Greens leader Samantha Ratnam says the state government’s decision “doesn’t stack up”.Credit:Jason South
In a statement,Mr Leane cited the council requiring four meetings to decide on a mayor – ultimately chosen to be Greens councillorSophie Wade – and council staff raising concerns with the government about a lack of governance and ability to make decisions in the best interests of the community.
But Dr Ratnam,a former councillor and mayor at Moreland Council in Melbourne’s inner-north,toldThe Agethe decision was “disturbing and doesn’t stack up”. She said the people of Yarra had “every right to question whether this is just a cynical political move”.
“The Labor Party has taken its previous control of the Yarra Council for granted,but in the last election the people of Yarra showed they were sick of it,” she said.
“With no Labor councillors on Yarra Council now and the popular state member retiring,this is a panicked move by the state government worried about losing Richmond.”
Four of the five Greens councillors in Yarra,including mayor Sophie Wade (second from right).Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui
The appointment comes only days after Labor minister Richard Wynne,who has held the state seat of Richmond for 22 years,announced he would not recontest at the November 2022 election. The electorate,which overlaps significantly with the City of Yarra,has long been a target for the Greens.
When asked to provide a more detailed explanation of the decision to appoint a monitor,the Local Government Minister’s office declined to do so and provided the following statement:“A monitor has been appointed to Yarra City Council to ensure future decision that impact the local community are not compromised by poor governance and councillors have the support they need into the future.”