August 1st, 2026And then there were two – council disarray
Five of Hepburn Shire Council’s seven councillors are now stood down after private prosecutions from a Hepburn Shire resident.
Cr Don Henderson was stood down in March followed this month by Mayor Cr Tony Clark, then Cr Lesley Hewitt, Deputy Mayor Cr Shirley Cornish and Cr Pat Hockey. The two remaining councillors are Cr Brian Hood and Cr Tim Drylie.
CEO Bradley Thomas is also facing charges but was not stood down. However he has since resigned.
Janet Dore, pictured, has been appointed acting Chief Executive Officer of the council from August 3 to August 23.
Ms Dore served as CEO of the Transport Accident Commission from 2007 to 2015. She has also held senior local government roles, including general manager at the City of Newcastle and interim CEO at the City of Ballarat, along with several council monitor and administrator appointments.
The appointment follows an external recruitment process led by CEO Employment and Remuneration Committee temporary interim chair Rebecca McKenzie, with councillors Tim Drylie and Brian Hood.
A council media release said Ms Dore’s short-term arrangement would enable the council to continue working with the Victorian Government to establish an appropriate decision-making mechanism, including the potential extension of Ms Dore’s appointment as interim CEO beyond August 23.
(The next step could be seeing the state government appointing an administrator or administrators to take over the role of councillors.)
A July 15 council media release said the council had reaffirmed with independent advice that its adopted 2026/27 Budget was compliant with legislative requirements and would like to correct commentary suggesting otherwise.
“Council considered placing the draft 2026/27 Budget on public exhibition for community feedback at its Council Meeting on 26 May 2026. The draft Budget was prepared using the relevant Victorian Government budget template and included the information required under the Local Government Act 2020 and associated regulations.
“Following community engagement, councillors considered a further report at a Special Council Meeting on 30 June 2026. That report requested that council adopt the draft Budget including a number of changes that had occurred since the draft was released. This is a normal and consistent practice across the local government sector, where budgets are refined following public exhibition, updated information and council consideration.
“During the meeting, a concern was raised that the Budget may not be compliant. Clarification was sought and the Chief Executive Officer advised that the Budget was compliant and it was adopted. Since its adoption, council has sought further independent legal advice. That advice confirms council’s position that the adopted 2026/27 Budget is compliant with legislative requirements.
“The 2026/27 Budget was developed in a challenging financial environment and is focused on responsible service delivery, investment in essential community infrastructure and the ongoing management of council’s long-term financial sustainability.”
Meanwhile, the July council meeting was cancelled because the council no longer has a quorum. A council media release said: “We’ll keep you updated on any developments with the situation and any action by the Victorian Government.
“Remember, operationally it’s business as usual for us. We are still delivering services and completing projects.”
Words: Donna Kelly | Images: Hepburn Shire Council
