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ABC News
26-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
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."
The Age
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Rubbish city: These Melbourne suburbs are done with being dumping grounds
Driving along Melton's highways, rural roads and streets of new housing estates, it's impossible not to notice them: the piles of old mattresses, tyres and random household or construction waste strewn across the outer-western municipality. And the problem is costing the local council a mint. More than $3 million has been spent so far this financial year cleaning up more than 6000 tonnes of illegally dumped rubbish – enough to fill about 200 large garbage trucks. The council has now spearheaded a push to call for state-led reform to crack down on a rising scourge of illegal dumping that disproportionately affects outer-metropolitan areas. At a Municipal Association of Victoria meeting, the state's 79 councils unanimously voted for a resolution put forward by Melton council urging the Victorian government to develop a prevention and education plan to combat illegal dumping. The motion, which was classified as a significant priority, also asks the government to divert money collected from the waste levy to help heavily impacted councils and increase resources for more enforcement by the Environment Protection Authority. Currently, policing is shared between councils and the environment authority. MAV president Jennifer Anderson said illegal dumping had become a major issue that required a uniform statewide approach. 'The fact that the resolution was passed unanimously highlights that the local government sector appreciates the impact this has on councils where it is taking place,' she said. Melton Mayor Steve Abboushi said local governments could not afford to keep working in silos – a lot of rubbish tossed in outer areas comes from outside these municipalities, with some cowboy operators choosing to dump illegally rather than pay tip fees.
ABC News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Premier Jacinta Allan's new tax riles regional Victorian councils
Victoria's 79 councils have banded together to formally oppose Premier Jacinta Allan's new emergency services tax. The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) has pushed back against the controversial Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund (ESVF) in the face of ongoing protests. It has passed a number of resolutions designed to return the responsibility of collecting the levy to the state government. "Basically, we don't think it's a good idea at a local government level to be putting this tax burden on our ratepayers," MAV president Jennifer Anderson said. The resolutions called for adequate administrative funding for local governments to manage the cost of administering the levy; transferring levy collecting to the state, ensuring an equitable funding model; and ensuring equitable fund distribution. CFA members protest on the steps of the Victorian Parliament on Tuesday. ( ABC News: Danielle Bonica ) Cr Anderson said councils did not have the resources to collect the levy or deal with those who refused to pay. "Given it has passed [in parliament], we really feel it should be something that the State Revenue Office should be dealing with, not local councils," Cr Anderson said. Cr Anderson said the amount of financial support given to local governments by the state government had declined in recent years, as evidenced in a recent parliamentary inquiry. "It's well and truly out there that over time some of the funding sources that were available to councils are either no longer available, or have reduced in time," Cr Anderson said. "Councils like to step in and provide services where there are gaps and there isn't a private provider, particularly in your smaller rural communities." CFA members came from across Victoria to join Tuesday's protest. ( ABC News: Danielle Bonica ) Statewide issue Thousands of CFA volunteers and farmers gathered in Melbourne and across the state on Tuesday to protest the levy. Ben Blain spoke out against the levy. ( Supplied: Warrnambool City Council ) Warrnambool Mayor Ben Blain, who has been a CFA volunteer for nearly 20 years, told a rally in Warrnambool volunteers who took time away from their families, jobs, and businesses to protect the community should not be punished. "You're putting your life at risk to protect others in your community," he said. "Now they're trying to make you pay for the privilege to do it. "It's just wrong. It [the CFA] is something that should be cherished." Cr Blain said the levy would take close to $20 million out of the Moyne, Corangamite and Warrnambool local government areas. "We [councils] don't want to be the tax collectors for the state government," Cr Blain said. "When the vote went through on Thursday, 280 brigades went offline in protest — 50 of them were here in region 5. "I think that's sending a really clear message, we're not happy. "We want to see something that is fair and equitable because we're the country, we're the big part of Victoria … we're the heart and soul." Brad Battin says