Two former employees of Barkly Regional Council have accused the council of covering up an important internal report.

The council has been struggling with mass resignations, drug-driving charges against the mayor, bullying allegations, and mismanagement by its former CEO. 

Over the past year, more than 40 staff and four councillors have resigned. 

In an attempt to address the concerns about the workplace culture that led to the mass resignations, the council carried out a Business Process Review. Justin Hankinson, a former health and safety officer, participated in the review even though he had left the council in May 2022. 

He said he was worried about the ongoing work environment and the safety of those who remained. 

Mr Hankinson stated that he was promised that the results of the review would be made public, but he has been unsuccessful in obtaining a summary of the findings. He believes that between 12 to 14 current and former staff were interviewed for the report.

Mr Hankinson also believes that the loss of corporate knowledge through mass resignations has had significant impacts on the community, resulting in new staff who have never worked in the area before and reduced services in the region. 

He said that the report needs to be released to the public, and that there needs to be an open and transparent investigation into everything that has happened in the past 12 months. 

Sharen Lake, a Tennant Creek resident who resigned as the council's director of community development four months ago, also wants the report to be released, citing an unhealthy workplace environment and a failure by the council to provide basic services to the township.

She says the past 12 months have been challenging for everyone, including staff and councillors, and that people in the community have lost confidence in the council.

Barkly Regional Council Mayor Jeffrey McLaughlin and former CEO Emma Bradbury have dismissed the complaints as the “venting” of a “small group of disgruntled ex-employees”. Deputy mayor Russell O'Donnell has previously said that the council had received legal advice not to release the report. 

In September, Ms Bradbury said that she couldn't comment on individual cases and that the council had zero tolerance for bullying, harassment and other forms of misconduct.

Former Barkly Labor member Elliot McAdam and Tennant Creek resident Sharen Lake are running for council, hoping to fill one of the four vacant positions left after the resignations of four elected members in a 24-hour period in December.