One Nation candidate pleads guilty in court to health code violation

Gippsland councillor and One Nation candidate Ben Lucas pleads guilty to health code violationsPosted Fri 4 Sep 2026 at 2:32pmFri 4 Sep 2026 at 2:32pmBen Lucas and Pauline Hanson at Loy Yang power station. (ABC News: Madeleine Stuchbery)In short:Victorian One Nation candidate Ben Lucas pleaded guilty in court on Friday to multiple health code violations. The charges follow a public health investigation by Baw Baw Shire Council, where Lucas has served as a councillor since 2020. What's next?Lucas was fined but did not receive a conviction.A One Nation candidate at the upcoming Victorian election has faced court over alleged breaches of the health code at his gymnasium businesses. Ben Lucas was recently announced as One Nation Victoria's candidate for Narracan in West Gippsland, south-east of Melbourne. Lucas pleaded guilty at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court on Friday to operating a category-one aquatic facility without registering it with Baw Baw Shire Council. Since 2020, Lucas has been a Baw Baw Shire Councillor.The council conducted the public health investigation against Lucas, which led to the charges. Ben Lucas at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court on Friday. (ABC News)Lucas is the sole director and secretary of Dojo Enterprises.He was charged with one breach of the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 for operating a category-one aquatic facility without being registered with Baw Baw Shire Council between March 19, 2026 and April 7, 2026. Public health and wellbeing regulations define a category-one aquatic facility as a swimming pool, spa pool, or interactive water feature.A council investigation and review of its records discovered Lucas was operating the Zen Den Warragul, which offered saunas and ice baths, without being registered with the council as a category-one aquatic facility in Warragul in early 2025. While Lucas later registered the business with the council and was issued a penalty infringement notice, the business was then relocated to the nearby town of Drouin.Further council investigation found the Zen Den Drouin business was not registered with the council as an aquatic facility.Candidate sentencedMagistrate Anthony Gywnne fined Lucas $4,000 and placed him on an adjourned undertaking for 12 months as a "significant penalty". "The court gets … the fact that you are someone who is intending to provide something back to the community," Magistrate Gywnne said. "But there are requirements that need to be followed. There are procedures, there are regulations."Lucas said he was glad the ordeal was behind him. "I'm glad that common sense prevailed in the end. I admitted liability for an administrative oversight; I'm just not sure the council's proposed punishment met the crime," he said."I'm glad that's out of the way, and we can crack on for November. We need to take this state back."