Mornington Peninsula Shire Mayor Anthony Marsh is facing scrutiny after a Facebook post about an unscheduled animal welfare meeting at The Briars raised governance concerns and questions over councillor conduct.
On Thursday, 11 September 2025, Cr Marsh announced via social media that he had called the meeting to address “urgent” concerns about the humane treatment of animals in council care. His post thanked five councillors — Deputy Mayor Paul Pingiaro, Andrea Allen, Cam Williams, Stephen Batty and Bruce Ranken — for their “strong advocacy and support.”
The five named councillors, together with Cr Marsh, form what STPL News has previously reported as the notorious bloc of six — a voting alliance that has dominated council decisions during the current term. Observers argue that the Mayor’s selective praise further validates concerns about the group’s influence over council business.
Governance concerns raised
The Mayor’s post has prompted criticism that it may breach standards of conduct required under the Local Government Act 2020 (Vic). Critics argue three areas of concern stand out:
- Respect for colleagues – By thanking only a select group of councillors, Cr Marsh implied that others had not supported the matter. Observers argue this could be seen as disrespectful or discourteous, contrary to councillor conduct rules.
- Disclosure of decision-making – Cr Marsh’s statement that “consensus” had not been reached on an officer recommendation suggests discussions were taking place in council briefings. Under Victorian law, council decisions must be made transparently in formally convened meetings, not behind closed doors.
- Council reputation – By presenting council as unable to act promptly, the Mayor’s comments may have damaged the reputation of the organisation. In comments on the post, Cr Marsh was also accused of providing misleading information to a resident about his voting record on a previous agenda item.
Former mayor Steve Holland weighs in
Former councillor and former mayor Steve Holland said the Mayor’s wording raised serious governance issues.
“My opinion is that the social media posts from the Mayor appear to suggest that decisions are being made in briefings. That’s a big no-no. I don’t know how else you could interpret the comment about consensus. Decisions should not be made behind closed doors by consensus. Decisions should be made at public Council Meetings.
There’s still no public agenda available, there’s no clarity about what the issue is or what the views of individual councillors are. In that context, I find the insinuating comments he’s made about his colleagues peculiar. It’s quite disrespectful to front run public commentary about a sensitive issue before a vote has taken place. It’s bad faith, and seemingly done only for political purposes. In my opinion that’s the sort of thing that undermines people’s faith in the council.”
What happens next
Under Victorian governance standards, councillors must act respectfully, avoid damaging the reputation of council, and ensure decisions are made lawfully and transparently. Potential breaches may be investigated internally or referred to the Chief Municipal Inspector.
The unscheduled Mornington Peninsula Shire Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, 16 September 2025 at 5.00pm and will be streamed online for residents.
STPL News has contacted MPSC CEO Mark Stoermer for comment.
