A City of Greater Bendigo councillor has apologised following the release of an arbiter’s report into his conduct.
Whipstick Ward representative Owen Cosgriff responded to the matter at a monthly meeting of the City’s council, held last night (Monday, March 16th).
The councillor told those in attendance he had “been compelled by the local government inspectorate to make an apology.”
“By now, residents will have had a chance to read the report and will have no doubt made up their own minds as to whether they consider it to have been a good use of council’s time and state tax money,” Cr Cosgriff said.
“As is hopefully clear from my Ward Report, my mind has not been fixed on the feelings of the powerful people sat around this table; it has instead been laser-focused on those who feel powerless in our community.
“I’m here to represent them; they are all that I care about.
“If in my pursuit of their interests I came across to you as brash or too colloquial or whatever you like… then I am sorry.
“It was not my intention to upset you; it is my sole intention to serve them.”
The statement comes after an arbiter’s report, commissioned by the City, found Cr Cosgriff had “engaged in misconduct” as a result of aggressive, confrontational and disrespectful behaviour towards elected members and staff, in August and September of 2025.
That report was tabled at council’s monthly meeting in February, and directed him to provide an apology in-writing to be read at March’s meeting.
Cr Cosgriff encouraged those who had issues with his behaviour in future to speak with him directly in the future, “rather than running straight to the inspectorate”.
“I believe that’s what the people of the City expect of us as their elected representatives, and it will certainly make the next three years run much more smoothly,” he said at the meeting.
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