Carol Altmann – The Terrier

Warrnambool has spoken and oh boy, it is being heard.

Like you, I went to bed last night in one Warrnambool and woke up to another one.

In what is an unprecedented election result, we saw one candidate, Vicki Jellie, finish with an astronomical 6526 first preference votes: almost one third of the total counted.

We saw a Sudanese man, a former refugee who has made Warrnambool his home, Otha Akoch, elected with 2771 first preference votes.

We saw a record number of women elected in Vicki, Angie Paspaliaris and Debbie Arnott.

And we saw a record turnout of 86 per cent of voters who, between them, voted in seven new faces for seven vacancies.

I doubt there has been any 2020 council election result across Victoria like this one, where not one sitting councillor was re-elected.

Warrnambool has done it: it has found its voice and turned the page on what has been more than a decade of division within the council and councillors, a toxic culture that enabled entitlement, and a growing disconnect from the community.

For all of the good work done by our elected councillors these past four years, so much had gone wrong.

The community, quite simply, had had enough.

It had had enough of being cut out of the conversation, of being told lies and fed spin, of being treated like a cash cow, of being left wondering why another year would pass and the same problems were still not solved, while fresh problems lined up behind them.

This time around, Warrnambool has really thought about its vote and taken a risk on not the same names – backed by the same power brokers –  but a completely fresh start.

It is scary, but my word, Warrnambool is ready to take the chance, because we are exhausted from the battle of just trying to keep on top of the latest scandal which was not of our making.

No more.

There are fears that a new council would not support the environment in the same way as the old one.

I am not sure how this computes when you had a 6/1 majority of the past councillors vote to destroy Levy’s Beach by handing it over to Darren Weir and his racehorse training.

And has done nothing to lobby Wannon Water on its sewerage plant upgrade.

And ignored the disgraceful environmental damage by hoons at Levy’s Beach.

And took years longer than our neighbouring councils to introduce a green waste bin and then applauded itself for being ground breaking.

It is a patchy track record, at best, and one that can only improve and must.

With this election, ethics and integrity are making a comeback and they are making a comeback not just in words, but in actions.

But it is not about passing the burden of change to a new council, walking away and watching on comfortably from the sidelines.

We need to stay involved, and take the energy from this election and turn it into a driving force for the next four years.

This is the message from this election and it is the message behind the enormous vote for Vicki Jellie.

Because 6526 votes was far more than a vote for Vicki the person: it was a statement of what our community can achieve when we all work together.

We want that feeling back.

Vicki’s work with Peter’s Project started from a place of personal grief and grew into a movement that saw Warrnambool achieve what many thought would be impossible: a first-class cancer treatment centre, run by Epworth Hospital, in a regional city miles from Melbourne.

Warrnambool wants more of this.

It wants THAT relationship with its councillors and council – the one where we unite, with empathy, respect, honesty and determination, to do the best for our city.

If we work in this way, we can get things done: we can improve the harbour, we can recreate Flagstaff Hill, we can care for our stunning environment, we can find ways to keep rates down under the cap, we can help traders get back on their feet from Covid-19, we can resolve the endless argument about CBD parking, we can get a grip on the 2040 plan, and, through it all, we can bring integrity back to the council process.

This is our chance for true change – Warrnambool has voted for it – and it starts today.

Carol Altmann – The Terrier

I have been crunching the numbers from the VEC on the clean sweep at the Warrnambool City Council today and here is how the full 24 candidates landed in order after preferences.

A candidate needed to reach 2677 to win.

1. Vicki Jellie.
2. Otha Akoch.
3. Angie Paspaliaris
4. Debbie Arnott
5. Ben Blain
6. Max Taylor
7. Richard Ziegeler
—-
8. Peter Sycopoulis (2403 – 337 votes short of a spot)
9. Lynn Hudson (1791)
10. Michael Neoh (1535)
11. Jim Burke (1320)
12. Tracey Togni (1140)
13. Matt Walsh (970)
14. Bruce Campbell (887)
15. Sue Cassidy (808)
16. Kylie Gaston (636)
17. Michael McCluskey (542)
18. David Owen (492)
19. Thomas Campbell (378)
20. Steve Moore (369)
21. Anthony Earnshaw (336)
22. Cassandra Prigg (263)
23. Andrew Squires (185)
24. Jacinta Anderson (182)

I will be back later this afternoon with a piece once I digest this unprecedented result.

CANDIDATE DEBBIE ARNOTT:

10 QUESTIONS FROM THE TERRIER:

What three main skills could you bring to the Warrnambool City Council as a councillor?

Having owned and ran businesses for 25 years I have a strong business acumen. I understand the importance of making sound decisions based on reporting and data.

Integrity is an important skill to have in life. My personal values I bring to council are honesty, open-mindness, efficiency, dependability, compassion and strong ethics. My core values have stood me in good stead over many years and will continue to do so in the years to come. I believe that it is very important to have someone who has a strong moral consciousness and to fight for what is right for our community.

I take pride in my ability to relate and connect with people. My interpersonal skills and openness will be something that I can bring to this role.

Do you see any particular issues, projects or problems in Warrnambool that you would like to work on as a councillor?

