Former deputy mayor Kat Bennett has high hopes government appointed monitor will change culture at Wodonga Council

Kat Bennett also told the Local Government News Roundup podcast that the resignation of Wodonga's CEO Mark Dixon last year was "a red flag", and that CEOs needed more support.

"We lost a really high-calibre CEO at the end of last year, Mark Dixon, and I think that for me and it should be for other people, a huge red flag," she told podcast host and Whittlesea Council administrator Chris Eddy.

"When it's the people that they report to that are causing the issue, where do they go to from here."

The twice-elected councillor quit in March, citing at the time a changing work situation.

RELATED CONTENT

Monitor introduced by government minister to oversee behaviour at Wodonga Council

Wodonga Council CEO to take up new opportunity

Wodonga and Moira ,mayors and council whisteblower have say over Local Government Minister's intervention

She has revealed she did not feel comfortable sharing the true reason for her resignation at the time but that she now felt "permitted" to speak after the appointment of a monitor to Wodonga Council.

The Victorian Local Government Minister took action earlier this month, announcing a municipal monitor would be appointed to Wodonga as well as Moira Shire which covers Cobram and Yarrawonga.

"I wasn't ready to be public about that, and I didn't know if it would be constructive and I really am concerned about the staff wellbeing there and I didn't want to create more drama for them," Ms Bennett said.

"I'm at this point where the conduct of a small number of councillors, the poor conduct, creates such a toxic workplace that week in week out, it just really wore me down.

"I felt I couldn't fulfill my role as a councillor because so much of my time and energy went on managing that. I made the really tough decision to resign. I still feel really sad about it."

IN OTHER NEWS

Ms Bennett said she was grateful that her feedback to Victorian ministers had contributed to the appointment of a monitor but that she wished it had happened sooner.

"When I was thinking about resigning I thought if a monitor comes in that will be the only reason I'll be able to stay on. I think it really is a fantastic intervention that's happening," she said.

"There's sector-wide things, yes, but sometimes there can be specific things within councils and their culture that sometimes it just takes a very experienced outsider to come in and call out what's actually happening."

Ms Bennett said she had "high hopes" that the appointment of a monitor would help address issues.

"I really want it crystal clear for CEOs, for councillors, even for the community, what prevention and early intervention mechanisms are there and what criteria do we need to go for that. A lot of people aren't sure of those answers and those things exist but they are not easy to work out."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: