Moira Shire Council sacked in wake of murder of Rick Devlin by Andrew Robert Paterson
A regional Victorian council will be sacked in the wake of the murder of a highly paid senior manager.
Key points:
The commission found there was "good reason" to believe Rick Devlin's murder was preventable
The report said that Andrew Robert Paterson was falsely accused of stealing kerosene from a council depot, sparking a chain of events that led to Mr Devlin's murder
The report also found numerous failures with the governance of the council and alleged there had been serious misconduct with procurement
This afternoon Minister for Local Government Melissa Horne introduced a bill to dismiss Moira Shire Council following a report from a commission of inquiry she received late last month.
"The findings of the report are deeply concerning," she said.
The commission's report suggested the murder of Moira Shire Council manager of operations Rick Devlin in August 2021 could have been avoided.
Andrew Robert Paterson pleaded guilty to murdering Mr Devlin in the Supreme Court last year.
"The commission considers that there is good reason to think that this catastrophic event may have been preventable," the report said.
"Mr Paterson, the employee who murdered Mr Devlin, was set up by his co-workers at the depot and stood down in November 2019 following a false allegation of the theft of a small quantity of kerosene."
The commission found there had been a long-standing practice of council depot employees who worked with tar taking kerosene home to clean their shoes, clothes and cars.
The report said the allegation of theft was not substantiated but was deeply resented by Mr Paterson, who did not return to work after November 2019 and was on WorkCover from January 2020.
Mr Paterson requested a voluntary redundancy, which was rejected.
"Had these events not occurred, it is questionable whether the subsequent course of events would have transpired," the report said.
The commission referred the evidence relevant to the murder to the state coroner.
The commission's investigation of the shire's governance found a litany of failures, including dysfunctional leadership and conflicts of interest.
It found governance of the council had been steadily eroding over most of the last decade, and that a full and transparent external audit was needed.
The report also alleged serious misconduct in procurement.
In June 2017, the report said, the council's facilities maintenance coordinator allegedly directed that more than $500,000 of work be given to an Albury-based company that employed his son, without tendering of obtaining numerous quotes.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-07/moira-shire-council-sacked-in-wake-of-murder-of-rick-devlin/102062528