It comes after criticism of the response to concerns about the use of "ring girls" at a council-sponsored boxing event in Bendigo last month.

Former Eppalock Ward representative Yvonne Wrigglesworth last week resigned from council, citing a difference in values between herself and fellow councillors.

Cr Andrea Metcalf said Ms Wrigglesworth's resignation and media coverage of issues associated with the use of "ring girls" at the boxing event led her to question when a policy on gender equity had come before council for endorsement.

She was told the strategy was under development and had not been presented to council.

Yet, Ms Wrigglesworth had cited council actions appearing to "blatantly contradict council policies" in her resignation statement.

The city was involved in the development of a Greater Bendigo Coalition for Gender Equity Leadership Statement, which was launched in March.

Cr Metcalf said Ms Wrigglesworth had played an integral part in the statement's development, having been council's representative on the coalition.

"Clearly former Cr Wrigglesworth was under the impression that the leadership statement had been endorsed by council, whereas it appears only to have been launched," she said.

"It is not possible to contradict a policy or strategy that does not exist."

Her comments were not intended as criticisms of Ms Wrigglesworth.

"Rather, it highlights why she might feel so let down by her fellow councillors. It also provides perspective as to why and I perhaps her fellow councillors may not have provided the support which she expected," Cr Metcalf said.

She said she became aware that the policy Ms Wrigglesworth felt council had contradicted did not yet exist because she asked, after researching the situation for herself.

Cr Metcalf said she seconded a motion in July 2017 supporting the development of a gender equity strategy.

She said that motion also allowed Cr Wrigglesworth and Cr Alden to be appointed to an internal working group, and a councillor to be appointed for the external reference group.

"Page 109 of the minutes for that meeting outlines a 17-step project plan, the final step of which is 'seek council endorsement'," Cr Metcalf said.

"Given that I could not remember this endorsement, I then went through the agenda of every meeting since that date and nowhere could I find that the strategy has come before this council table for endorsement, as required in the initial project brief.

She said meeting minutes from December 2017 provided an update on the gender equity strategy as part of a progress report on the community plan.

At that point, Cr Metcalf said the project was 20 per cent complete with a due date of June 30, 2018.

"Progress comments advise that the project brief was approved by council," she said.

She said she went back through weekly councillor briefing agendas, councillor-only meeting agendas, weekly bulletins and a councillor knowledge bank.

"In these, I can find no record of any discussions with the full council regarding the progress of the project at touch points in its evolution," Cr Metcalf said.

"It appeared to me that most councillors had not had any opportunity for input, feedback or direction through the project's development and, indeed, don't appear to have ever endorsed a strategy or statement."

So she said she asked, "Could I please be advised what date the gender equity policy was endorsed by council?"

All councillors were sent a response shortly before 6pm on Tuesday.

Cr Metcalf read part of the response aloud during yesterday's council meeting:

"In recent days, local media has erroneously referred to the Greater Bendigo Coalition for Gender Equity Leadership Statement as the city's Gender Equity Strategy and/or policy.

"The leadership statement was launched in March this year, to coincide with International Women's Day."

It went on to say:

"On its meeting of July 19, 2017, council resolved to support the development of a gender equity strategy. The city's strategy is currently under development and has not yet been presented to council, nor has a date been set for presentation at this point."

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As such, Cr Metcalf said she had questions for the city's executive leadership.

"Either the executive leadership did not know that the city had no such Gender Equity Strategy in place, despite it being a talking point for three weeks, or a decision was made not to inform councillors at this table, and a councillor no longer at this table, or the wider public of the fact," Cr Metcalf said.

"Either outcome is totally unacceptable."

She said councillors should have been briefed on this prior to meeting with former Cr Wrigglesworth, who also should have been made aware.

"Perhaps if this information had been made available, then this city would not have lost a good councillor... a councillor who felt forced to resign because of a difference in values between fellow councillors," Cr Metcalf said.

"Fellow councillors who might not have appreciated her position, due to a lack of relevant information provided to them. I didn't know and I apologise to her for that."

She did not doubt that 'robust discussion' would still have taken place even with that information.

"However, with all parties having a better understanding of the other's perspective from the start, a better outcome could have been achieved," Cr Metcalf said.

"Despite my repeated requests, the City of Greater Bendigo was not prepared to make a statement clarifying its position either way on former Cr Wrigglesworth's comments, or to defend the reputations of councillors at this table from subsequent allegations."

Ms Wrigglesworth's resignation was at the forefront of a number of councillor's minds during last night's meeting.

Mayor Margaret O'Rourke and Cr Jennifer Alden were among those who directly addressed the issue.

