Mayoral Upset - – Messy changeover at Bass Coast

BOTH local councils, South Gippsland and Bass Coast, will have new mayors by Wednesday this week as local government enters what out-going Bass Coast Mayor, Cr Michael Whelan, described as the “silly season” ahead of the October 2024 council elections.

Elected to replace him last week was veteran Western Port Ward representative Cr Clare Le Serve, who has previously served as mayor in 2012.

South Gippsland Mayor Cr Nathan Hersey has also confirmed, in his final Mayor’s Message this week, that he will not be seeking re-election, after fellow councillors indicated to him they preferred a rotational model for mayor that gives others with “the capacity to lead” an opportunity to take on the top job.

And favoured to be the next mayor at South Gippsland is Tarwin Valley Ward Councillor, Clare Williams, who is believed to “have the numbers”.

However, while South Gippsland looks set for a smooth transition at the top, it was anything but that at Bass Coast last Wednesday.

And the injured party, Cr Rochelle Halstead, wasted no time in expressing her deep disappointment at the meeting for the way the process was handled.

After thanking the outgoing mayor Cr Michael Whelan for his service, over the past two years, and for “passing on his knowledge in my role as deputy to him”, Cr Halstead claimed politics had “played a huge role” in council’s decision not to support her moving up from deputy to mayor.

“I think it’s going to be a totally different council moving forward. I am very disappointed not to be elected into the top job, but I respect the decision of council,” said Cr Halstead.

“I just wished that politics hadn’t played such a huge part in that decision but it’s the decision and I will respect it, thank you.”

At issue was the decision by fellow Waterline councillor, Cr Geoff Ellis, to initially lead the push for Cr Halstead to be elected as mayor, by nominating her for the role, but in a move that some insiders have described as “treachery”, he switched his vote at the last minute to Cr Le Serve, a decision that proved crucial in a 5-4 result.

Voting in favour of Cr Le Serve were Crs Ellis, Laing, Le Serve, Rooks, and Whelan, while Cr Halstead had the support of Crs Bauer, Halstead, Larke, and Tessari.

Speaking afterwards, Cr Halstead said she had been blindsided by the outcome after Cr Ellis had offered his support.

“After he offered to nominate me, and indicated he was fully behind me, I was aware he was under some pressure, so I stepped away and allowed him some space,” said Cr Halstead.

But she said there was a “full-blown” campaign going on behind the scenes, to reject her as mayor, much of it from outside the council, that ultimately resulted in Cr Ellis changing his mind.

“It was pretty full on,” said Cr Halstead.

Exactly what the forces, behind Cr Ellis changing his vote, thought they had to lose, if Cr Halstead was mayor, isn’t clear.

Protecting the priority so far given by council to action on climate change, reconciliation, and social engineering policies has been suggested but Cr Ellis has been reluctant to explain.

Speaking to the Sentinel-Times at the Phillip Island Festival of Stories last Saturday, Cr Ellis acknowledged he’d changed his vote to Cr Le Serve, and while he declined to explain exactly why, he added the cryptic remark that not everything was as it appeared on the surface.