A Wyndham councillor suspended for misconduct has been reinstated until an appeal hearing in June.
On January 9, VCAT granted Cr Jasmine Hill a stay on her suspension after deciding it would be prejudicial for it to remain in place until her appeal is heard.
VCAT has confirmed Cr Hill’s appeal is provisionally set for June 13 and 14, meaning she will remain on council for at least another six months, longer than her original four month suspension from December 2023 to April 2024.
Cr Hill has already returned to councillor duties and was seen alongside other council members at Australia Day celebrations in Wyndham Park on Friday.
Cr Hill confirmed to Star Weekly that her reinstatement comes with a series of restrictions imposed by Wyndham council CEO Stephen Wall, though neither party would detail what these restrictions involved.
Just before Christmas Cr Hill lodged an appeal with VCAT seeking to overturn the suspension imposed by the Councillor Conduct Panel which found she engaged in serious misconduct by bullying two council officers during 2021 and 2022.
Cr Hill disputed the finding, claiming she is the victim of a ‘political machine’ determined to silence her.
In statement to Star Weekly she again denied any wrong doing and said the matter wouldn’t distract from her role on council.
“Throughout my life, I’ve never had a record of bullying. My Christian beliefs, instilled from a young age, emphasise forgiveness as a core value,” she said.
“I value feedback from our officers. Despite the challenges, I remain dedicated to serving the community and overseeing the performance of the council, ensuring that it operates efficiently and effectively.”
The Councillor Conduct Panel found Cr Hill engaged in misconduct by repeatedly screaming and shouting at two council staffers on multiple occasions, affecting their health and underminding council operations.
On one such occasion, during a telephone call with one of the staffers on April 14, 2022, Cr Hill screamed: “why can’t you do your job properly?” and “You should hire new staff from culturally diverse backgrounds because the staff you have won’t accommodate other cultures“.
The staff member said Cr Hill screamed “I am not a communist” over and over during the 40 minute conversation which was so loud she had to turn down the volume on her Bluetooth.
Both staff members have since resigned, citing Cr Hill’s behaviour as a major factor in their decisions.
The bullying allegations against Cr Hill were originally brought by fellow councillor and now Wyndham deputy mayor Josh Gilligan.
Wyndham council’s first meeting for 2024 is on Tuesday February 27.
