More than $8000 was spent on a code of conduct investigation into Gore District councillor Donna Bruce, it was revealed on Tuesday.

The investigation was launched after Ms Bruce made a homophobic comment at a council workshop in April, when she described a presentation as “gay”.

At Tuesday’s Gore District Council meeting, a report from chief executive Debbie Lascelles confirmed the total spent on the code of conduct investigation relating to Cr Bruce totalled $8200 plus GST.

The report also noted a total of $22,169 plus GST was spent by council on code of conduct investigations between July 2024 and July 2026. 

The report stated the details of the investigations were confidential.

Cr Bruce apologised to council in late June over her comment, saying she had found the  code of conduct process ‘‘lengthy’’ and ‘‘difficult’’.

‘‘Although I accept code of conduct complaints have an important place, I struggle to see how the time, cost and public attention devoted to this matter are proportionate to the findings that it was neither significant nor serious,’’ she said at the time.

Cr Bruce had previously rejected a recommended mediation process around the issue.

A report by investigator James Cowan, of Anderson Lloyd, tabled at June’s council meeting, had found a code of conduct breach had been made and recommended Cr Bruce apologise.


"Using the term "gay" in the context of a presentation by Council staff fails to treat the staff members who created and presented the presentation with respect. I consider the comment was a slur. The comment was discourteous and could be considered to be offensive," Mr Cowan found.

He found Cr Bruce breached the respect clause (4.5) of the council’s code of conduct, but not the bullying, harassment, and discrimination clause (4.6), as her comment was not targeting an individual person or a group of people for their sexuality.

Council accepted Cr Bruce’s apology in June and agreed at the time “to move on” from the matter.