Danielle Eveleigh speaks out following shock Palmerston council resignation

A former Palmerston councillor has spoken to the NT News about the circumstances that led to her very public resignation. Read the details.

Ms Eveleigh resigned from Palmerston council at the weekend. Picture: Sam Lowe

Danielle Eveleigh has spoken out following her very public shock resignation from Palmerston council on Sunday afternoon.

On Thursday, Ms Eveleigh was featured on Katie Woolf’s Mix104.9 show to discuss the welfare of her constituent and friend, Trevor Miller, who was brutally assaulted in his Woodroffe home on April 2.

Ms Eveleigh is known throughout the community for her work with the charity Walking Off The War Within. Here she is with her partner Ashley Jones and their kids Amelia and Sebastian. Picture: Glenn Campbell

Ms Eveleigh was introduced as a “councillor” by Woolf, and made reference to a “councillor” colleague during the on-air discussion.

She claimed it was these references which led acting mayor Damian Hale to contact her on Saturday night, requesting a meeting with her to discuss the radio segment and the council’s media policy.

Ms Eveleigh, who was first elected to council in 2021, said she told Mr Hale that night she would resign, receiving confirmation of her resignation from the council’s chief executive on Sunday morning.

“Credit to Damian, he tried to get me to stay, but I thought to myself, ‘I’m done’,” Ms Eveleigh said.

“I felt like I had a gag order on.”

Ms Eveleigh said she is not afraid to speak out. Picture: Supplied.

“At no point did I say that my views were from council.

“I spoke very personally about my friend Trevor.

“That should be an acceptable way to speak.”

Ms Eveleigh said she had no regrets about her decision to speak with Woolf, or her decision to resign.

“I expect constituents want us to speak about issues affecting our community as elected members,” she told the NT News.

Woolf responded to Ms Eveleigh’s resignation online.

“I’m really sorry to see this Dani,” Woolf wrote on Facebook.

Ms Eveleigh was cautioned for her on-air conversation with Katie Woolf on Thursday. Picture Glenn Campbell

“You were speaking up for the community and a man who was not in a position at that point in time to speak up for himself — that is exactly what I’d expect those on council and other elected members to do.”

Ms Eveleigh said “there had been other matters” and this latest incident was the “straw that broke the camel’s back”.

“There’s been a number of times in the past where I was forced to apologise because I hadn’t agreed with a council position,” Ms Eveleigh claimed.

“From my experience, if you did not share a certain opinion in council, you were placed on the outer.”

Mr Hale thanked Ms Eveleigh for her “commitment to the community and wished her all the best in her future endeavours”.

He confirmed Ms Eveleigh’s decision to resign was made “independently” of council.

“City of Palmerston confirms that her recent media comments did not constitute a breach of council’s media policy,” he said.

Ms Eveleigh was first elected to council in 2021. Picture: Supplied

“The policy openly entitles elected members in engaging with the media and community, while encouraging respectful and accurate communication that reflects council operations and decisions.”

Ms Eveleigh said although her time as an elected member had finished, she would continue to advocate for her community.

“My next big project is a veterans’ conference on July 16 at the Tennis Centre,” she said.

Originally published as Danielle Eveleigh speaks out following shock Palmerston council resignation