Bendigo councillor apologises to wife as supposedly part-time role demands 20+
A councillor said sorry to his family. He revealed the part-time role takes far more hours than advertised.
Ravenswood Ward councillor Damien Hurrell became emotional at a Bendigo council meeting on 21 September. Hurrell said his council duties pull him away from family time.
Hurrell thanked his wife for supporting him. Hurrell is trying to balance the role with his home responsibilities.
A year earlier, fellow councillor John McIlrath quit the same council. He was working 20-plus hours a week.
The role was meant to be part-time. He was doing about five times the work he was told to expect.
Both councillors say the time demands come from heavy meeting prep, community events and other commitments that pile up quickly. The pattern shows a bigger problem.
The role's real demands don't match its advertised hours.
- At least 20 hours
- McIlrath's weekly hours
- About 5 times
- Workload ratio to expectation
- November previous year
- McIlrath's departure
- 21 September
- Hurrell's emotional statement date
Why it mattersPart-time roles that demand full-time hours exhaust good people. They also create gaps in local representation.
AustraliaVictoria's council roles are consuming far more time than candidates are told, harming both elected officials' families and local government capacity.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 9 h ago
