This evening the nine Councillors for Maroondah City Council were officially inaugurated to serve the community over the next four years.

As part of the proceedings each Councillor is invited to speak at their confirmation and outline their vision for the council term.

The following is a copy of the speech I delivered during the evening:

It is a great honour and privilege to have been returned as a Councillor for Maroondah, representing the businesses, ratepayers, residents and community groups of the Mullum Ward.

I would like to thank the people of Mullum Ward for their confidence in me, where I was returned with a clear mandate and the highest primary vote within Maroondah. I believe we should continually question the commitment, dedication and time that is for required public office but with such a clear result, whereby one in five voters directly supported me, it is evident that our community believes I am indeed making a difference.

I believe that the enemy of public office is complacency and while I cherish the clear mandate I received, I assure you that I will continue in making a difference to the community whereby we deliver a municipality that is accessible, sustainable and underpinned by good governance.

While we together look forward to the future, it would be amiss of me to not recognise the people that assisted me throughout the past three years during what was my first term on council. Thank you to the many people that supported me throughout this time, including my family and the many individuals and community groups I have met over that time. I look forward to us working together so we can continue making a difference.

In particular I would like to thank two people, former Councillors Jo-anne Taylor and Maureen Naylor, both who provided a major source of inspiration to me. When I was first elected Maureen gave me the advice of ‘stay true to yourself and to the people that elected you’, these are words of wisdom that I have never forgotten and I thank Maureen for her friendship and for taking the time to offer her assistance and support. I am truly fortunate to have been able to know someone with such integrity as Maureen.

Jo-anne Taylor was someone I came to know closely over the past three years, people would always remark how the two of us made quite a good team and I commend her for the support she offered me. While Jo-anne was not returned to council, I would like to publicly acknowledge the dedication she provided to the Mullum Ward over the past six years. Jo-anne would always speak her mind and stand up for what she believed in and she serves as a true inspiration to me.

I would also like to acknowledge another one of my former colleagues, Tony Dib. While Tony and I did not always agree with each other, there was mutual respect and appreciation. It is a shame that I was not given the opportunity to get to know Tony further during my time on council but I would like to thank him for his time over the past three years.

As we enter a new council term, I would like to extend the offer of support and friendship to all of my eight colleagues, old and new alike.

There is much we have to achieve over the next four years, including the relocation of North Ringwood Community House, upgrades to facilities such as Ringwood Aquatic Centre, providing footpaths, advocating for the redevelopment of Ringwood Station and transforming Ringwood into a vibrant and thriving urban community. In addition we need to foster our community and find new homes for the many groups that are struggling for space within this municipality.

A stronger community leads to a more inclusive and accessible society, whereby more people can partake in economic and social opportunities within a sustainable environment.

One of the most rewarding aspects of being part of council has been serving as a conduit between community groups and individuals. Early in my last council term I met a person with a disability who was attempting to volunteer and participate in society, only to be continually presented with barriers limiting their involvement. Through the community groups, I knew I was able to organise opportunities for this person to demonstrate their skills and talents leading not only to volunteer work but ultimately onto paid employment.

This is the joy of being a Councillor, of being someone who can assist members of the community, whether it be to assist in better planning outcomes, delivering new initiatives, or being able to reconnect people with their broader community.

These are the joys and the challenges over the next four years, there will be highs and there will be lows but together we can continue making a difference. Thank you for your support.