The first issue for the next council will be to find a new CEO. A very important decision and one that I would like to be involved with.

The effect of Covid-19 on Warrnambool has been significant. While some businesses have flourished, others have been adversely affected.

Many people have lost their jobs, and could possibly find it difficult to find employment. There will be further stress in the community once mortgage repayments recommence.

I would like to work on attracting more industry and business to Warrnambool. By attracting business and industry, this in turn can help create employment and further prosper our city.

I would also like to be able to do more for the homeless and disadvantaged. Domestic violence is a huge problem in our society with approximately one in four women experiencing an act of physical or emotional abuse.

Council can work towards achieving more affordable housing, making sure services are in place to support those in need.

With any decision the council makes, the effect on the environment is important and I am passionate about protecting our natural resources for years to come.

Do you think the council could be more “open” with residents and if so, how?

Yes I do believe council needs to be more open.

Decisions have been made that have a big impact on our community, such as the dismissal of CEO Peter Schneider. I think the community deserves to understand why this happened, as it has a direct impact on the running of the council and people are heavily invested. I believe council should have accountability for their decisions.

There needs to be a formal decision made on how information is shared with the community to rebuild trust. This can be as simple as bringing general business back to the council meetings, sending out newsletters or doing regular social media updates.

 The next 12 months are going to be challenging due to the impact of Covid-19 – do you have one or two key idea/s for how WCC could support residents and/or businesses?

 The next 12 months will be challenging for council.

One effective way in which council can help both business and community is to limit any further rate rise if possible. Warrnambool was one of only two councils that applied to have the rate increase above the Fair Go Rates System cap. I believe that with effective budgeting, we can optimise spending and carefully manage our expenses. Having operated successful businesses, I understand how important it is to plan finances.

A longer term goal could be to investigate the “ Make Yourself at Home“ initiative that Tasmania has used. It’s a scheme where people purchase a subsidised travel voucher. It cannot be refunded for cash and can only be used for accommodation. It could be adapted on a smaller scale for Warrnambool to help our tourism and hospitality industry.

Do you have any ideas on where the council could cut costs, if necessary, to keep rates at the state cap?

Each project needs to be carefully weighed up with costs versus benefits taken into consideration. Smart investment, careful planning and prioritising against community need is important.

I believe council should not keep allocating funds to ventures that continually lose money and are simply not sustainable in their current format. Thinking outside the square and with fresh eyes and some brainstorming, I’m sure council could come up with some positive outcomes.

Preferences will decide who is elected to the council. Are you planning to preference most highly new candidates, exisiting candidates or you won’t be putting forward preferences:

I will be preferencing new candidates. Warrnambool is ready for a change.

I am hearing a lot of  discontent in the community with current circumstances. If we can have some fresh faces this will encourage new ideas and enthusiasm.

If you were elected, what ways – if any – would you keep residents and ratepayers informed as an individual councillor?

If I am fortunate to be voted to represent Warrnambool as a councillor, I believe that it is important to share and keep residents informed of important council decisions.

This requires keeping myself active in all projects. I need to understand and thoroughly read contracts and when voting on decisions, be thoroughly knowledgeable on all elements and profoundly engaged to benefit the Warrnambool community.

If I am well informed on all council activities, then that enables me to be a vessel to provide information to the public. As an active social media user, I will be updating the people of Warrnambool regularly. I care very much about this great city, and I welcome feedback and I am ready to listen!

If you were elected, what would you have liked to have achieved at the end of your four-year term?

In a four-year term, the minimum expectation is that we have a council that is well respected by the community and is financially sustainable.

With the current environment we are in, it is hard to predict what the future will be with the uncertainties with the Coronavirus pandemic. I would like to imagine that we are in a world where we are in a state of recovery and focusing on rebuilding our local business, developing our tourism industry, supporting hospitality and all other affected sectors, generating jobs and economic growth.

As I have mentioned previously, I think we need to look at what other communities have done to support these industries such as the Tasmania ‘Make Yourself at Home’ campaign. There is a lot we can learn about what other states are doing.

We also need to create initiatives to support our most vulnerable who have suffered homelessness, domestic violence and mental illness as a result of Covid.

Are you a member of any political party? If so, which one?

I am not a member of any political party and have no aspirations to be.

In the past two years, have you been a member of any local club, organisation or association?

I have been part of  the Steering Committee that helped represent traders and business to the council for the time of the CBD Renewal.  This role lasted two years and involved meetings with council and traders throughout this time.

I found this role very rewarding and it led onto the formation of a small group that, with the help of council initiated the event A Very Liebig Christmas.

Our aim was to create a community event that celebrated Christmas as well as the completion of the roadworks. This event is now into its third year, it will be different due the pandemic restrictions but still a community event. I was very proud of the success of A Very Liebig Christmas which reactivated the city centre, generated business for the traders and boosted revenue.

Closing thoughts or ask and answer your own question here:

Warrnambool has been my home for most of my life and has been very good to myself and my family. I would be honoured to be able to give a little back to our wonderful city.

I encourage the voters to consider their vote and preferences carefully, so that whoever is in the new council will strive to be a passionate voice for the community.

You can find Debbie’s candidate Facebook page here.