Benalla Council sculpture for Qantas engineer Arthur Baird debate

The rural city approved a $90,000 five-metre high stainless steel monument with a movable aircraft shape atop it at a meeting on May 24, 2023.

It will be a tribute to Arthur Baird, who was born at Benalla in 1889, and became Qantas' first chief engineer in 1921.

The artwork will be funded by a $150,000 Victorian government grant that the council received in 2020 to deliver an art sculpture trail on the shores of Lake Benalla.

It will be built outside the Benalla library and is expected to be in place by the end of the year.

Community feedback found 76 per cent of 109 respondents supported the sculpture but only 58 per cent wanted it erected at the library.

There was a push for it to be installed at Benalla airport and one respondent called for women with Benalla connections, Ned Kelly's mother Ellen Kelly, and fashion designer Prue Acton to be recognised.

While seven of eight councillors supported it, one Punarji Gunaratne spoke against the sculpture at last week's meeting.

He queried the community consultation, noted Qantas was a big carbon emitter and Mr Baird was aided by the culture of early 20^th century Australia.

"If he didn't receive special treatment that was delivered to white men in the era, access to education, acceptance of his skills in his specific area of interest, access to the paid workforce, then we wouldn't know anything about him," Cr Gunaratne said.

Mayor Bernie Hearn then cut in, telling the councillor he was "way out of line".

Councillor Peter Davis had raised a point of order that Cr Gunaratne's reference to climate change was not relevant to debate on the sculpture.

Cr Hearn later told Cr Gunaratne: "I'm not impressed with your racial undertones of white men, God help this Earth if white men are not allowed to be honoured."

Benalla citizen David Moore on Monday wrote to Victoria's Local Government Minister Melissa Horne calling for a monitor to oversee the council.

"The degree of bullying, contempt and hostility on display is disturbing and unsustainable," he wrote.

"As a community we deserve better and urgently need the appointment of a monitor to provide council with suitable oversight and guidance."

Cr Hearn rejected the call, saying there "is no problem with our council" and "our governance is impeccable".

She said she acted appropriately.

"There's nothing personal about it, as the chair it's my job to keep the meeting flowing and keep speakers speaking about the item at hand," Cr Hearn said.

The mayor said councillors had a good relationship with Cr Gunaratne and he "comes to all our meetings and comes to dinner with us".

"If he's happy to be coming up and sitting at a meal with us on a Wednesday night I can't see a problem," Cr Hearn said.

Cr Gunaratne lodged an official complaint alleging 12 instances of bullying, including some linked to racism, against him by councillor Danny Claridge last year.

It was dismissed in March with a panel finding there was insufficient evidence but recommending the council consider additional training in awareness of racism.

Cr Gunaratne told The Border Mail he did not believe his situation with other councillors had improved since that finding and said he did not believe the training had been implemented.

However, he said his online attendance at last week's meeting was not a reflection of his relationship with other councillors, but merely because he was unable to appear in person.

The Sri Lankan-born councillor says he had received expressions of community concern about what unfolded at last week's meeting.

"I've been getting a lot of emails and phone calls saying the're very unhappy and troubled by the way I was treated at the meeting," Cr Gunaratne said.

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