A report from the ABC has raised concerns about nepotism in recruitment practices at Greater Geelong City Council.
The claims of “soft corruption” follow the recent appointment of municipal monitors over concerns from the local government inspectorate about the transparency and integrity of the council’s CEO recruitment process.
Senior officer numbers at the council are reported to have climbed by 43 per cent in one year, and it is claimed that a new recruitment policy removed the obligation to advertise senior roles.
The ABC report quotes an anonymous source and multiple former staff members.
Ratepayers Victoria is calling on the government to launch an investigation.