City Hall monitors revealed
TWO civic leaders who have played key roles in Geelong council’s turbulent period have been appointed as new watchdogs of the organisation.
Current administrator Peter Dorling will remain at City Hall once a new council is elected in late October, to serve as one of the Government’s municipal monitors.
He will be supporting experienced council CEO Jude Munro, who will serve as the primary monitor for the City of Greater Geelong.
Ms Munro was one of the three commissioners appointed by the Government in late 2015 to oversee an inquiry into the Geelong council.
The inquiry’s devastating findings led the State Parliament to dismiss the council in April 2016 and appoint administrators to oversee operations until an election next month.
Local Government Minister Natalie Hutchins said the monitors would help the council continue to implement the recommendations from the commissioners’ inquiry.
“This is a significant step towards restoring the services and governance people in Geelong deserve,” Ms Hutchins said.
The two monitors will begin when the new council meets for the first time and remain in place until the next general election in 2020.
They will also oversee council’s strategic and financial plans and community grants programs.
Ms Munro has been the CEO of the Brisbane, Adelaide, St Kilda and Moreland councils.
Mr Dorling was previously a long-serving executive director of the Committee for Geelong.
South Barwon MP Andrew Katos has been critical of the pre-emptive appointment, which he said had was unique to Victoria. He said monitors had only been used to supervise councils once poor governance had either been determined or alleged.
“What (Premier) Daniel Andrews is effectively saying is that he doesn’t trust the people of Geelong to make the right decision,” the Liberal MP said.
“Why should Geelong’s council have monitors installed before any problems have occurred, just as some sort of safety net? Every other council area in the state doesn’t have these monitors.”