Former police chief Simon Overland sacked by Whittlesea Council ahead of Lawyer X appearance

The former Victorian police chief has been removed as CEO of Whittlesea Council as he prepares to give evidence.

Simon Overland has been sacked as CEO of Whittlesea Council. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

The Andrews government will appoint a monitor to examine governance and operations at a Melbourne council, after its councillors, who include Australia’s youngest ever mayor, sacked its CEO, former Victorian Police Commissioner Simon Overland.

The sacking comes as Mr Overland is due to give evidence at the Lawyer X Royal Commission next week, and after a long-running series of disputes at the council on Melbourne’s outer northern fringe, where he has become the third chief executive sacked by councillors since April 2016.

READ MORE: Commissioner wants answers on Nicola Gobbo interview | Overland stands aside | Overland breaks his silence | Overland’s Lawyer X role triggers council revolt

On Tuesday night 23-year-old mayor Emilia Sterjova — who last month became the youngest person elected mayor of an Australian council — closed a council meeting to the public in order to discuss an “urgent and confidential item”.

Ms Sterjova issued a statement on Wednesday afternoon, saying the City of Whittlesea had “resolved to terminate the contract of its Chief Executive Officer, Simon Overland, effective immediately,” at the meeting.

“Council wishes Mr Overland well for his future endeavours,” Ms Sterjova said.

Local Government Minister Adem Somyurek on Wednesday announced he would appoint the monitor, following a request from Chief Municipal Inspector David Wolf, who was already conducting an investigation into the council.

Mr Somyurek said the monitor would assess the council’s current processes and policies in relation to:

• the appointment of the council’s new Chief Executive Officer

• councillor interaction with council staff

• the maintenance of a safe workplace

• the handling of confidential information

• the effective delivery of services to the Whittlesea community

• council decision making.

“The Monitor will also work with the Council to ensure sound and effective governance in light of the instability in

senior management over the past three years,” he said.

“An announcement appointing an individual to the position will be made shortly.”

Councillor Caz Monteleone declined to say what was discussed at the meeting, but said the mayor had the “full support and confidence of the majority of councillors”.

Councillor Tom Joseph said he had voted against sacking Mr Overland.

“I believe Simon Overland was a good CEO,” Mr Joseph said.

“He’s an extremely fair man. He follows the rule book to a T and he came into a totally dysfunctional council and was trying to put in strict protocol around councillor-staff interaction, based on the local government act. It looks like some people wanted to stick with the old system.”

Mr Joseph called on Local Government Minister Adem Somyurek to investigate the council.

“The council should be sacked,” he said.

Mr Joseph’s comments contrast with views he shared in local newspaper the Northern Star Weekly in April, accusing Mr Overland of denying councillors information they needed to do their jobs because it was “operational”.

Mr Overland during his time as Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner in 2007. Picture: AAP

“It has now almost become standard practice for the administration to refuse providing us with the information we are rightfully entitled to,” Mr Joseph said at the time.

Mr Overland is yet to respond to a request for comment, after announcing on November 20 that he would be taking indefinite leave.

“The situation has been very difficult now for two years, but with recent changes on council, I now regrettably find my own health and safety significantly affected and accordingly, as of now, I am taking related leave,” Mr Overland said in a statement at the time.

Mr Overland was appointed as CEO in July 2017, for what was intended to be a five-year term.

Acting Chief Executive Kelvin Spiller has been filling in since November 23 after Mr Overland took leave.

Mr Overland was Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police from 2009 to 2011. As Assistant Commissioner (Crime) from 2003 to 2006, he led the Purana Taskforce on organised crime, taking a prominent role in attempting to end Melbourne’s gangland wars.

The Lawyer X Royal Commission is currently examining Victoria Police’s registration of gangland lawyer Nicola Gobbo as a police informant between 1995 and 2009.

Opposition local government spokesman Tim Smith said the “Labor-controlled” Whittlesea Council was “completely dysfunctional”.

“This council has gone through four CEOs in the past three years,” Mr Smith said.

“Adem Somyurek, Labor’s Local Government Minister, must send a municipal monitor to examine councillor conduct and governance at the City of Whittlesea immediately.

“The appointment of Mr Overland in the first place was highly controversial.”