Carol Altmann – The Terrier

And so it comes to this. As of tomorrow, Warrnambool will vote for a new city council and the choice is surprisingly clear: either voters want change, or more of the same.

It’s that simple.

The past few days have seen distractions around which new candidates are aligned with who, who met with who, who telephoned who, and who is truly, ruly, cross-their-heart-and-hope-to-die independent and who just says they are.

It is just that – a distraction – because no candidate will win this election on their own: our preferential voting system makes that almost impossible.

Anyone claiming to be truly, ruly independent should insist that every other candidate place them dead last on their “how to vote” card and see how that works out for them.

It won’t.

The fact of the matter is that candidates have to work together to create the election result they want: either a generational change, or more of the same.

This is why we have the unlikely alliance of Kylie Gaston (Labor), Michael Neoh (former Liberal/Nationals), David Owen (former Greens) and Sue Cassidy, who re-signed with the Liberal Party about a week ago, all working together to hold on to their spots.

That’s politics, but it’s not the main game for voters.

The main game for you is deciding whether you want a fresh start, a new chapter, or more of what has rolled on at 25 Liebig St for the past decade and left the place in a shambles.

We need to decide, as voters, what we consider acceptable:

Is it acceptable that WCC was one of only two councils in Victoria to vote to bust the “fair go” rate cap for two years because it had failed to budget properly?

Is it okay that rates on an average three-bedroom house in Warrnambool are above $2000 a year?

Is it okay that four councillors decide to sack the CEO for no reason and we now face Supreme Court action?

Is it acceptable that those four councillors sought legal advice on this sacking without council approval and expected us to pay for it?

Is it acceptable that councillors had no idea of the details in the CEO’s contract that led to a $364k payout?

Is it acceptable that the acting CEO was in August allowed to take steps to re-employ herself for five years – a deal worth $1.2m – knowing her contract was about to expire?

Is it acceptable that up to 200 racehorses a day were set to destroy Levy’s Beach until two of the trainers involved were arrested and the whole idea was never spoken of again?

Are we okay with councillors who claim to be environmentalists, but voted 6/1 in favour of this destruction?

Should we accept that these same councillors profess to be clean and green yet failed to submit an opinion on the Wannon Water treatment plant upgrade that will pour treated shit into the sea for another 20 years?

Is it acceptable that the upgrade to Liebig St blew out by $5 million and there are still empty shops?

Is it acceptable that there is no plan for the future of Flagstaff Hill, despite it bleeding more than $800,000 a year?

Do we accept that the council still has no real tourism plan beyond Flagstaff Hill?

Is it acceptable that serious bullying allegations were not acted upon by councillors and dismissed as “operational”?

Are we okay with even one dollar of ratepayers’ money being misused on corporate credit cards?

Do we accept council properties being rented to council staff for years on end and ratepayers paying for repairs and renovations?

Are we okay with a veteran councillor being the head of a body which has, for years, rented a council property for zero dollars?

Do we accept that the council says it was committed to social housing while cutting its social housing stock?

Is it acceptable to have the second highest pet registration fees in Australia?

Are we okay with Corangamite and Moyne shires blitzing us in Covid-19 recovery plans, including zero debt and hiring new staff?

Do we condone backroom deals on who becomes Mayor?

All of this – and it is only half of it – is what this election is all about.

This is what matters and this, to use the words of US vice presidential nominee Kamela Harris, is how you “prosecute the case” for change.

This track record is the measuring stick for your judgment.

There are 19 new candidates vying for your attention and, between them, they have a wealth of experience, ideas, qualifications, passion, ethics, integrity and – above all else – a desire for change.

Are you ready?

I am.

Terrier “Terry” O’Brien, Political Correspondent for The Terrier

Below are the “how to vote” preference lists for all Warrnambool City Council election candidates.

Some candidates have not compiled a formal card, but still offered suggestions. These are also included at the end.

You don’t have to follow these preference lists and your vote will still count, but they are a handy guide if you want to follow a particular candidate and their recommendations.

If you want a sense of who a candidate would like to see on the next council, look at the top seven people listed on their card. If you agree with them, follow their card. If you don’t agree, then don’t follow the card.

The main thing is to number the candidates YOU would like to see on council in order of priority, from number 1 (your first choice) right through to number 24 (your last choice).

With only seven vacancies and a whopping 24 candidates, including 19 new faces, the heat is on to secure a spot.

Make your vote count by filling out all 24 boxes on the ballot paper when it arrives in the mail and posting it back straight away: don’t leave it on the fridge!

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JIM BURKE

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CASSANDRA PRIGG

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TRACEY TOGNI

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DAVID OWEN

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DEBBIE ARNOTT

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MATTHEW WALSH

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VICKI JELLIE

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OTHA AKOCH

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MICHAEL NEOH

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BEN BLAIN

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ANGIE PASPALIARIS

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THOMAS CAMPBELL

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STEVE MOORE

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JACINTA ANDERSON

SUE CASSIDY

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KYLIE GASTON

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BRUCE CAMPBELL

Q: 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:

A: I am planning to preference new candidates most highly.*

*Bruce did not produce a preference list.

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LYNN HUDSON

Q: Preferences will decide who is elected to council. Are you planning to preference most highly new candidates, current councillors, or you will not be listing your preferences

A: Obviously I hope to be the first preference for voters.  I don’t intend to dictate where voters should place their next choices.  That said, I honestly hope voters seriously consider the range of hugely talented new candidates.

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RICHARD ZIEGELER

Q: 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:

A: New candidates.*

* Richard later highlighted Angie Paspaliaris-Pye, Jim Burke, Vicki Jellie, Debbie Arnott, Ben Blain, Othaji Akoch and Matthew Walsh. In no particular order.

