Cr Fleur Hewitt resigns from Council

Published on 19 May 2023

Cr Fleur Hewitt has formally resigned her position as Councillor with the Borough of Queenscliffe, effective immediately.

The  Minister for Local Government and the Victorian Electoral Commission has been contacted regarding the resignation. It is understood the VEC will shortly commence a countback procedure to fill the extraordinary vacancy, which may take some time.

Fleur Hewitt was elected to Council in November 2022, was Deputy Mayor, lead Councillor for the Governance & Finance Portfolio and member of the Audit and Risk Committee. Fleur held the Environment portfolio and was the chair of the CMMP Project Steering Group.  During her term on Council, Cr Hewitt drove continuous improvement, represented the community with passion and moved several important motions including the motion that Council adopt the Gender Equality Statement of Commitment.

Mayor Tolhurst commented “Councillor Fleur Hewitt undertook her role with extraordinary dedication, always guided by her deep care for people and a desire to deliver for our community. Council is sad to see Councillor Hewitt resign but respects her decision and wishes her the very best for future endeavours.”

CEO Martin Gill thanks Fleur for the fantastic work she has undertaken as a Councillor, “She represented her community with intelligence, care, and passion. We will miss her and hope that she continues to share her knowledge and leadership with the community.”

Cr Hewitt’s commitment and professionalism will be missed, as will her presence in the chamber. We thank her for her service.

Councillor Hewitt has provided a statement: 

I am extremely honoured and proud to have been a Councillor at the Borough of Queenscliffe for the last 2 ½ years and to hold the position of Deputy Mayor over the recent 1 ½.

The warmth, passion, and dedication that people have for our community is extraordinary and humbling.

Thank you for always being engaged and open with your concerns and ideas.

During my time, I have been keenly focussed on good governance, true community engagement and sensible strategic decision-making and planning to ensure the sustainability of the Borough long into the future. I remain passionate about these things and believe they are essential to an effective Council.

Stepping down from Council has been an extremely difficult decision. The challenges and requirements of the role have increased dramatically over the recent period, and I feel that I can no longer give it my all as I have previously.

I wish the next Councillor all the very best and I commit to providing support to them, my fellow Councillors and Council Officers in their continued endeavours to deliver for our community.