A Baw Baw Shire councillor shocked colleagues when he resigned on Wednesday night amid allegations his family had been unfairly treated in council processes.
A silence took over the council chamber after Cr Joe Gauci cited stress on his family and "terribly alarming" allegations of bias as reasons behind his decision to resign, effective immediately.
Whilst a small number of councillors knew of his plan, the actions of many in the room indicated his resignation was a surprise.
His resignation after 11 years as a councillor, including three terms as mayor, creates a vacancy in the Central Ward and an investigation into his allegations, which chief executive officer Mark Dupe said would be taken "very seriously."

Cr Gauci told the meeting he felt "fear of controversy" had negatively