Cr O'Rourke thanked Ms Wrigglesworth for her "considerable contribution" in her time as councillor and wished her and her family well.

Like Cr Metcalf, Cr Alden used her councillor's report to address the issue.

"Let us not forget to be kind," she urged.

Cr Malcolm Pethybridge spoke in support of the Battle of Bendigo and its organisers - the only male councillor present at yesterday's meeting to speak directly to the issue.

"I myself with nearly 5000 people joined in to get the ring girls reinstated, to get their jobs back and we got them back... so I'd like to say well done to those 5000 people in the crowd that did their bit," he said.

"Good on them."

Mayor Margaret O'Rourke recognised the contributions of former councillor Yvonne Wrigglesworth during her time on council.

"She was inspired to run for council after participating in the Loddon Murray Community Leadership Program and was passionate about building and strengthening communities.

"In her time as a councillor she was a champion for our rural residents and a great strategist and was very involved in the development of our council plan and was a key driver in its transition to being known as the community plan.

"Over nearly three years Yvonne capably represented the Eppalock ward, the delivery of various projects, particularly in the Heathcote community, can be attributed to her strong advocacy.

"I would like to thank Yvonne for her considerable contribution in her time as a councillor and wish her and her family well."

A member from the public gallery, Kaylene O'Brien, asked a question of council.

"Will council be upholding good governance and transparency and taking Cr Alden and Cr O'Rourke to code of conduct if Cr Alden does not resign for supporting ex-councillor Wrigglesworth's attack on females at a major global sporting event?"

Mayor Margaret O'Rourke responded as such:

"Obviously it's about me as well, so maybe I shouldn't be answering this, but what I would say is there has been no complaint that has come in on our code of conduct on this matter," she said.

Ms O'Brien queried whether she could lodge such a complaint, to which Cr O'Rourke said she could not.

"The code of conduct is with councillors, so it's actually a code of conduct between councillors," Cr O'Rourke said.

Cr Alden made a typical councillor report, adding reference to council's "unanticipated loss" of Ms Wrigglesworth towards the end. She had previously been speaking about a regional CWA conference she had attended.

"Yvonne and I shared a few things. We both studied science at Monash University, only 20 years apart.

"We've worked in different parts of the health system and are both graduates of the Australian Institute of Company Directors."

Cr Alden said both she and Ms Wrigglesworth shared an interest in local op shops and cheese making.

"When it comes to evidence-based policy, strategic foresight and governance, we also share an interest.

"Her skills, intellect and capacity will be missed around this table"

Cr Alden then went on to detail some of her own background.

"Some 20 years ago I completed a Masters of Women's Health," she said.

She went on to be executive officer of Women's Health Loddon Mallee.

"I wrote a book on women's health issues. I then worked with VicHealth as a senior policy advisor at a time when their Changing attitudes, changing cultures work was published," Cr Alden said.

"I do find this experience informs my understandings and views. It's then consistent that, in line with council's media policy, I recently took an opportunity to speak to my values on an issue of importance to me that I believe was in line with my leadership role in promoting and supporting the value of respect.

"Yes, we are all different around the council table. However, I'd like to finish this report by recalling the last line of the CWA collect statement: 'Let us not forget to be kind'."

"Tonight, I am using my councillor report as an opportunity to have my say on the 'ring girls' issue that has engulfed the city over the past three weeks.

By implication, myself and other councillors have been called out for a shameful lack of leadership in a newspaper editorial, criticised for remaining silent and not coming out in support of fellow female councillors, and questioned as to whether we were committed to courageous leadership at this table.

As a result of the criticism directed toward me, I have reflected considerably on my tenure as a councillor and whether I should continue in the role. I revisited the questions posed to me as a candidate in 2016 by the Bendigo Advertiser and in my election advertising material.

What I offered then was a strong voice that would act in the community's interests and stand up to council leadership when required. A person that would ask questions of council, highlight its shortcomings, so it could improve and wouldn't simply accept recommendations placed before them.

You can trust me when I say that this isn't an approach that wins popularity contests amongst the city's leadership. I, too, know what it is like to be singled out as a councillor. I expect after tonight that my role as a councillor will become even more difficult.

It would be correct to say that I did not share former Cr Wrigglesworth's opinion on the use of 'ring girls' at a boxing event, nor support her approach in expressing those views.

It would be fair to say that I have been annoyed at times by the coverage given to the issue in the Bendigo Advertiser because I felt that the spotlight was being unfairly placed on six councillors who had not yet spoken their thoughts.

It would be fair to say that I have felt let down by the City of Greater Bendigo response, both in its media release on the Sunday following the event and following the resignation of Cr Wrigglesworth.

