March 28th, 2026Coffee incident

Hepburn Shire Council has issued a media release over the incident involving coffee being thrown on the council’s Chief Executive Officer Bradley Thomas by a community member.
“(This) has now been heard in the Ballarat Magistrates’ Court. We are pleased that there has been a resolution. The community member pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful assault and was issued a fine and placed on a good behaviour bond. The verdict demonstrates that authorities are taking these matters seriously and abusive behaviour will not be tolerated.
“Council continues to advocate to state and federal governments for legislative change that protects councillors and council staff. In particular, we are urging the state government to explicitly include local government within the scope of workplace protection orders, ensuring that council staff and elected representatives are afforded the same legal protections as those in other sectors.
“Additionally, we call on the federal government to strengthen the powers of the eSafety Commissioner, so that they can effectively respond to high-volume attacks and coordinated online abuse targeting local government officials and staff. These reforms are essential to creating a safer working environment and upholding the integrity of public service at all levels of government.”