By Laura Michell
An interim administrator has been appointed to Whittlesea council.
Local Government Minister Adem Somyurek appointed former Manningham, Yarra and Macedon Ranges council chief executive Lydia Wilson to the council today.
She will serve as interim administrator for three months, effective from March 21, when the council is dismissed.
A panel of administrators will be appointed after three months.
In a statement, Whittlesea council said Ms Wilson has extensive experience in corporate governance, finance and human resource management, strategy and policy development, industrial relations and asset management.
The council’s dismissal follows a report from municipal monitor Yehudi Blacher which said the governance of the council had collapsed, “along with its reputation”.
He labelled Whittlesea a “broken council” in which “poisons run deep”.
Mr Blacher’s report found that the council’s deep divides and personality conflicts have rendered it “dysfunctional”.
His report also stated councillors had failed to provide stability in the council’s senior leadership, with five chief executives in five years.
Mr Blacher revealed the council spent $500,000 over the past two years on legal matters relating to a councillor’s working relationship with former council chief executive Simon Overland and other councillors, as well as legal action taken by Mr Overland against the council regarding his dismissal while on WorkCover.
Mr Blacher said councillor behaviours were not consistent with the Councillor Code of Conduct.
