Mayor Michelle Dracoulis accuses Craig Farrell of ‘gross abuse of power’ and bullying

A war of words has erupted over Derwent Valley mayor Michelle Dracoulis’ Facebook post alleging bullying by local member Craig Farrell. Read what she said.

Labor's Craig Farrell is the Legislative Council Member for Derwent. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Derwent Valley mayor Michelle Dracoulis has accused local member and president of the Legislative Council Craig Farrell of bullying and “a gross abuse of power”.

Mr Farrell, the Labor member for Derwent in the Legislative Council, told the Sunday Tasmanian he was seeking legal advice on whether he had been defamed by a post Ms Dracoulis’ made on Facebook which he says was repeated on another Facebook page.

He declined to comment further.

In her Facebook post, Ms Dracoulis said she had “had enough” of the “ongoing malfeasance” by Mr Farrell.

She alleged Mr Farrell had derogatory names for her and a previous mayor.

“I’m not doing my gender any favours by keeping quiet and keeping on in the face of slander and bullying, and I’m certainly not setting a good example,” she wrote.

Mayor of Derwent Valley, Michelle Dracoulis. Picture: Linda Higginson

“It isn’t just mayors that this person targets.

“I attended Labor Party meetings across the country for thirty years, but ceased to attend locally due to the toxic culture, including the use of nasty names for currently sitting Labor members, and an onslaught of misogynistic observations about other women in power in Tasmania.”

“This behaviour is a gross abuse of power.

“The behaviours above are bullying behaviours.

“They harm me, my council and my family.

“They are designed to denigrate and cause damage.

“This needs to stop today.”

Burnie mayor Teeny Brumby supported Ms Dracoulis who she said “tirelessly dedicates herself to her municipality”.

“Michelle’s decision to step back from an opportunity to run for state office in favour of continuing her vital work as mayor speaks volumes of her commitment and passion for her community,” Ms Brumby said.

“Being a mayor is already a 24/7 job, filled with the weight of expectation and service to the community.”

Minister for Women Madeleine Ogilvie also weighed in saying “complaints must be taken seriously” concerning women in public life.

‘Unsatisfied’: Businesses want local council placed in administration

September 15, 5am

The Derwent Valley community is deeply divided over the performance of the local council with some disgruntled business leaders demanding the government urgently place it in administration.

They have written to Local Government Minister, Nic Street, who confirmed he was aware a group of local businesses were “unsatisfied” with some recent council decisions.

“The Office of Local Government is engaging with both council and the concerned businesses to ensure they are working to resolve their issues,” he said.

“I understand council has committed to working through these matters, and that the Office of Local Government has provided the group of businesses with options to escalate their concerns if they remain unsatisfied.

“There are clear avenues for resolving disputes in the local government sector, and I have every confidence that the parties involved will be able to constructively settle the matters raised.”

Nic Street. Picture: Linda Higginson

Mayor Michelle Dracoulis said she was aware correspondence had been sent to the Minister’s office, “however this correspondence has not been presented to council”.

“As such I am not across the content and am unable to make comment,” she said.

In the letter to the Minister and Local Government Office, Business Derwent Valley, Derwent Valley Arts, JWESS Civil Construction and Excavation, New Norfolk Distillery, former councillor Peter Binney and Ruth Binney, the former chair of the now dissolved Historical Information Centre say the issues faced were “long term, universal and systemic”.

But others in the community have contacted the Sunday Tasmanian to praise the council and Ms Dracoulis.

Derwent Valley Mayor Michelle Dracoulis at New Norfolk. Picture: Chris Kidd

“We are deeply frustrated by the DVC’s judgement, its constant willingness to spread mistruth and the disclosure of confidential information,” they wrote.

“Misinformation released by the DVC and amplified on social media has divided the community.

“The economic impact of these actions is a loss of investment, events and opportunities for the Derwent Valley and neighbouring regions to grow and benefit.

“The DVC’s actions have affected organisations, no matter what their business, their event, their community group or attempts to do good work in our region and were both direct and indirect.”

Brett Maryniak, president of Derwent Valley Arts, is critical of council communications, especially in relation to a lease on a council owned building.

“There’s been a real lack of productive communication with the current council, and particularly the executive and the executive officers,” he said.

“Trying to get decisions out of them or information about decisions that they’ve made has been really difficult, we’ve been basically kicked out of the building we leased which is just sitting there. It’s empty, it’s totally under used.

“There’s a lot of empty buildings up here that have formally been part of Willow Court, that are just getting vandalised and burnt down and windows broken and so on.”

Distillery director Tarrant Derksen, who is involved in court action with the council, has run the distillery for five years and said there had been no problems with past councils.

“This council breached our trust when they released our confidential information,” he said.

“Basically it was used in Parliament against us, when all we’re trying to do is expand our business and employ locals.

1 of 1 New Norfolk Distillery owner Tarrant Derksen. Photograph Eddie Safarik

“We’re basically at a loss as to how to deal and basically exist in the Derwent Valley as a business when our local council is actively working against us.”

However, former councillor Anne Salt said the current council was doing an “excellent” job.

“They are dealing with legacy issues from previous administrations,” she said.

“They are acting in the best interests of ratepayers and doing an excellent job.”

Nigel Shearer, who worked in local government in the UK and runs a Derwent Valley residents and ratepayers group on Facebook, said the council was making strategic decisions including welcoming Incat to the area.

“They are punching well above their weight,” he said.

“People can throw grenades but the first question is have they been to council with their concerns?”

Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party secretary, Phillip Bigg, also rejected the call for the council to be placed in administration.

“Since Michelle Dracoulis became mayor we’re starting to get somewhere and it’s good to see,” he said

“In the past couple of years we haven’t seen the constant malicious attacks on council and council staff.

“The general attitude to the council is getting better and pretty good and we should be striving to work together.”

In the letter, the businesses said personal agendas had affected the council’s decision making and communications.

“Each of the groups and individuals represented had clearly demonstrated their attempts to work on a resolution with the DVC,” it wrote.

“The collective experience was that the DVC was either unwilling or unwavering in their stance.”