26-05-2025
Ratepayer group Council Watch accused of abusing councillors, staff across Victoria
Amid debate about library funding and illegal rubbish dumping, Victorian councils have gathered to discuss an organisation a growing number of councillors consider a threat to their personal safety.
That organisation is Council Watch Victoria Inc.
The ABC has spoken to more than 20 councillors from 13 Victorian councils who expressed concerns about Council Watch, with 17 of them reporting they have either been allegedly threatened, harassed or abused by Council Watch, its president Dean Hurlston, or its supporters.
Their claims include that Mr Hurlston and Council Watch published allegations of sexual harassment, an abusive relationship, drug-fuelled mood swings, coercive control, theft, cyberstalking and bullying.
It's also alleged Mr Hurlston and Council Watch have attacked public government officials and staff, including allegedly calling a queer community representative a "pedo sympathiser" online.
This month's Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) conference initially received a motion that would have asked representatives from the state's 79 councils to condemn the alleged personal abuse and misinformation "conveyed regularly online by Council Watch" and call for a state government investigation into the pro-ratepayer group.
That motion, submitted by Moonee Ponds councillor Rose Iser, was amended before it was put to a vote, but it was ultimately defeated.
Instead, the gathering voted in favour of a more general motion targeting online abuse and misinformation that did not mention Council Watch or Mr Hurlston.
Upon publication of Cr Iser's initial motion in the MAV agenda, Council Watch, in a letter signed by Mr Hurlston, told the MAV and Cr Iser the motion was defamatory, stating he would seek damages "to the tune of $100,000".
He also threatened to launch defamation action against 68 councillors, who were all carbon-copied on the same email, should they proceed with the vote.
Cr Iser said she thought it was an "absurd" attempt to scare the group, while another councillor described it as "threatening".
MAV president Jennifer Anderson confirmed the MAV sought legal advice ahead of the motion, and was advised it could proceed.
Cr Iser's initial motion is the latest attempt by councillors, some of whom said they fear for their safety, to get something done about Council Watch and Mr Hurlston.
The 21 current and former councillors the ABC spoke with painted a dark picture about the alleged behaviour of Council Watch and Mr Hurlston.
The ABC is aware of a further 14 current and former councillors from eight additional councils who told Cr Iser they have allegedly been affected by the pro-ratepayer group.
A Melbourne councillor told the ABC Mr Hurlston allegedly shared her address online and suggested disgruntled ratepayers "march on her home".
She wore a necklace with an emergency response button for six months and moved to an address she had kept private from even her closest friends.
A former inner-Melbourne mayor told the ABC Mr Hurlston sent him repeated text messages threatening to "go public" with false accusations if he didn't respond to his questioning.
The alleged abuse extended beyond elected representatives.
Mr Hurlston has posted on social media that an LGBTQIA+ council advocate from regional Victoria was a "pedo sympathiser".
The councillors who spoke to the ABC on the condition of anonymity have been unanimous in calling Council Watch "ground zero" for misinformation, "vile" slogans and "personalised hate" campaigns being conducted online and in person.
Mr Hurlston was approached for comment but did not respond to the ABC's questions.
Council Watch was founded more than 20 years ago as Ratepayers Victoria.
It launched on Facebook in 2018 and was taken over by Mr Hurlston the following year.
Mr Hurlston has since become a regular voice in parliamentary inquiries, where he has appeared as an authority on local government matters.
Council Watch calls itself a "media/news company" on social media and its website describes it as a specialist body with "lobbying strength".
Melton councillor Phillip Zada had been in local government for five months when he said he received his first text message from Mr Hurlston.
During a closed-door meeting of councillors, executives and government representatives, Cr Zada asked what could be done about the "rise of unregulated groups that spread misinformation, push hidden agendas and fuel public mistrust".
"What protections can be put in place to support those of us who are being targeted simply for doing our jobs," he asked.
Cr Zada said at no point did he mention Council Watch.
Minutes later he said he received a text message that said, "You don't need protection from Council Watch — we pose no threat to you … the minister has better things to do than play KGB to councillor paranoia".
Cr Zada said the message was from Mr Hurlston, who was not in the room at the time.
The ABC has seen a multitude of text messages, letters, complaints to external employers, cease-and-desist emails and legalistic notices Mr Hurlston and Council Watch sent to councillors threatening defamation action.
Earlier this month, a Melbourne court heard allegations that Mr Hurlston, posing as a journalist with a fake name working for a non-existent news organisation, emailed questions to a councillor's employer.
Mr Hurlston, who is not facing criminal charges, will contest the allegations in June.
Multiple councillors told the ABC any correspondence with Mr Hurlston would be published on the Council Watch website with "excessive use of the word 'allegedly'".
"When he makes a comment which is a lie he throws in the word allegedly," one councillor said.
Sean Mulcahy co-leads the Victorian Pride Lobby's Rainbow Local Government campaign, which advocates for greater LGBTIQA+ representation on councils.
While not a councillor, he claimed he had endured five years of abuse from Mr Hurlston, including the use of his photo and name in various iterations of Mr Hurlston's social media profiles.
Among the vitriol directed to Mr Mulcahy was the allegation that he was a "pedo sympathiser".
"It can cut to your core when there's an insinuation that the work you do is tantamount to child abuse," Mr Mulcahy said.
The MAV said that "as with all resolutions that were passed at [this month's] State Council, the MAV team will now action" the motion relating to online abuse and misinformation.
Local Government Minister Nick Staikos did not answer questions about Council Watch, but said "everyone has the right to a safe, inclusive and respectful workplace".
"We are seeing too many politically charged personal attacks and conspiracy theories spread on social media," Mr Staikos said.
"This behaviour deters people from standing for public office and limits the representation of diverse communities within local governments across Victoria."
