Dean Hurlston: Anti-Sex Work Agitator
A public figure with anti-sex work views has been dealt a blow to his credibility, a welcome move for sex workers. Prominent ratepayers’ activist, Dean Hurlston, is being ousted as President of Council Watch and faces ongoing legal issues at court. These developments could diminish the public platform he had previously used to air anti-sex work views.
What is Dean Hurlston’s Interest in Sex Work Laws?
Dean Hurlston is a ratepayers’ rights activist; he scrutinises the role and function of councils. In Victoria, decriminalising sex work fundamentally altered which bodies are responsible for regulating the sex industry. Prior to sex work decriminalisation in 2023, the police and Business Licensing Authority were the main regulators. After 2023, councils are the main regulator, via the enforcement of planning laws. When sex work was was decriminalised, sweeping reforms to planning laws pertaining to sex work were also introduced
Dean Hurlston, along with many councils, publicly opposed these sex industry planning scheme changes. In my opinion, one of the most stigmatising quotes on this subject came from Dean Hurlston’s comments from a 3 November 2022 Herald Sun article titled, ‘Victorian councils ‘powerless’ to refuse brothels, home based prostitution’. Prior to being known as Council Watch, Dean Hurlston’s ratepayers group was called Ratepayers Victoria. The article quotes from a Mayor and a priest before moving on to Dean Hurlston’s comments:
Ratepayers Victoria spokesman Dean Hurlston said the changes "go too far", would expose children to anti-social behaviour and strip councils of the power to deal with "inevitable problems." "It's a free for all," Mr Hurlston said. "Sex work will be allowed anywhere and anytime…. At a bare minimum there needs to be an exclusion zone to protect schools and parks….Children have the right to play without being confronted by men coming and going for sex.”
I consider Dean Hurlston’s comments above to be false, highly stigmatising and best characterised as ‘anti-sex work’. One of the reasons Dean Hurlston has been given so much media attention is his role as spokesperson for not-for-profit ratepayers’ group Council Watch.
Dean’s Fear Mongering versus the Facts
I am of the opinion that Dean Hurlston’s media comments above amount to fear mongering about possible negative outcomes resulting from Victoria’s sex work planning law changes. The Herald Sun article in question quotes from the Mornington Peninsula Shire. In 2019 and 2025 Dean Hurlston lived in the City of Stonnington. [1] [2] Here are the facts about the number of complaints these two councils received in the first year after the sex work planning law changes were enacted (01/12/2023 – 01/12/2024):
The City of Stonnington had a population of over 111,000 residents in 2024. [3] During this twelve month period the City of Stonnington recorded zero complaints about street based sex work, zero complaints about sex work from homes (residential based sex work) and zero complaints about brothels/massage parlours. [4] View the source document for this data here.
The Mornington Peninsula Shire had a population of over 170,000 residents in 2024. [5] During this twelve month period the Shire recorded zero complaints about street based sex work, zero complaints about sex work from homes (residential based sex work) and zero complaints about brothels/massage parlours. [6]
Dean Hurlston: History of Controversy and Legal Problems
On 28 August 2025, Consumer Affairs Victoria listed the incorporated association ‘COUNCIL WATCH VICTORIA INC.’ as deregistered, although the similarly named ‘Council Watch (AUS) Inc.’ remains a registered entity.
Also in 2025, City of Stonnington Councillor Jami Klisaris sued Dean Hurlston for defamation, reaching a settlement in which Dean Hurlston agreed to publicly apologise via the Council Watch website.
That same year, a court slapped Dean Hurlston with a personal safety intervention order, protecting City of Stonnington Mayor, Melina Sehr from ‘prohibited behaviour’ from Dean Hurlston. [7] However, on 18 September 2026, the intervention order was set aside on appeal in the County Court. [13] This means the original intervention order no longer applies and is no longer in force.
Around July 2026, Dean Hurlston applied for a personal safety intervention order against a local government activist, Dr Sean Mulcahy. However, Mr Hurlston’s application was promptly struck out by the court after Mr Hurlston failed to turn up to his own hearing. [8]
In August 2026, the organisation Dean Hurlston led for years, Council Watch, gave him 48 hours to resign. The group then held a meeting to oust Dean Hurlston as President. As a frequent and loud spokesperson for Council Watch, Dean Hurlston’s had regular access to media and his opinions were elevated and given additional credibility.
Offensive Social Media Posts
Dean Hurlston has a reputation for posting offensive content on social media. A Tweet tendered as evidence in court is illustrative.
“Brendo Pervert Corr @CorrPervert @erindavie no wonder your husband bailed. No man could EVER stay with you - are you obsessed with Jami's vag as much as polly is? We all know how desperate polly is. Maybe you are too. 🤮”
Here’s a guide to help you understand this bizarre and offensive tweet:
- The ‘@CorrPervert’ handle was a Twitter username of a now deleted Twitter account which was used by Dean Hurlston.
