Why Yarra Council boss is leaving

The head of the Yarra Council is moving on after a decade in the job. These are the string of controversies that happened during her time in charge.

Yarra Council chief executive Vijaya Vaidyanath has been in the job since 2012.

The boss of Yarra Council has resigned to take up a key social housing position with the City of Melbourne.

Yarra’s chief executive officer Vijaya Vaidyanath has been in the job since 2012, and before that was CEO of councils in New Zealand.

Greens-dominated Yarra has been in the spotlight lately over its controversial push for businesses to be charged up to $5000 to convert car parks into outdoor dining spaces.

Ms Vaidyanath is leaving to work at another council.

In a letter to Ms Vaidyanath and Yarra mayor Gabrielle de Vietri earlier this month, state Small Business Minister Jaala Pulford urged the council to dump the decision.

“This is a major blow to hardworking businesses who are doing everything they can to get back on their feet and I’d urge the council to overturn their decision and back local businesses,” she said.

The council had been forced to wind back the plan or forfeit its share of a $54 million business support package to help businesses set up outdoor spaces announced by the state government.

Ms Vaidyanath said in a statement that she had enormously enjoyed her time at Yarra, “most importantly I have appreciated the support I have received from councillors, staff and the wider Yarra community”.

“It has been a pleasure and a unique privilege to serve as CEO of Yarra since mid-2012, and there is nothing more rewarding than direct service delivery and seeing how the quality of people’s lives can be enhanced,” she said.

Ms de Vietri said Ms Vaidyanath had shown impeccable leadership at the council, and her departure was a sad loss for the community.

“VJ has come to represent the very epitome of Yarra. She is a vibrant, energetic and innovative leader who has left an amazing legacy and an organisation that is more engaged and connected to its community and the broader local government sector,” she said.

In 2018, Ms Vaidyanath was embroiled in a controversy over the council’s decision to no longer recognise and celebrate Australia Day.

She wrote a note to staff about the change which was interpreted by some people as banning staff from saying Australia Day when referring to January 26.

Then mayor Daniel Nguyen was forced to issue a statement defending Ms Vaidyanath and denying the claim.

“The bulletin did not refer to the way staff may choose to recognise the day in their private lives,” he said.

“It provided advice to staff to ensure the intent of council’s decision is reflected when preparing official communications from council.”

Ms Vaidyanath’s qualifications include a Senior Executive Fellow of the John F Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, MBA from JMKatz Graduate School of Business in Pittsburgh USA, and MA (Economics) from Bangalore University.

She will become inaugural CEO of Homes Melbourne at the City of Melbourne, “delivering on its commitment to improve city-wide housing accessibility and affordability”.

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