The City of Greater Bendigo is yet to receive $19,000 in costs from a failed legal challenge to stop the city’s first mosque almost two years after the final avenue of appeal was exhausted.
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Councillor Julie Hoskin and Kathleen Howard were listed as lead applicants when the High Court rejected an attempt to appeal the decision to approve the mosque in June 2016.
The High Court in January valued the legal costs incurred by Bendigo council to fight that legal challenge at $19,059 and ordered the debt be paid by the applicants.
COGB chief executive officer Craig Niemann said: “Costs from neither party have been received. The City of Greater Bendigo continues to pursue costs related to the High Court appeal.”
Ms Howard suggested “her position hadn’t changed” from her previous comments, in that she was not responsible for the debt, but she had not received correspondence from the COGB or lawyers acting on its behalf.
Cr Hoskin was unavailable for comment on Tuesday but has previously said “as far as I’m aware, I’m not liable”.
It comes as Bendigo mayor Margaret O'Rourke expressed her disappointment that Cr Hoskin attended an anti-council meeting which resolved to challenge the legitimacy of the current council.
The City of Greater Bendigo sought legal advice after receiving two letters this month, but Cr O’Rourke confirmed there was no legal grounds for the threat.
One letter, seen by the Bendigo Advertiser, references a meeting in March of 60 “concerned subjects of the Queen”, during which, the letter claims, common law grand jury indictments were issued to council CEO Craig Niemann, Supreme Court justice Jack Forest and former High Court justice Kenneth Hayne.
Cr Hoskin attended the meeting, which she has previously said was to listen to "constitutional issues", and that "Craig Niemann’s name wasn’t mentioned" during the meeting.
Read more: Cr Julie Hoskin attends anti-council meeting
Cr O'Rourke said: "It does disappoint me, but Cr Hoskin says it was a meeting about the constitution. I would expect that if you're in a meeting such as that you would speak up if something was inappropriate or you would leave."
"She represents council, being a councillor is a 24-hour (sic) job."
A second letter was received by council from the Carter family last week, which according to Cr O’Rourke, claimed councillors could not vote on whether to place a public acquisition overlay on the Carters’ property because the Victorian Constitution did not receive royal assent, thus making their election in 2016 invalid.
Meanwhile, a video has emerged from the United Patriots Front, claiming it planned to come to Bendigo to rally against the injustice of council’s decision to progress the forced sale of 313 hectares of the Carters’ land in Marong.
In it, UPF member Neil Erikson suggested councillors were involved with developers which influenced the vote.
Mr Erikson was critical of the councillors’ decision, except Cr Hoskin.
“Julie Hoskins (sic) good work,” he said.
Cr O’Rourke said: “All what they've said is not true – again its conspiracy theories. Making comments about councillors being involved with developers and so on – it’s offensive.”
Fellow councillor Yvonne Wrigglesworth last week said she was astounded by the “conspiracy theories” and “fake news” circulating the community in recent weeks, which have acted as a backdrop to important decisions made by the council.
Cr Wrigglesworth said the plain mistruths and drama was “sweeping up very vulnerable populations who need solid leadership”.