The Ben Cousins show at the George Hotel in Ballarat has been cancelled in the wake of a Brolga story highlighting community outrage about the booking.

However the agent who represents Cousins, a disgraced former AFL star, told the Brolga on Wednesday afternoon he was scrambling to find an alternate venue.

Cousins is currently touring a live show RAW: Ben Cousins - Live Like Never Before. He was  scheduled to speak at the George Hotel tonight (Wednesday September 16). 

The show is advertised as Cousins opening up “like never before - sharing about life behind bars, exile from the AFL community, the turning point, and the unfolding journey to redemption”. 

On Tuesday the Brolga reported on a backlash to Cousins - who has served jail time for aggravated stalking and multiple breaches of a restraining order - being paid to appear in Ballarat.

Why does it matter? In the past 10 years, Cousins has been convicted of several offences, including stalking. He was imprisoned in 2017 and 2020, with a magistrate in 2017 saying he had subjected a former partner to “nine months of terror”. 

Reaction: Acting Women’s Health Grampians CEO Kate Diamond-Keith told the Brolga Cousins speaking in Ballarat would send the message that the community “is accepting of a perpetrator and of them being elevated”.

“We really need to think about the importance of accountability, and what our community considers acceptable”, she said. “I think we need to be a community where respect and accountability are valued, and most importantly demonstrated. And Ben Cousins coming to Ballarat and speaking at this event is not demonstrating that.”

The Brolga sought comment from the George Hotel on Tuesday. It did not respond. However on Wednesday it issued a statement on its social media. 

“The George Hotel has heard the anger, disappointment, and hurt expressed following our decision to choose Ben Cousins as a guest speaker,” it said. 

“We recognise that decisions about who is given a public platform carry a particular significance for women, victim-survivors, and others affected by domestic violence. We understand why members of our community have questioned what this event represents and whether their experiences and concerns were adequately considered.”

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When the West Vic Brolga spoke to Ben Cousins’ agent Alan Zanich on Wednesday afternoon, he was in damage control mode. 

Cancelled: Cousins - the disgraced former AFL star who served jail sentences for stalking and breaching restraining orders - had been due to appear in his show Raw at the George Hotel on Wednesday night. 

However, following a story in the Brolga on Tuesday about the backlash to the booking, the pub cancelled the event.

An emotional Zanich was in the throes of trying to relocate the show at the last minute. According to online advertising, Raw was moved to another hotel, however that venue issued a statement saying this was incorrect.

The response: Zanich said Cousins “acknowledges fault and he acknowledges he hurt people and he acknowledges he’s gotten more chances than he deserves. He acknowledges it’s more chances than he would’ve given to others”. 

The agent said he “absolutely empathises with people that have dealt with domestic violence,” and that he was a “family guy, been married 20 years and it’s unsettling to hear anyone has had to experience it”.

He said restricting Cousins’ story wasn’t productive, as his story is one “hope” and "inspiration". 

He said he understood the community reaction, but felt the cancellation was a “lost opportunity”. 

“I appreciate the angle that people are hurting and they see it as Ben making money talking about bad things he did, but that’s not what it is,” he told the Brolga. “Why restrict what is available for people?” 

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The family of a motorcyclist killed in an accident on the Western Highway has released a statement asking for privacy and compassion, while requesting his death not be used for “political agendas”. 

What happened? Peter Mason, aged 71, was travelling on a stretch of the Western Highway in Trawalla when his bike reportedly struck a pothole. Emergency services responded, but Mason died at the scene. 

Also known as Tiki, Mason was a retired spray painter and president of the Eureka Social Riders, a social hobby group for local motorcyclists. 

Statement from family: Mason’s family issued a statement on Thursday, emphasising it would be their only public comment on the matter. 

“There are no words to express the heartbreak our family is experiencing following the sudden and devastating loss of Peter Mason”, said the statement.

“He was a much-loved member of our family and a friend to many. His loss has left an enormous hole in our lives, and we are struggling to come to terms with a life taken far too soon.” 

The family also said that “Peter was so much more than the circumstances of his death”, and that they are “aware of the public interest surrounding the circumstances of Peter’s death, including the condition of the road where the incident occurred.” 

The family welcomed changes that could prevent further tragedy, but said they “do not want Peter's death used to promote political agendas, and we ask that no one speak on behalf of our family or claim to represent our views”. 

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With summer around the corner, West Vic locals will soon be back at their local pools, parks and beaches. But this year could also bring a privacy concern hiding in plain sight: smart glasses. 

They can take phone calls, check the weather, answer questions through an AI system and discreetly record video footage. Of major concern is the fact that lights showing when a pair of glasses is recording can be disabled, making it impossible to know if you are being filmed.

Easier to access: Smart glasses have been on the market since 2021, but rapid development in their features have made them more streamlined and cheaper to buy.

Councils taking action: The ability to covertly record footage using these glasses has prompted City of Yarra council in Melbourne to impose bans on their use in areas such as pools and childcare centres, following Brisbane City Council’s ban earlier this month. 

Local level: Warrnambool City Council CEO Andrew Mason told the Brolga in a statement existing rules already restricted filming at council facilities.

“Taking photographs at our kinders and early learning centres is not permitted unless it’s with an authorised device,” he said.

Policy already in place: Southern Grampians Shire mayor Dennis Heslin told the Brolga the council would “monitor and adapt our policies as the technology changes”.

“All patrons using council facilities are expected to comply with council's child safe standards, privacy policy, CCTV Policy, local laws relating to filming, and any facility-specific terms and conditions, including those at council-operated swimming pools.”

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The Victorian government has ordered an independent assessment into the costs of the $1.5 billion Western Renewables Link (WRL), after the project cleared a major environmental hurdle.

Still going ahead: A Victorian government spokesperson told the Brolga the cost assessment “is not a pause and review”. 

“The Western Renewables Link is moving ahead and we are delivering it. It is about providing transparency on the value of the project to Victorians,” they said.

The background: The 190km transmission line project, which spans Bulgana near Ararat to the grid at Sydenham in Melbourne’s north-west, has been in planning for almost a decade.

Another hurdle: The state assessment is one of two key hurdles, alongside approval under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, which is also required to ensure the project has no impacts on any matters of national environmental significance.

Cost review: Premier Ben Carroll has ordered a cost review to be completed by the end of the year. He said no compulsory acquisitions of land where the transmission lines were expected to be built will occur during that time.

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