.
“The monitor found serious failures by Whittlesea City Councillors and we
acted swiftly to protect residents and ratepayers,” he said.
“Over the next four years Administrators will work with the CEO to ensure council services are delivered effectively and that the health and wellbeing of council staff is prioritised.”
It comes days after the state’s anti-corruption watchdog was called in to investigate the embattled Whittlesea Council, according to an explosive new report.
Municipal monitor Yehudi Blacher said he had referred the council to the Chief Municipal Inspector (CMI) and the independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission (IBAC), after finding a toxic culture and a small group of councillors behaving improperly.
It was flagged there were currently 20 investigations underway with one councillor in particular featuring prominently “for his bullying and aggressive behaviours”.
“Several instances have been reported in which some councillors are alleged to have used
their official positions to influence decisions in the interests of themselves, family members
and other parties rather than those of the community they collectively represent,” the report said.
“A number of these allegations have already been referred to the Local Government Inspectorate and remain under investigation.”
The damning review comes as Local Government Minister Adem Somyurek said the state would move to sack the council with a new bill introduced to parliament today.
He said the report undeniably showed a “toxic culture” evident from the high turnover of CEOs in recent years.
This includes former Victoria Police chief Simon Overland who was sacked by councillors as Whittlesea CEO last November – the fifth chief executive in five years.
The report vindicated Mr Overland saying: “many staff regarded Mr. Overland as their shield and protector against the unacceptable behaviours of some councillors – behaviours which had become normalised over many years before his appointment.”
It also acknowledged the majority of councillors were not badly behaved but a small group had impacts throughout the council.
The state government is moving to introduce the bill today, which is expected to pass tomorrow in the upper house pending no objections from the opposition.
Mr Blacher was due to provide an interim report by March 27, but he came back with a final report recommending dismissal almost two weeks earlier.
The council has reportedly been dominated by two ALP factions, with rival groups accusing each other of bullying amid tension-filled meetings.
Ratepayers also footed the bill of $500,000 on legal disputes between councillors and CEOs.
Crossbenchers in the upper house are understood to be angered by the government move to quickly push the bill through saying they needed more time to distil the report and also objected to the plan to not hold elections for the local government until 2024.
Reason Leader said it was the second council sacking in a matter of weeks — after Casey Council was dismissed last month – which was “greatly concerning”
“We are six months out from local government elections … surely we can be looking at other options that sacking an entire council.”