Mike Creed has announced he will seek a leave of absence from Hawkesbury City Council following what he described as months of personal attacks and emotionally difficult events.
In a public statement issued on the evening of 18 May, Councillor Creed said recent events had taken a significant toll on him personally and emotionally, prompting his decision to temporarily step away from council duties to focus on his wellbeing.
“Over several months, a number of events and personal attacks have taken a significant toll on me both personally and emotionally,” Cr Creed said.
“After much thought, I have made the decision to take a leave of absence from Council for a period of time to focus on my wellbeing and re-evaluate a number of things moving forward.”
Under Council’s Code of Meeting Practice, any formal leave of absence for a councillor must be voted on by councillors at a future council meeting.
The announcement follows an emotional and highly publicised council meeting on 12 May during which Cr Creed spoke openly in the chamber about bullying, harassment and the psychological impact political conflict had allegedly taken on him after adopting minority positions on council matters.
During that meeting, Cr Creed became visibly distressed while addressing the chamber, with the events later prompting the Hawkesbury Gazette to attach a trigger warning to its webcast coverage due to discussion relating to mental health and self-harm.
In his latest statement, Cr Creed thanked community members for what he described as an overwhelming level of support following the meeting.
“I also want to sincerely thank the hundreds of people who have reached out to me in recent days, including many people I have never met before,” he said.
“The kindness, support and encouragement shown to me has been overwhelming in the most positive way and I’m doing my best to respond to everyone as soon as I can.”
Cr Creed also acknowledged people who had shared their own personal experiences with him following the public discussion surrounding mental health and bullying within local government.
“To those who have shared your own personal stories and experiences with me, thank you for your honesty and trust. Your messages and phone calls have genuinely meant a lot.”
The councillor said serving the Hawkesbury community had always meant a great deal to him and asked for privacy and understanding while he takes time to recover and reflect.
The announcement comes amid continuing public scrutiny surrounding workplace culture, psychosocial safety concerns and governance tensions within Hawkesbury Council.
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