Court hands down restraining order against Burnside councillor, ordering him to stay away from Mayor and several senior staff
A BURNSIDE councillor accused of bullying, harassing and stalking his colleagues will not be allowed to attend meetings or contact senior staff.
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A BURNSIDE councillor accused of bullying, harassing and stalking his colleagues will not be allowed to attend council meetings or contact senior staff under a court-ordered ban.
The Adelaide Magistrates Court yesterday granted Burnside Council intervention orders against Cr Lance Bagster.
The interim orders mean Cr Bagster cannot come within 50m of the council’s Greenhill Rd chambers, including to attend meetings.
Under the orders, Cr Bagster is also barred from contacting or publishing information about Mayor David Parkin and a number of senior council staff.
He is also banned from coming within 50m of their house and workplace.
The orders have been made after independent mediator, Theressa Hines, prepared a report into the relationship between Burnside chief executive Paul Deb and Cr Bagster and found the elected member posed a “significant risk” to the workplace.
A court hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday, where Cr Bagster – who has repeatedly rejected Ms Hines’s findings – will be allowed to challenge the order.
The council applied for the court order as it attempted to deal with the findings of Ms Hines’s report.
It was understood to be the first time an SA council had applied for an intervention order against one of its elected members.
A copy of one intervention order, obtained by the Eastern Courier Messenger, stated the protective measure was imposed because there was “reasonable apprehension” that Cr Bagster “may commit an act of abuse”.
Mr Parkin today said the intervention order was necessary to deal with the “unprecedented issue”.
“The safety of council staff and our elected members is, and will always be, our paramount concern,” Mr Parkin said.
“Dealing with this unprecedented issue for a considerable period of time has severely tested our ability to deal with the daily demands of council business.”
Cr Bagster said: “This is making it very difficult for me to represent the community and ratepayers in Burnside and carry out my sworn duties.”
Local Government Minister Geoff Brock has repeatedly refused the council’s request to intervene in the situation, saying it would be inappropriate to act while a SafeWork SA investigation into the workplace was ongoing.
Mr Parkin last week said he believed Mr Brock’s inaction was “pathetic” and an “abrogation of his duty”.