Geelong deputy mayor Anthony Aitken to apologise to fellow councillors after accusing them of not having an ‘open mind’

An arbitration process that has ordered Geelong’s deputy mayor to apologise to three fellow councillors could have easily been avoided, but instead ratepayers have been left to foot the bill.

Anthony Aitken speaking at Geelong West Town Hall last year. Picture: Alan Barber.

Geelong deputy mayor Anthony Aitken will make a second successive apology to three of his fellow councillors after lashing out over their failure to support plans for a Bellarine chocolate factory.

Councillors Sarah Hathway, Elise Wilkinson and Jim Mason lodged a formal complaint soon after a December planning committee meeting where Mr Aitken’s accused them of having a predetermined view on the matter.

Mr Aitken has been sanctioned following an arbitration process that ultimately found he breached the Local Government Act’s standards of conduct by making “disrespectful and discourteous” comments.

Bellarine ward councillor Elise Wilkinson. Picture: Supplied.

Despite apologising for his comments at the April council meeting, arbiter Yehudi Blacher ruled that Mr Aitken should again apologise to councillors Hathway, Wilkinson and Mason.

This will occur at Tuesday night’s council meeting.

“The apology should be circulated by the council to relevant media outlets in the municipality,” Mr Blacher added.

The proposal in question included a chocolaterie, restaurant and cafe, 12 farm stay cabins, a children’s farm, berry gardens and an apple orchard on the western outskirts of Portarlington.

The plan dated back August 2022 and council officers recommended a permit be granted.

Mr Aitken submitted that he did not believe his conduct breached the standards.

He said he was “shocked” that Mr Mason, the committee chair, “looked to be soliciting an alternative motion” that would go against the officers’ recommendation.

Such a motion was put forward by Ms Wilkinson and seconded by Ms Hathway.

“Councillor Aitken stated that this intervention ‘shocked’ him and formed the basis of his view that some councillors had a predetermined view of the application and had not come into the meeting with open minds,” Mr Blacher’s report stated.

Geelong councillor Sarah Hathway (right) is backed by Socialist Alliance. Photo: Matt Hrkac/Green Left.

The arbitration was entirely limited to whether Mr Aitken’s comments constituted misconduct, not whether the three councillors who made the complaint did in fact have a preconceived view of the planning matter.

“Had Cr. Aitken been more careful with his words and more sensitive to the concerns expressed by Crs. Wilkinson and Hathway this matter may have been resolved internally,” Mr Blacher said.

“Similarly, had the complainant councillors sought to have the matter resolved internally rather than make a complaint only six days after the meeting, this arbitration may not have been required.

“Indeed, the matter could have been resolved at any time after the complaint was made, but before the (February 22) hearing, by Cr. Aitken apologising to his fellow councillors.

“Given that none of these actions were taken, the councillors collectively have subjected Geelong ratepayers to the cost and time involved this external arbitration.”

Mr Aitken conceded at council’s April meeting that his comments were “wrong and disrespectful”.

“I accept that no councillor at that meeting had a predetermined position on the planning matter,” he said.

“I wish to publicly retract my statements and issue an unreserved apology to all those councillors.”

Originally published as Geelong deputy mayor Anthony Aitken to apologise to fellow councillors after accusing them of not having an ‘open mind’