Whittlesea council monitor sends misconduct allegation to anti-corruption watchdog

The government-appointed monitor who recommended sacking the troubled Whittlesea Council has referred a case of conflict of interest to the corruption watchdog.

The Andrews government has moved to sack the council after the monitor, Yehudi Blacher, found it was riven by “factional and personal antagonisms”.

Local Government Minister Adem Somyurek has decided to sack the Whittlesea City Council. Credit: Eddie Jim

Mr Blacher’s report, which was tabled in State Parliament on Tuesday, found the council was “broken by years of internal division, factionalism, personality conflicts and bitter legacies of perceived betrayals”. He said governance had collapsed at the northern suburbs Whittlesea Council “along with its reputation”.

"The council’s deep factional divides and personality conflicts have rendered it dysfunctional,” he wrote. Legislation to sack the council was introduced in the Victorian Parliament on Tuesday.

Mr Blacher said there had been several instances reported in which some councillors were alleged to have used their official positions to influence decisions in their own interests or those of their families or “other parties” rather than the communities they represented.

Mr Blacher gave no further details.

“I have made two further referrals arising from my investigations: the first to the Chief Municipal Inspector and the second to the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission.”

Local Government Minister Adem Somyurek said the government had accepted all of Mr Blacher’s recommendations, including the council’s sacking and appointment of administrators until the 2024 council elections.

“Victorians deserve and expect the highest standard of governance and integrity from their councils,” he said. “Unfortunately, the monitor has found that this particular council has fallen well short of those high standards.”

The Whittlesea Council declined to comment until the bill to enact the sacking passed through both houses of the Victorian Parliament.