Tonight’s Council meeting was the first for the newly elected Councilors of the City of Port Phillip and I am genuinely excited over the spirit of goodwill between Councillors and shared commitment to community.

We have a fantastic breadth of experience across the elected Councillors and each of us are committed to preventing the divisiveness that afflicted the previous Council.

Very few people have the opportunity to represent their community and even fewer have that opportunity across two different Councils. I will be bringing not just eight years of experience making it happen for communities but also applying my knowledge of strengthening Maroondah City Council and how that can be applied to the City of Port Phillip.

At tonight’s meeting we also confirmed Cr Louise Crawford as Mayor and Cr Byran Mears as Deputy Mayor for the 2024/2025 Council Year. The elevation of Cr Crawford and Cr Mears to the leadership team represents a fantastic choice that unites this Council through the right blend of experience and fresh perspective.

Now the work begins!