To the extent that I, (Dean Hurlston) have made statements about Cr Jami Klisaris that may have negatively impacted her reputation and standing within the community, I regret doing so. I wish to apologise for any such statements and withdraw them entirely. I wish to apologise for any distress caused to Cr Klisaris for the way these statements were made.

Explosive allegations this week that women councillors no longer feel safe  under the alleged behaviour of Municipal Monitor John Tanner  — the very man appointed by Minister Nick Staikos  himself to Hobsons Bay & Kingston Councils. 👩‍⚖️💥 Council Watch has seen shocking claims that women councillors have been allegedly: Spoken to in a condescending, aggressive, or bullying tone  😡 Yelled at , with tables thumped  💢 Targeted  and pressured  to obey his "directions" Denied

Plaques, photo ops, and self-promotion over community service! When did serving the people turn into serving themselves? By Dean Hurlston...

Cover of the latest Yarra Council Mayoral Report It is hard to deny that feeling of joy you get when you are hit by a refreshing breeze...

In recent months, a growing chorus of Victorian councils has intensified its campaign to scrap the State Government’s rate cap policy....

By Council Watch | April 2025 At its core, the Local Government Act 2020  is a document of strategic precision — not democratic...

By Council Watch The recently released Municipal Monitor’s Report on Colac Otway Shire Council  is intended to be a roadmap to better...

Local governments in Victoria are no strangers to controversy, but one of the most glaring and persistent failures lies in the poor...

Across Australia, ratepayers are growing increasingly frustrated. Despite paying record-high council rates, they are witnessing a steady...

Local councils across Victoria (and in every state) collectively contribute tens of millions of dollars each year to a range of...

In a scathing critique of Victoria’s political landscape, Council Watch has raised concerns over widespread Council corruption , with...

When a Council treats your poorly, just remember, they must be FAIR and unbiased in their decision-making process. Council Watch gets...

These council elections have seen a massive changing of the guard. Not all change is bad. In order for the sector to improve, here is...

The incessant media cycle continues to screech “we are in a housing crisis”. No doubt we need more homes if the population is going to...

These Local Council Elections - the Rainbow Local Government (RLG) Pledge is back. As a gay man, I wanted to share my views and...

It is a term many of us have been conditioned to forget or not taught to use. Agency is our power, not just as an individual but also as...

Democracy is a funny thing. It can often be misunderstood. In addition to the Candidate Questionnaire that we will soon release, we would...

OUR KEEP RATE CAPPING PETITION TO PARLIAMENT IS HERE: https://www.councilwatch.com.au/ratecaps You can read on below. A few weeks ago, I...

Citizens panels are a dud. They use flawed methodology to misrepresent, skew, and "steer" council priorities and funding into majorly social

Last Thursday I wrote to 30 Councils asking for a copy of their gift registers. Why? Because many of them are not easily accessible...