To outline my thoughts, I had prepared a statement offering an alternative viewpoint to this issue and addressing these concerns. In it, I identified aspects of the Gender Equity Leadership Statement that I felt had not been robustly considered or given media coverage.

However, developments in the last 24 hours mean that those thoughts will now remain unaired as there is a bigger issue at play, the very reason why I stood for council in the first place.

In a letter to the Bendigo Advertiser printed last Saturday, Sharon Kemp stated that: "There are serious questions here about how Council works - questions the council doesn't want to answer"

The previous Saturday, [Bendigo Advertiser editor] Nicole Ferrie stated that: "The City of Greater Bendigo has gone quiet" and, referring to councillors, asked, "who is silencing them and telling them their voices should not be heard?"

Here is some background information that may assist in answering those questions and that I believe this city deserves to know.

Until late on the Sunday evening following the boxing event, I and the other councillors not directly involved had received no contact from either the mayor or CEO of the City of Greater Bendigo regarding events that were unfolding or had unfolded over the weekend. This despite four councillors sitting at the same table as the CEO at the event.

Therefore, myself and other councillors had no input into how the situation might be managed on the day or into the official statement released on the Sunday morning.

On Monday, I raised this issue as I felt it had been a complete failure of crisis management. I, having felt disrespected by the mayor and CEO as an elected representative of the city, then walked out of the meeting.

On Tuesday evening, I emailed the mayor stating that the issue needed to be urgently discussed by councillors as the city's official position, as I saw it, remained unacceptable. That position being the statement released on the morning following the event.

Circumstances meant that the earliest that councillors not involved had the opportunity to speak face-to-face with former Cr Wrigglesworth was on Wednesday last week, one day before her subsequent resignation.

It is not appropriate that councillors speak out on issues without knowing the facts involved, just so that the demands of the media can be satisfied. Hence, there was a respectful silence.

In former Cr Wrigglesworth's resignation statement, she expressed a view stating a difference in values between herself and the majority of other councillors and felt that she had been personally attacked by some of her fellow councillors.

After reading this, and the subsequent comments attributed to the mayor in the Bendigo Advertiser regarding the resignation, I emailed Councillors and members of the executive leadership stating that: "I now have the view that the mayor and council also has an obligation to protect the integrity and reputation of the remaining Councillors and address the allegations that were being made"

I again raised this on Monday this week and the CEO responded that no further statement would be forthcoming from council.

Now I had two questions which remained unanswered. Firstly, why was the city so reluctant to release a statement to clarify its position on Cr Wrigglesworth's comments and also defend the reputations of uninvolved councillors?

Secondly, I couldn't understand why former Cr Wrigglesworth felt so strongly that her views were not being supported by fellow councillors. Why did she feel her views were more important? That was the position from which I considered the issue at that time.

As council's representative on the Greater Bendigo Coalition, she played an integral part in the gender equity leadership statement's development.

Putting myself in her shoes, I would imagine she felt significant ownership of it.

In acknowledging her perspective and examining the steps involved in the evolution of the statement, my perspective also became clearer.

I had not been involved in or ever had the opportunity to provide input into the development of the statement and therefore feel no sense of ownership, despite the public implication suggesting that I should simply fall into line with it.

As is my nature, I went researching.

In July 2017, I seconded a motion that supported the development of a gender equity strategy. It also allowed Cr Wrigglesworth and Cr Alden to be appointed to an internal working group and a Councillor be appointed for the external reference group following an expression of interest. This subsequently being former Cr Wrigglesworth.

Page 109 of the minutes for that meeting outlines a 17-step project plan, the final step of which is "Seek Council Endorsement".

Given that I could not remember this endorsement, I then went through the agenda of every meeting since that date and nowhere could I find that the strategy has come before this council table for endorsement, as required in the initial project brief.

The minutes of the meeting of 13 December 2017 page 158 provide an update to the Gender Equity Strategy as part of the Community Plan Progress report. At that point the project is 20% completed with a due date of 30/6/18 listed. Progress comments advise that the "Project brief was approved by council"

On page 86 of the minutes for the meeting 16 May 2018 the report states that the city is developing its first Gender Equity Strategy.

Looking further, I went back through

In these, I can find no record of any discussions with the full council regarding the progress of the project at touch points in its evolution. It appeared to me that most councillors had not had any opportunity for input, feedback or direction through the projects development and indeed don't appear to have ever endorsed a strategy or statement.

So yesterday I asked the question "Could I please be advised what date the gender equity policy was endorsed by council?"

