A pattern of dysfunctional behaviour from councillors has emerged on day three of the public inquiry into Wingecarribee Shire Council.
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Three witnesses, Jan Wilson, Alan Olsen and Mark Bourne recounted their submissions to Commissioner Ross Glover and the officer assisting David Parish.
In her submission to the commissioner, Ms Wilson highlighted the conduct of the currently suspended councillors as a serious issue.
"Their behaviour was worse than primary school children," she said.
"Aggressive tactics were used, and, in my opinion, there was bullying."
Ms Wilson said several instances led her to form her opinion of the current councillors.
"I had arranged a meeting for the people who had nominated to stand for the last state elections," Ms Wilson explained.
"After the meeting, the mayor Duncan Gair was interviewed on TV about various things, including alleged comments that he felt that the candidates "were as useless as an ashtray on a motorbike".
"I felt to have made that sort of statement publicly on television should never have been made.
"Subsequently, councillor Ian Scandrett put forward a notice of motion to the general manager asking that Cr Gair apologises for the comment.
"The motion failed for want of a seconder, which was pretty common.
"Anything that Cr Scandrett brought up often failed because there was a lack of a seconder, or the vote was eight one against Cr Scandrett.
"It was not, in my view, democratic."
Ms Wilson also described bullying between councillors and said it was "vitriolic in many ways".
"Councillor Gair, in particular, would refer to the public as being obstacles, mainly towards Station Street," she said.
"Their lack of communication and their lack of leadership was poor.
"Some were worse than others. Cr Gair and Cr Scandrett were often at odds with each other, councillor Grahame Andrews remained fairly quiet, councillor Larry Whipper would often side with Cr Gair, and councillor Gordon Markwart resigned because of ill health."
Ms Wilson also spoke to the lack of community consultation surrounding Station Street, as well as communication between her husband and suspended councillor Peter Nelson, in which an email from Mr Nelson read "I am the one with the vote (written in capitals), so you don't count" concerning a letter regarding the Station Street Project.
A second witness, Alan Olsen, also spoke of a bullying culture within the council and councillors.
Mr Olsen said he attended a meeting on February 14, 2018, to speak about the Station Street Project on behalf of the group Highlands Matters.
"We were told that we were telling porky pies," he said.
"That we were lying.
"That was after I had spoken, and that was what a number of the councillors consistently said."
Mr Olsen said the council asserted that the community were being misled and that "the council inferred I was misleading the community."
"That was not true. I was offended," he said.
When asked if he felt bullied by the councillors, Mr Olsen answered that he did.
He also said the final straw for him was at the end of March.
"Councillor Scandrett convened a public meeting, with a release of some documents about Station Street," he said.
"I was told by Cr Scandrett that the council hates me."
Mr Olsen then read the notes he had taken of his interaction with Cr Scandrett at the time.
"Get off the stage, council hates you, you can come to the conference but you have to stand in the back," he read.
"They're my notes from the messages I have received from Cr Scandrett."
Mr Olsen said it was at this point he was left feeling "disillusioned" by the process.
Speaking about the nature and culture of council meetings, Mr Olsen said he felt that councillors consistently shouted at each other.
"They interrupted each other. They constantly called for points of order," he said.
"It was a full-on attack. The behaviour, the conduct, the culture was just not right.
"This council was not behaving properly."
Mr Olsen said that his experience dealing with councillors was "appalling."
"It was a culture in council that was unresponsive, a council that simply did not listen," he said.
"Anyone like me, who took a different view before the council, was ignored and cancelled out."
A third witness, president of the Southern Highlands Food and Wine association Mark Bourne, spoke about the behaviour of councillors in meetings.
"I would occasionally attend council meetings on relevant matters for the wine and tourism industry, and I think it was well known and documented that there were personal conflicts between elected councillors.
"They weren't productive, and weren't in the best interest of the community," he said.
"There did not seem to be a cohesive and united culture within the elected councillors."
The full transcripts of today's proceedings can be found online at the Office of Local Government website.
Residents who are interested in watching the proceeding can watch via the live stream on the Office of Local Government website.