In February 2025, Victoria Police initiated an application for an Interim Personal Safety Intervention Order (PSIO) against Mr Dean Hurlston on behalf of Stonnington Mayor, Cr Melina Sehr.
On 29 April 2025, Cr Sehr was granted an Interim PSIO against Mr Hurlston by the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria.
The Interim PSIO prevented Mr Hurlston from engaging in a range of behaviours, including stalking, contacting, or publishing demeaning material about Cr Sehr.
On 1 July 2025, Magistrate Michelle Hodgson granted Cr Sehr a two-year Final PSIO under s61 of the Personal Safety Intervention Orders Act 2010.
Mr Hurlston subsequently appealed the PSIO and, on 18 September 2026, the County Court set aside the decision of the Magistrates’ Court, which had the effect of lifting the PSIO.
Informed by independent legal advice and genuine concern for the Mayor’s wellbeing, the Council decided to indemnify Mayor Sehr for her legal costs relating to the PSIO proceedings in the Magistrates’ Court. These costs amounted to $113,290, and a further $70,000 in legal costs relating to the County Court proceedings has been lawfully approved by myself as CEO.
The Council and I decided to indemnify Mayor Sehr in respect of these legal costs due to the repeated, offensive and unacceptable personal attacks directed at her by Mr Hurlston and the very real detrimental impact that they had on her wellbeing.
Such attacks included the publication of derogatory images, gender-based ridicule, commentary on the death of the Mayor’s mother, taunts sent privately to a personal phone, and more. Further to the direct impacts of such actions, genuine concern for Mayor Sehr’s safety arose from credible threats directed towards her from other sources.
It is an unfortunate reality that the safety and wellbeing of the Stonnington Mayor, Councillors and Council employees, in particular female Councillors and Council employees, is at risk on a daily basis. Providing support to our Mayor, Councillors and Council employees and keeping them safe from psychological or physical harm necessarily requires some expenditure.
Councillor safety, in particular for women Councillors, is a sector-wide problem. As we know, it is also an issue at a State and Federal level.
Notwithstanding the recent County Court Appeal decision, Mayor Sehr has benefited from the protections provided by the PSIO, which applied from 1 July 2025 until the decision on 18 September 2026.
Mayor Sehr is presently considering an application for Judicial Review of the County Court’s decision in the Supreme Court. It may therefore be that this matter has further to run. However, Mayor Sehr will not be seeking an indemnity for any future legal costs incurred should she decide to pursue a Judicial Review, and the Council will not consider any further compensation.
Dale Dickson PSM
Chief Executive Officer
City of Stonnington