In part the response, given to all councillors at 5:47 pm yesterday, reads:

"In recent days, local media has erroneously referred to the Greater Bendigo Coalition for Gender Equity Leadership Statement as the city's Gender Equity Strategy and/or Policy. The Leadership Statement was launched in March this year, to coincide with International Women's Day."

Further adding:

On its meeting of 19 July 2017, council resolved to support the development of a Gender Equity Strategy. The city's strategy is currently under development and has not yet been presented to council, nor has a date been set for presentation at this point"

Contrastingly, former Cr Wigglesworth's resignation statement reads:

"As a councillor I was proud to be part of the development of the Gender Equity Strategy and stand behind the Leadership Statement that was endorsed by council in March this year. Following recent events, I am profoundly disappointed that actions by council appear to blatantly contradict council policies with regards to this strategy and statement."

Two things stand out from this. Clearly, former Cr Wrigglesworth was under the impression that the Leadership Statement had been endorsed by council, whereas it appears only to have been launched. It had never been sighted by this councillor prior to its launch. Secondly, it is not possible to contradict a policy or strategy that does not exist.

That is not a criticism of former Cr Wrigglesworth, rather it highlights why she might feel so let down by her fellow councillors. It also provides perspective as to why I and perhaps her fellow councillors may not have provided the support which she expected.

So now my questions are to the executive leadership of this city.

Either, the executive leadership did not know that the city had no such Gender Equity Strategy in place, despite it being a talking point in the city for three weeks, or a decision was made to not inform councillors at this table, a councillor no longer at this table, or the wider public of this fact.

Either outcome is totally unacceptable.

It should not take a question being asked by a councillor for this information to have come to light. Councillors should have been briefed on this prior to meeting with former Cr Wrigglesworth, who should also have been made aware.

Perhaps if this information had been made available, then this city would not have lost a good councillor. A councillor who felt forced to resign because of a difference in values between fellow councillors. Fellow councillors who may not have appreciated her position, due to a lack of relevant information provided to them. I know I didn't and I apologise to her for that.

Robust discussion on the issue would still have taken place and it is a good thing to have wider community views around the table. However, with all parties having a better understanding of the others perspective from the start, a better outcome could have been achieved.

Despite my repeated requests, the City of Greater Bendigo was not prepared to make a statement clarifying its position either way on former Cr Wigglesworth's comments, or to defend the reputations of councillors at this table from subsequent allegations.

Was this because the City of Greater Bendigo knew that no such Gender Equity Strategy was in place or that no Leadership Statement had ever been endorsed by council? Would doing so have meant admitting to a mistake, admitting to organisational failure?

Who decided that it was a better outcome for the organisation to not fact check or to stay silent on this information, to keep councillors in the media spotlight, to let this play out?

Well it has played out. One councillor has paid the price for it and others have had their reputations damaged.

I trust that the journalists with the unanswered questions to which I referred earlier, as to why the silence from the city, why the lack of support for a councillor, will now shine the spotlight in the direction that it truly belongs."

Cr Pethybridge said he would like to thank some people involved in the boxing.

He initially focused on the sport itself, saying he was among the few that had actually picked the winner of the Battle of Bendigo and the main fight was "a great fight".

"While the boxing matches went on I thought it was great, the fellas did a great job," Cr Pethybridge said.

He reflected on the athleticism and skill involved in boxing.

"They're very talented, these boxers," he said.

He then reflected on women's boxing matches during that event.

"The ladies boxed twice and they were great, they were really great... I've never seen ladies box. They were really good. So thank you to all the boxers," Cr Pethybridge said.

He thanked the Bendigo Tourism Group and the event's promoters.

"It was just a great night," Cr Pethybridge said.

"It was just run perfect... they filled the stadium right up."

He said a few councillors were there and that he would like to have the event back again.

"If we could have them back in Bendigo again, I'd be backing them all the way," Cr Pethybridge said.

"When we got to the stadium on the Saturday night... we didn't know it was happening, the ring girls, what was going on. So we were asking questions - so was, probably, a lot of the crowd."

He commended the male 'fight progress manager' who appeared during some of the earlier matches for his work.

"He did a good job. He had a big smile on his face, too," Cr Pethybridge said.

"I myself with nearly 5000 people joined in to get the 'ring girls' back reinstated, to get their jobs back, and we got them back. And so I'd like to say well done to those 5000 people in the crowd that did their bit to get the girls back. Good on them."

Cr Pethybridge said the council was very busy.

"We didn't get to talk about this until the 11th of September. We hadn't talked about. We were working out what do to with it... all the background stuff, it was just crazy," he said.

"I'd like to move on. The council's got a lot more important things to do and let's get on with running the city and let it all go."

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