BendigoWeekly www.bendigoweekly.com.au
ISSUE 1054 THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018
Bendigo’s citizens revealed ANDREW Reid and Jontee Brown are Bendigo’s newest citizen and young citizen respectively, and with good reason. Both spend much of their time in the sporting world working for the benefit of others. Stories – pages 8 and 9
WITCH HUNT Photo: ANDREW PERRYMAN
EXCLUSIVE
By PETER KENNEDY
A FORMER Eaglehawk Country Fire Authority brigade captain has defended his behaviour, and that of fellow brigade members, regarding a series of incidents involving CFA volunteers that have drawn widespread criticism and condemnation. Speaking to the Bendigo Weekly on Tuesday, an emotional and at times close to tears Hayden Allen
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Former captain hits out at CFA
continued to describe the incident involving a 17-year-old female volunteer being dragged across the station floor and sprayed with water as one that had been taken dramatically out of context, and said he and his fellow volunteers were the victims of a politically motivated witch hunt. He said senior management within the CFA was out to prove a
point in releasing details of the incident, which became the subject of a broader investigation into the behaviour and culture within the Eaglehawk brigade, culminating in this week’s release of a damning report into its leadership and culture. “I think with the current political climate of the CFA and where they are at trying to prove a point to keep their positions of senior man-
Council chases airport cash – Page 3
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agement,” he said. “I think they wanted to get on the front foot and I don’t agree with the way they got on the front foot. “Two days beforehand we were told ‘could you imagine if this got to the media’ and the next day we were told it was going to the media.” The report’s findings also include a claim the 17-year-old volunteer was once restrained with duct
tape to the bull bar of a fire truck, a claim not denied by Mr Allen. The CFA’s report into the November 27 incident and subsequent revelations that it was not an isolated incident paints a picture of a station the organisation says was led by a captain whose behaviour “demonstrates a lack of judgement and awareness of his responsibilities as a leader. The behaviour did not meet the values of CFA nor community expectations.”
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