City of Yarra Deputy Mayor facing claims he warned residents off speaking at meetings

The deputy mayor of the inner city council is facing accusations of political coercion against residents wanting to make submissions to council meetings.

City of Yarra Deputy Mayor councillor Edward Crossland. Picture: Facebook

Explosive allegations of political coercion at the City of Yarra have emerged after a resident claimed a Greens councillor phoned to warn her off about making a submission to a meeting.

The resident told the meeting on December 9 that she had received a phone call earlier that day from Deputy Mayor Cr Edward Crossland saying any contribution by her that night may affect a separate planning issue to which she had objected.

Other residents later said Cr Crossland had made similar calls to them.

The Herald Sun believes the residents have lodged official complaints with Victoria’s council watchdog, the Local Government Inspectorate.

The resident was one of several ratepayers to address the public meeting, held online.

A resident alleges Cr Crossland called her to warn her off making a submission to a meeting. Picture: City of Yarra

“I didn’t appreciate a call today to warn me that my submission this evening may impact the development I’ve objected to when it comes to PDC (the Planning Decisions Committee),’’ the resident said.

“I’m going to take my warning as a lapse of … judgment on the councillor’s behalf, which seems to be a common occurrence these days,’’ she told the meeting.

The resident’s allegations were not recorded in the meeting minutes but the video and audio of the meeting remains online.

The comments are believed to have prompted other residents to raise similar claims.

Their submissions were thought to be in relation to claims of “misuse of position” under the Local Government Act 2020.

Cr Crossland has not responded to the Herald Sun’s questions.

Deputy Mayor Edward Crossland with current Mayor Claudia Nguyen (left) and previous mayor Sophie Wade. Supplied: City of Yarra

The December meeting had been held at short notice to discuss a motion to overturn a controversial proposal from Cr Crossland for the council to conduct fewer public meetings.

Residents claimed Cr Crossland’s proposal would mean the council was less accountable.

Cr Stephen Jolly later put forward a rescission motion, backed by Cr Amanda Stone.

Cr Stone last month quit the Greens, leaving the party with just three councillors out of nine.

The rescission motion was voted down 5-2.

The Local Government Inspectorate would not comment.

The City of Yarra online meeting on December 9 where the claims were aired.

The City of Yarra would not say if it had conducted its own investigation into the serious claims, six months since the issue was raised. A series of questions from the Herald Sun were ignored.

“Yarra City Council is not in a position to comment on this matter,’’ the statement said.

Council Watch spokesman Dean Hurlston said it was disappointing to see allegations of any councillor seeking to intimidate members of the public.

“The public has the right to be heard. We hear Greens councillors like Cr Crossland passionately demand adoption of ‘Mutual Respect Charters’ to control resident behaviour, so the hypocrisy in these allegations is astounding.

Cr Crossland (right) was one of five Greens elected in Yarra in 2020 along with former mayor and current MP for Richmond Gabrielle de Vietri. Pic: Facebook

“Cr Crossland should address these allegations publicly and apologise if he has made a mis-step.’’

Cr Crossland was elected to the Melba ward in 2020, then one of five Greens councillors to form a majority at the inner-city council which covers Richmond, Abbotsford, Collingwood, Fitzroy, Clifton Hill and parts of Carlton and Alphington.

The Greens have since lost majority control, after Cr Stone’s party resignation and Gabrielle de Vietri’s departure to contest and win the state seat of Richmond last November.