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Volunteering to remember Mount Macedon ANZAC Dawn Service committee is on the lookout for skilled media volunteers to help with one of Victoria’s largest regional services. The committee is seeking assistance for up to three skilled volunteers with experience in media, communications, community liaison, or content production. Students undertaking studies in these areas are also welcome. Event coordinator Leona Latcham has been volunteering with the dawn service for six years and said she got involved after attending the service at the memorial cross. “I was blown away by the professionalism and quality of the service and the way the Macedon Ranges community appreciated it,” she said. “I served for 12 years in the Army, I am a retired project manager and I hold qualifications in cultural history so I thought the Dawn Service Committee would be a good fit. “The public event is only one hour, but there are many tasks that need to be completed prior to and during the event to ensure the Dawn Service is a success.” Details: mtmacedondawnservice@gmail.com Mount Macedon ANZAC Day Dawn Service event coordinator Leona Latcham. (Damjan Janevski) 355962_01
Council withdraws appeal By Laura Michell Hume council has withdrawn its Supreme Court appeal against the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal’s (VCAT) decision to clear councillor Trevor Dance of serious misconduct. Council withdrew the appeal during a Court of Appeal hearing on Thursday, August 24. Council decided to lodge the appeal on December 19, 2022, after VCAT president Justice Michelle Quigley cleared Cr Dance of the serious misconduct charge on December 8,
2022. At the time, council said the appeal was necessary because “there are wider governance matters of relevance to the local government sector that need to be clarified as a result of the VCAT decision“. Cr Dance had applied to VCAT for a review of a Hume council-convened councillor conduct panel’s (CCP) decision to suspend him from council for three months after finding he had engaged in serious misconduct. The CCP found Cr Dance had breached council’s internal arbitration process by failing to attend two arbitration hearings in June, 2021,
in relation to his allegations of misconduct against fellow Cr Jack Medcraft. The hearings cleared Cr Medcraft of any misconduct. Cr Dance had cited his mental health for refusing to attend the hearings, but the CCP concluded Cr Dance “did not attend the hearings because he chose not to attend in circumstances where no medical evidence to support his non-attendance was provided by him”. Cr Dance served two weeks of his suspension before VCAT granted him a stay. Justice Quigley found Cr Dance’s claims about his mental health should have been
considered more seriously. “On the material before me I do not accept the failure to comply was wilful and deliberate in the proper sense. It was not without any reasonable excuse,” Justice Quigley said in her decision. “He took active steps to participate in the hearings. “Concern for his mental health and psychological safety is a factor which I give significant weight to in forming my opinion of the circumstances in issue here.” ■ Continued: Page 6.
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