Geelong Council, including mayor Darryn Lyons, set to be sacked

The Geelong Council is set to be sacked by the Victorian Government.

Minister for Local Government Natalie Hutchins today introduced a bill to dismiss the council, led by high-profile mayor Darryn Lyons, following a three-month investigation into the council’s governance, administration and culture.

The Commission of Inquiry appointed to investigate the council concluded it was ‘substantially dysfunctional’ and had failed to provide ‘good government’ to Geelong.

The Andrews Government has accepted all 12 recommendations made by the Commission ? including to dismiss the council.

The report was particularly scathing of Mr Lyons’ behaviour.

The Commission of Inquiry found:

• the Council is riven with conflict, unable to provide a long term vision for the city and lacking the leadership required to manage Geelong’s major economic challenges.
• the Council’s leadership is dysfunctional, and includes a significant number of councillors contravening their Code of Conduct.
• the Council operates in silos ? both at councillor level and at senior management level ? looking after sectional interests rather than the municipality as a whole.
• there is a deep-seated culture of bullying within the Council and its administration, which has contributed to a lack of good governance and failure to provide a safe workplace for staff.

But the high-profile mayor isn’t going down without a fight.

‘We’re living in an extremely sad place, when it comes to democracy,’ Darryn Lyons told Tony Jones on 3AW.

‘This is all about party politics and not the people of Geelong and that is a sad indictment of two leaks, within a week, from the state government.

‘It’s an absolute disgrace.’

Click PLAY below to hear Darryn Lyons on 3AW Mornings

But comments from Geelong Councillor Lindsay Ellis just moments earlier suggested all wasn’t well.

‘The man governs alone. I reckon I’ve been into his office twice. It’s all about him,’ he said of Mr Lyons.

Click PLAY below to hear Lindsay Ellis on 3AW Mornings

Click PLAY below to hear Natalie Hutchins speak with Nick McCallum on 3AW Drive