She believes the city’s reputation and morale of council staff is being damaged and investment potential is at risk.

“In local government parlance it has become a very litigious environment,” she said after Monday night’s monthly meeting where she lifted the lid on bitter and costly infighting.

“My first experience of the attacks and allegations was in the previous term, but in the past 18 months, a huge portion of my council time has been consumed by formally participating in processes and responding to allegations.

“I won’t give details because I don’t think that’s appropriate.” 

On Monday night she said there had been more than 20 allegations against her which were all investigated and found to lack substance.

Colleague Rob Askew also said his integrity had been attacked by what he described as baseless allegations.

Cr Ermacora has estimated at least $250,000 had been spent on tackling a wave of complaints lodged by some councillors against colleagues and officers in the past two years. 

This includes the appointment of a $150,000-a-year governance officer last year to handle the litigious workload.

She told the meeting there had been a trend by some councillors to use council meetings to attack staff on issues before the issues had been brought to the attention of officers.

“There is one goal, that of control of the council ... to bring down the appointed council,” she said.

Her frank comments triggered loud applause from the public gallery. Later she said many in the gallery had come to show support for the council, mayor and chief executive.

“I think that mood is waking up a bit in the community,” she said.

“There is a frustration. It’s disappointing that so much energy has been directed against councillors when there is so much good going on in our city.”

She said she believed frustration went to the top level of business and there was a risk of investment being hindered by continuing unrest.

“It’s certainly what I’m hearing and may have already happened,” she said.

Her comments were triggered by a notice of motion by Cr Brian Kelson which focused on the mayor’s role to “heal the rift”.

Cr Ermacora described the wording “an entrapment” which overlooked the role of all councillors to work at mending the team.

It comes a month after the February meeting when Cr Peter Hulin launched a vote of no confidence on chief executive Bruce Anson and blamed him for a long list of issues.

Cr Peter Hulin, a two-term councillor and long-time critic of Cr Ermacora and mayor Michael Neoh on Monday night used an oft-repeated term “coalition of the willing” to describe a foursome, which includes councillors Askew and Kylie Gaston.

“It’s OK if you are part of Cr Neoh’s coalition of the willing,” Cr Hulin said when refuting recent comments by the mayor that much of the criticism levelled against Cr Neoh was “white noise” and “grandstanding”.

According to Cr Neoh, the governance officer had proven effective in dealing with the workload associated with internal complaints.

“We put on a governance officer to have a formal process to deal with grievances,” he said.

“People have to be accountable in providing facts, figures, dates, names and instances.

“A lot of time is spent on unsubstantiated assertions.

“The officer also handles HR, policy development, existing policies and legislation.”

He called on all councillors to end the personal attacks and concentrate on promoting and enhancing Warrnambool.