his party is committed to "scrapping the tax" if elected next year. ( ABC News: Joseph Dunstan ) On Tuesday the Victorian Opposition promised to scrap the ESVF if it won the next state election. "Under our plan, the Liberals and Nationals will repeal the ESVF and return to the simpler, fairer Fire Services Property Levy — a model that funds fire services transparently, without punishing homeowners, renters and farmers," Liberal leader Brad Battin said. Premier Jacinta Allan told the Victorian parliament the ESVF needed to be funded to provide adequate resourcing to emergency services. "You cannot ignore the fact that more and more is being asked of our emergency services, our state emergency services," she said. "You cannot commit to ripping away … hundreds of millions of dollars from our emergency services without finding it from somewhere else." Spring Street was swarming with CFA volunteers on Tuesday morning. ( ABC News. ) Protesters from across Victoria converge on Spring Street in Melbourne on Tuesday. (ABC News) CFA volunteers rally around the famous clocktower in Camperdown in south-west Victoria. ( Supplied: Chris Rodda ) CFA residents in Camperdown in south-west Victoria rally around the town's clock tower. (Supplied: Chris Rodda) About 50 protesters gathered outside the Morwell office of Labor MP Harriet Shing. About 50 protesters gather outside the Morwell office of Labor MP Harriet Shing. (ABC News: Rachael Lucas) Volunteers in Warrnambool rallied at the town's greyhound racing circuit. ( ABC News: Olivia Sanders ) In Warrnambool, volunteers rally at the town's greyhound racing circuit. (ABC News: Olivia Sanders) How it works The old tax, known as the Fire Services Levy, was used exclusively to fund the Country Fire Authority and Fire Services Victoria. The new, expanded tax will continue to fund the CFA and FRV, along with the State Emergency Service, Triple Zero Victoria and six other emergency-related government agencies. For farmers, the new tax will increase by 150 per cent to 71.8 cents for every $1,000 of property value, while for home owners it will double to 17. 3 cents. Rebates are available to all SES and CFA volunteers, but only on their principal place of residence. Alternatively, farmers who volunteer can access a rebate on their farm, but this is capped at $5 million, meaning a maximum rebate of $3,865. There is a drought rebate available for farmers in local government areas receiving drought support — these farmers will be taxed at the same rate as under the Fire Services Levy. The state government will raise $1.6 billion from the ESVF next financial year, up $600 million on the previous year. It has budgeted $26 million for rebates in 2025–26.
Forbes
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Gundam GQuuuuuuX' Bookends Its First Three Episodes With A Clan Battle
Machu takes on a Clan Battle in the third episode of 'Gundam GQuuuuuuX'. The last of the three episodes brings us in line with the Gundam GQuuuuuuX movie, and featured a clan battle. The latter is something that is very similar to the high-school mobile suit matches we saw in Witch from Mercury, where two sides battle out in mobile suits to determine a winner. The difference here, apart from the two-on-two setup, is that the background makes the battles more mysterious and engaging. In that, GQuuuuuuX finally explains what a MAV is, without clarifying what the acronym actually stands for. In this version of the timeline, when Minovsky Particles are at battle density, whichever mobile suit attacks first reveals their position and puts themselves at a disadvantage. This is where the wingman MAV setup comes in, because it allows either party to cover the other and level the playing field. It is a neat and tidy update to the way battle tactics operate when Minovsky Particles render your radar and other sensors useless. This is especially interesting considering that Yoshiyuki Tomino originally asked for Minovsky Particles from his planning team to force the mobile suits to fight closer together. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder This was because Tomino thought long-distance sniping battles wouldn't be very interesting to watch, but in this instance, the team behind GQuuuuuuX has actually evolved the concept, and I think that's rather great. We also get a bit of backstory that Challia Bull and Char Aznable originally created the MAV setup, which is cool. The other bit of nerdy timeline lore is that we see the appearance of Cameron Bloom. This was a minor character in the original series and Char's Counterattack, who was Mirai Yashima's rejected fiancé. In this version, it's clear that Cameron is already familiar with Challia and even respects him, almost in the same way Cameron respected Bright Noa in the original timeline. The good news in all this is that we've come to the end of the footage from the Beginning movie, and from the next episode onwards, it's all new. While the mecha designs have yet to grow on me, I am cautiously hopeful that the remaining episodes of GQuuuuuuX could end up being rather interesting. Gundam GQuuuuuuX is now streaming worldwide via Amazon Prime Video. Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
