Councillor called a narcissist, accused of bullying council CEO in court

Cr Andrew Thaler is accused of bullying the Snowy Monaro Regional Council CEO. (ABC News)

Snowy Monaro Regional Council CEO Noreen Vu has told the NSW Industrial Relations Commission that councillor Andrew Thaler demeaned her over email and via social media posts.

Cr Thaler's lawyer has said he had legitimate queries about a pool contractor hired by council and that the "smorgasbord of complaints" did not add up to bullying.

A New South Wales councillor accused of bullying his council's CEO has accused the industrial relations court of "sanitising his statements".

The Development and Environmental Professionals' Association (DEPA) has brought a stop bullying application against Cr Andrew Thaler on behalf of Snowy Monaro Regional Council (SMRC) CEO Noreen Vu.

It's one of the first instances of a stop bullying application against a local government councillor being heard since the jurisdiction was introduced in the Industrial Relations Commission last July.

In the application lodged with the commission published by DEPA, Ms Vu states that Cr Thaler's abuse "has been consistent and persistent and I have been given no indication that he will cease".

The application alleges Cr Thaler sent multiple emails from November 2025 up until February this year and made multiple social media videos about Ms Vu and her conduct in her role as CEO.

The extracts accuse Ms Vu of being unreasonably hostile in her attitude towards Cr Thaler, accusing her of lying, possible criminal conduct and of obfuscation, often by using the phrase 'obVuscation'.

Snowy Monaro Regional Council CEO Noreen Vu has been in the role since July 2025. (Supplied)

Giving evidence on Monday afternoon, Ms Vu said that Cr Thaler's correspondence with her was "demeaning".

"He bullies me about my employment, he threatens me by talking about my career prospects and my family on his social media," she said.

Cr Thaler was set to give evidence on Monday afternoon but during a legal discussion regarding the admissibility of his statements and claims made, he became agitated and said the process was unfair to him.

"You are sanitising my statements," he told Commissioner Christopher Muir.

The application detailed a discussion between Cr Thaler and Ms Vu on the afternoon of January 23, 2026 at the Snowy Monaro council building in Cooma.

The commission was played nearly five minutes of CCTV footage where Cr Thaler talks to Ms Vu about a medical certificate before discussing the contractor hired to refurbish two council pools.

A discussion about the renovation of two pools in Bombala and Cooma for S