- Brendan Corr was the recipient of the City of Stonnington’s 2019 Citizen of the Year Community Service Award. Mr Hurlston used this Twitter account to pose as Brendan Corr, who was never affiliated with or responsible for anything the ‘@CorrPervert’ Twitter account published.
- Erin Davie is a former City of Stonnington Councillor, who went through a divorce during her term of council. [9]
- ‘Jami’ refers to current City of Stonnington councillor Jami Klisaris. Although this offensive tweet refers to Jami Klisaris, this tweet was not the trigger for the defamation action Councillor Klisaris took against Mr Hurlston. False allegations separate and unrelated to this tweet were the trigger for Councillor Klisaris’ defamation action against Dean Hurlston.
- ‘Vag’ refers to vagina.
- ‘Polly’ refers to former City of Sonnington Councillor Polly Morgan.
The Tweet referred to above was presented as evidence as part of the 2025 personal safety intervention order hearing involving Stonnington Mayor Melina Sehr. I attended the hearing in person. During cross examination at the hearing, Dean Hurlston admitted he set up and operated the ‘@CorrPervert’ Twitter account. Mr Hurlston described the above tweet as ‘offensive’.
In 2026 the intervention order was set aside on appeal in the County Court. [13] This means the original intervention order no longer applies and is no longer in force.
Council Watch Posts False Information about Councils
Councillors who promote Dean Hurlston’s Council Watch articles can face themselves in hot water for promoting false information. In August 2026, Morning Peninsula Shire councillor Cam Williams was found to have engaged in misconduct after he posted a Council Watch article to his Facebook page. The Council Watch article contained false information about the cost of arbitration at the Shire. Council Watch claimed arbitration costs were in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The real cost was $1800. Councillor Williams apologised publicly shortly after the incidents and removed the offending Facebook post. [12]
Associated with Controversial Victorian MP Moira Deeming
In the past, Dean Hurlston has associated himself with controversial anti-sex work [11] and anti-trans Victorian MP Moira Deeming.
What this Means for Sex Workers
The former President of Council Watch, Dean Hurlston, has publicly expressed anti-sex work views. Such views were, until recently, given credibility and prominence due to his ability to use the Council Watch platform and speak as President of Council Watch.
Now that Council Watch is seeking to remove him from the organisation, his comments may receive less media coverage and carry less weight. For sex workers, this would be a good outcome.
See 2025 ABC online article titled, ‘Court finds 'vile' posts by Council Watch head not political commentary’ which reads, ‘......Stonnington council decided to build a series of netball courts near his home.’
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-01/council-watch-head-hit-with-intervention-order-against-mayor/105457652
See this 2019 3AW online article titled, ‘Ratepayers outraged after Stonnington Council spends big on foreign aid’ which reads, ‘Dean Hurlston from Residents Voices Stonnington and Malvern East resident told Tom Elliott this is a federal government issue, not a local one.’
https://www.3aw.com.au/ratepayers-outraged-after-stonnington-council-spends-big-on-foreign-aid/
- Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics
Data released by City of Stonnington on 13/01/2025 via ‘administrative release’. This is also known as ‘informal release. See clause 6 of Stonnington’s Public Transparency Policy:
https://www.stonnington.vic.gov.au/About/About-Council/Governance-and-integrity/Council-policies?dlv_OC%20CL%20Public%20DocLib%20Relative=(keyword=transparency)
- Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics
- Data released via informal release by Mornington Peninsula Shire on 25/02/2025.
- Prohibited behaviour is defined in s5 of the Personal Safety Intervention Orders Act 2010 (Vic)
- See Magistrates’ Court of Victoria Case Number: S11212497 (Hurlston v Mulcahy).
- Erin Davie served as City of Stonnington Councillor between 2012 – 2016.https://www.stonnington.vic.gov.au/About/About-Council/Past-Councils#22-october-2016-to-24-october
- Polly Morgan served as City of Stonnington Councillor between 2020 – 2024.2016.https://www.stonnington.vic.gov.au/About/About-Council/Past-Councils#22-october-2016-to-24-october
11. Despite a history of rhetoric best characterised as ‘anti-sex’ work, in 2026 Mrs Deeming voted in favour of a legislative amendment which I consider to be compatible with sex workers’ rights and sex workers’ safety. See my webpage about this amendment:
https://sexwork.net.au/banning-sex-predators/#Sources
12. Mornington Peninsula Shire, Attachment Book to the Meeting Minutes (1 September 2026) 2.6.
13. See Hurlston v Sehr (No 2), Case Number AP-25-0955, Date of judgement 18/09/2026 in the County Court of Victoria
Artificial intelligence was not used for the background research, text, charts or images on this webpage.
Last updated: 20/09/26
Webpage created on: 27/8/26