In June 2021 City of Yarra commissioned a report by consultants AtticusNow at a cost of $150,000. These reports were commissioned around the time that the Local Government Minister appointed Municipal Monitor Mr Yehudi Blacher to monitor and report on City of Yarra’s ongoing financial sustainability.

Mr Blacher was so concerned by the state of Yarra Council’s finances that he recommended that the Victorian Government Auditor General review Yarra’s financial sustainability on an annual basis.

The AtticusNow reports were finalised in mid 2022, but have never been publicly released.

Mr Ian Royall is a well-known journalist who reports on Yarra Council requested the following Council documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic) in June 2022:

• Executive Meeting Draft Report Strategic Review dated 18 May 2022
• Councillor Briefing Confidential Strategic Review Report dated 7 June 2022
• Atticusnow Strategic Review Report Update dated 17 June 2022

In July 2022, the new Yarra Council CEO denied Mr Royall’s Freedom of Information request, claiming that the release of the AtticusNow reports would not be in the public interest.

This raises a number of questions:

• What is the CEO hiding? 
• Don’t we have a right to know what those recommendation are?
• What recommendations were contained in the report?
• Aren't transparency and accountability in the public interest?

Since the AtticusNow reports were finalised, Yarra Council has:

• Imposed a separated Waste Charge (ie the Bin Tax) on all residents in June 2023 and increased waste service charges by 30% in the 2024/2025 budget.
• Exited Aged Home Care services for our elderly residents in March 2024.
• Increased the cost to use the Council Swimming Pools for all children (42% rise since 2020).

Residents have a right to know what is driving Yarra Council to increase rates and charges, and cut back services.

In March 2024, we launched a petition calling for the release of the AtticusNow reports.

This petition had been signed by over 300 of Yarra’s residents and ratepayers when it was tabled at the Council meeting on 9 May 2024. Independent Councillor Stephen Jolly will move a motion demanding that Yarra’s CEO be instructed to immediately release the reports at the Council Meeting on 18 June 2024.

If you are a Yarra resident or ratepayer, and have not already signed the printed petition, please support our petition demanding that Yarra’s CEO release the AtticusNow reports.

Please include your suburb and postcode when signing the petition.

Paul Jackson, Kenneth Gomez, Theresa Saldanha and Sharon Harrison