One Nation candidate Ben Lucas fined for operating unregistered aquatic facilities

One Nation’s Victorian candidate for Narracan, Ben Lucas, who also serves as a Baw Baw Shire councillor, entered a guilty plea at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court for operating a category-one aquatic facility without council registration. The offence related to his Zen Den business, which offered saunas and ice baths in Warragul and later moved to Drouin, and spanned March to April 2026. A public-health inquiry by Baw Baw Shire Council uncovered the breach, leading to a penalty infringement notice and subsequent court action.

Magistrate Anthony Gywnne fined Lucas $4,000 and placed him on a 12-month adjourned undertaking, emphasizing the need for adherence to health regulations. Lucas said he was glad the “common sense” outcome allowed him to move forward with his campaign for the November state election. He also questioned whether the council’s proposed punishment matched the administrative nature of the violation.