Hobsons Bay Mayor, Daria Kellander, has written to the Victorian Attorney-General, calling on the Government to officially release a report into governance issues at Hepburn Shire Council.
A version of the Local Government Inspectorate’s unpublished report was leaked on social media last month.
Mayor Kellander’s letter to Sonya Kilkenny says if the report had been made public, Hobsons Bay could have avoided its current situation.
“I’ve written to the Attorney-General because I think Hobsons Bay and other municipalities were exposed to significant risk by not addressing the situation at the time,” Mayor Kellander said.
The letter calls on the release of the final LGI report to boost confidence in the local government sector, and provide transparency for both Hobsons Bay and Hepburn communities.
“It seems the lack of transparency raises serious questions about accountability, governance, and the steps being taken to prevent similar failings elsewhere.”
“Releasing the report is what our community deserves. I believe that the decision not to release the report undermines public trust, and our
community deserves to know why it was withheld,” the Mayor said.
As well as calling for the release of the final report, Mayor Kellander also called for clarity as to why the report was not published upon apparent completion in 2022 and what action has been taken to prevent similar situations in the future.
