July 13th, 2026Three more Hepburn Shire councillors stood down

Hepburn Shire Council has confirmed that councillors Shirley Cornish, Lesley Hewitt and Pat Hockey have been served with criminal charge by the same individual who served other councillors and the CEO earlier this year.

The matters are proceeding as private prosecutions and, like the previous charges, have not involved any investigation, fact‑finding process, or assessment by Victoria Police or any public prosecutorial authority.

A media release said the council was limited in what it could publicly say about the charges since they are before the courts.

“Council can say that it is bitterly disappointed with the impact that this individual’s actions are having on our community and its right to be represented by its democratically elected representatives.

“With only two councillors not stood down as a result of this individual’s actions, council meetings of any kind cannot proceed as a quorum cannot be reached.

“It is extremely important to note that council’s day-to-day operations, like bin collection, library operation and road maintenance, will continue unaffected.

“Council continues to work with the Victorian Government and relevant authorities to address these matters, and remains committed to maintaining strong governance, transparency and continuity of service to the Hepburn Shire community.

“Council continues to act in accordance with the Local Government Act 2020 and Council’s Integrity Policy.

“As required by the Local Government Act 2020, Cr Shirley Cornish, Cr Lesley Hewitt and Cr Pat Hockey are all automatically stood down while this matter is managed through the appropriate processes.”

Mayor Cr Tony Clark and Cr Don Henderson have already been stood down after being served withy criminal charges.

The two councillors remaining are Cr Brian Hood and Cr Tim Drylie.