The former mayor, current councillor and Labor candidate for South West Coast, provided the vital vote which approved the Levy’s Beach horse training proposal.

Cr Gaston agreed she hesitated before voting for the motion, which was passed 4-3.

​She said she supported it, thinking the motion would be then found to be legal or illegal. 

“I’ve always been prepared to look at a compromise,” she said. 

“Clearly the legal advice has now come back. We didn’t understand the situation as it now is ​on Monday night ​but I knew the situation would resolve itself if it was illegal​.

​"We were in the debate when the uncertainty about the legal situation was raised​​​."

​Cr Gaston said she was always willing to accept horses on the beach were illegal if that was the way the legal advice came back.​

​"​Now that situation has to be addressed but it is outside ​the council's responsibility," she said.

"My situation had nothing to do with (state) government intimidation. If the advice came back the other way I respect that and that's what I'm doing."

Cr Gaston declined to comment about how the current illegal situation could be resolved.

"We didn't really have time to think about it. It would have been great if that vote did not proceed​. Waiting would have been best​, but that was the position we faced at that time," she said.

"There were a lot of people emotional. It was difficult, but I also knew that if the motion approved something that was illegal the situation would resolve itself.”