A tense and emotional meeting of Hawkesbury City Council on Tuesday 12 May saw councillors openly debate the controversial ban imposed on the Hawkesbury Gazette and Hawkesbury Radio, with the chamber descending into deeply personal exchanges over allegations of bullying, harassment, and psychosocial harm.
The meeting highlighted growing divisions within Council as councillors grappled with the broader fallout from the media exclusion decision and ongoing governance instability within the organisation.
During debate on the matter, Councillor Creed became visibly emotional while opposing the ban, speaking about depression and suicidal ideation caused by trauma associated with harassment and bullying from other councillors that he claimed had not been properly investigated.
Cr Creed's address to the Council meeting supporting Cr Zamprogno's motion to lift the ban can be seen at 1:23:45 through to 1:35:03 in the recorded meeting video: (Trigger warning: If this story raises concerns for you or someone you know, support is available through Lifeline on 13 11 14.) https://webcast.hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au/archive/video26-0512-2.php
Councillor Creed told the chamber he had previously raised concerns about "abuse, intimidation and threats" made by fellow councillors towards him, with no meaningful action taken by the Mayor or Interim General Manager to address the claims. Creed stated that there had been "little to no acknowledgement of what [he] had been going through" regarding the alleged harassment perpetrated by a number of his colleagues.
In a later Facebook Post Cr Creed thanked his Councillor colleagues "Paul, Jill, Shane, Nathan and Les" stating "They reached out last night and again today to check in on me.
Your support and compassion during a very difficult moment has been deeply appreciated. While public life can at times be incredibility challenging I still believe strongly in treating people with kindness, respect and humanity even when we might disagree."
He argued the same behaviours were now being directed toward local media organisations and members of the wider community who expressed opposition to the current direction of Council.
The emotional tone of the meeting continued when Deputy Mayor Sarah McMahon, who was chairing proceedings, delivered her own personal response during debate.
The Deputy Mayor countered Cr Creed's narrative, arguing the distress experienced by councillors and their families was the result of what she described as a sustained media campaign directed at Council.
The meeting also heard strong criticism from the business community earlier in the evening.
President of the Hawkesbury Business Group, Phillip Bamford, addressed councillors and warned that ongoing dysfunction within Council was damaging confidence across the Hawkesbury region.
“We need the Minister to intervene and restore order, preferably appointing an experienced General Manager with local knowledge of Hawkesbury.”
Mr Bamford also claimed Council’s inability to function in a stable and effective manner was negatively impacting local businesses and residents.
The meeting comes amid continuing public debate surrounding Council’s decision to exclude local media organisations from Council premises under workplace health and safety provisions relating to alleged psychosocial risks to councillors and staff.
Hawkesbury Radio presenter Sean Carroll also known as "Sparky Sean" has lodged an Enquiry Form with SafeWork NSW regarding conduct that occurred during the Council meeting after being invited to do so by Hawkesbury Council Interim General Manager Will Barton in email correspondence dated May 15.
Mr Barton excluded Hawkesbury Radio and the Hawkesbury Gazette from Council premises as a preventative response designed to minimise potential psychosocial harm within the Council workplace.
"But the harm still occurred without the media present so further investigation needs to occur to determine what is actually happeing in Council and what needs to be done to improve things; that's what the WHS Act was set up to do." says Mr Carroll
The Hawkesbury Gazette maintains the issue raises important questions regarding governance, procedural fairness, transparency, and the role of independent local journalism in reporting on the activities of elected public authorities.
Council has been contacted for comment on the following questions:
- Does Council consider the conduct and tone of debate during the 12 May meeting to have met the standards expected under the Councillor Code of Conduct?
- Will Council investigate the allegations of bullying and harassment raised publicly by Councillor Creed during the meeting?
- Does Council believe the events of the 12 May meeting indicate broader governance or cultural issues within the organisation?
- What steps is Council taking to restore community confidence following the emotional and divisive nature of the debate surrounding the media ban?
- In light of concerns raised during the meeting regarding psychosocial harm, has Council considered engaging independent governance or workplace culture advisors to review councillor conduct and organisational culture?
The Gazette is following this story.
The Hawkesbury Gazette discloses that Councillor Lyons-Buckett has familial ties to the Publisher of the Gazette. The Gazette maintains editorial independence and publishes this disclosure in the interests of transparency and accountability to readers.
