Port Hedland councillor Camilo Blanco says it’s ‘too dangerous’ to attend council briefings

Port Hedland Cr Camilo Blanco says he doesn’t attend council briefings because it is “too dangerous” and that he will only return once there is new leadership in the council administration. Over the past several months, the councillor has faced criticism from fellow councillors over his absence from council briefings during a debate over additional funding for the 2025 Spinifex Spree Carnival at the November ordinary council meeting. “I cannot explain to those who weren’t there at the workshop, because you would have to look at what it was, but for the ones who were there, it is something that has been successfully done outside and even the town,” Cr Ambika Rebello said. In response Cr Blanco revealed he did not attend the meetings because he felt unsafe. “I don’t come to the briefings, because it’s dangerous for me to come to the briefings,” he said. Speaking with the North West Telegraph, Cr Blanco said he had been threatened with physical violence at one of the briefings earlier this year. “There was a situation where that was potentially going to happen,” he said. “There has been complaints put in against other people that have tried that. I really don’t know why they would even attempt that.” He also claimed he had been targeted with continued complaints of alleged breaches of conduct which he labelled as “lawfare”. “I’ve been issued with emails that say my conduct is creating an unsafe workplace so my opinion now is that I cannot attend any briefings,” Cr Blanco said. “I can only go to council meetings because there is because they are publicized and recorded on CCTV. Everyone can see exactly what questions I’m asking. “I’m doing that because it’s clearly dangerous for me to not have that sort of backup.” Cr Blanco said he would like to see a change in the administration’s leadership before he would return to council briefings. “I‘m attending those briefings for the selection of the CEO. I won’t attend anything else,” he said. “I want to make sure that we get a good CEO that changes the council from within and so when we get a good CEO I will attend.” Responding to the claim, Port Hedland mayor Peter Carter said there was no reason for Cr Blanco to feel unsafe.