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MICHAEL McCLUSKEY

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

A: I don’t do preferences as I prefer to see the voters choose who they want to represent them rather than be dictated to by me. A key question to ask is the ‘horse trading’ that goes on in preference deals about putting the community first, or the candidate?

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MAX TAYLOR

Q: Preferences will decide who is elected to council. Are you planning to preference most highly new candidates, current councillors, or you will not be listing your preferences

A: I am not providing any preferences at all to anyone and stand to be elected on my business background and experience.

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PETER SYCOPOULIS

No preferences.

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ANDREW SQUIRES

Q: Preferences will decide who is elected to council. Are you planning to preference most highly new candidates, current councillors, or you will not be listing your preferences

A: If I do list preferences, I would list new candidates as to give others the chance to represent the community with new and fresh ideas.

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ANTHONY EARNSHAW

Q: Preferences will decide who is elected to council. Are you planning to preference most highly new candidates, current councillors, or you will not be listing your preferences

A:I will not be listing preferences. Preferential voting should be abolished.

WCC ELECTION 2020 NEW CANDIDATES:

DEBBIE ARNOTT: Terrier video and profile HERE, Facebook page here.

 

JIM BURKE: Terrier video and profile HERE, Facebook page here.

 

ANGIE PASPALIARIS: Terrier video and profile HERE, Facebook page here.

 

RICHARD ZIEGLER: Terrier video and profile HERE, Facebook page here.

 

BRUCE CAMPBELL: Terrier video and profile HERE, Facebook page here.

 

VICKI JELLIE: Terrier video and profile HERE, Facebook page here.

 

MATTHEW WALSH: Terrier video and profile HERE, Facebook page here.

 

OTHA AKOCH: Terrier video and profile HERE, Facebook page here.

 

BEN BLAIN: Terrier video and profile HERE, Facebook page here.

 

CASSANDRA PRIGG: Terrier video and profile HERE, Facebook page here.

 

MICHAEL McCLUSKEY: Terrier video and profile HERE, Facebook page here.

 

JACINTA ANDERSON: Terrier video and profile HERE, Facebook page here.

 

LYNN HUDSON: Terrier video and profile HERE.

 

TRACEY TOGNI: Terrier video and profile HERE, Facebook page here.

 

STEVE MOORE: Terrier video and profile HERE, Facebook page here.

 

THOMAS CAMPBELL: Terrier profile HERE, Facebook page here.

 

MAX TAYLOR: Terrier video and profile HERE.

 

ANTHONY EARNSHAW: Terrier profile HERE.

 

ANDREW SQUIRES: Terrier video and profile HERE, Facebook page here.

 

CURRENT COUNCILLORS WHO ARE RE-CONTESTING:

Cr Michael Neoh, Cr Kylie Gaston, Cr Sue Cassidy, Cr David Owen, Cr Peter Sycopoulis.

Click on names for campaign Facebook pages.

CANDIDATE ANDREW SQUIRES:

10 QUESTIONS FROM THE TERRIER:

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

Throughout my volunteer community service and my employment, I have always found myself in a leadership/management role. I take pride in leading by example and I never ask anyone to do something that I am not willing to do myself.

I have excellent communication skills.  My work as a trainer with Red Cross as well as my current workplace has given me formal training in public speaking and over 30 years of experience delivering Adult Education to the greater South West Community. Through my management role in my current workplace, my own private company and my volunteer history with St John’s and Red Cross I have also needed to listen to my staff, volunteers, and the general public and find a solution beneficial to all whenever any issues arise.

I also have experience in Community Program Management, through my involvement with Red Cross.  I spent 10 years as the Zone Emergency Services Liaison Officer with the Operations Branch and six years as Zone Chairman South West Victoria. These roles gave me the opportunity to develop my skills in risk management, co-ordinating services in the event of any community emergency and correct meeting etiquette and chairing these meetings.

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

Three main areas that form part of my election campaign:

Pedestrian Safety especially around the hospital and for the elderly that have to rely on buses.

Fast tracking and prioritising the Reid Oval redevelopment and making the most of the restrictions that we have found ourselves in with COVID 19. Utilising this time while sports have all been cancelled  to do the upgrades so as not to inconvenience the community and delay the return to club rooms any longer than already necessary.

Review parking in the CBD and looking at possible ways that will benefit the community and business owners alike – parking permits for Warrnambool residents to encourage continued support of our local, family owned businesses in the CBD area.

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

Yes, and this is my campaign slogan, “Your Opinion Counts”. I am interested in hearing from the people in Warrnambool – their suggestions, questions and concerns. I will raise these through the correct channels and will follow through and return with appropriate answers.

Sometimes when ideas are not possible (to implement), I will liaise with the person or group involved and the council as a whole to try to find a workable solution and a different approach that will work.

The next 12 months is 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?

I would like to support businesses with developing and rolling out their COVID Safe Workplace Planning. Through my current employment I have been personally and actively involved in developing new cleaning policies and procedures, as well as scripting a video on PPE and COVID Safe Cleaning for health care workers and this has also been made available to the motel industry for their cleaners.

I am also very interested in developing programs and policies and delivering the appropriate training to assist with the current COVID-19 pandemic as well as having these in place to assist towards any future situations.

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

I would like to review current costs and departmental expenditure and finding the most cost effective way of achieving the council goals.

Preferences will decide who is elected to council. Are you planning to preference most highly new candidates, current councillors, or you will not be listing your preferences

If I do list preferences, I would list new candidates as to give others the chance to represent the community with new and fresh ideas.

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

I would utilise the Council official web site. I would also like to establish and provide a social web page to provide community question time as well as running an editorial column in The Standard to allow me to answer questions and address issues in a timely manner for those in the community who do not have access to the Internet.

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

I would like to see the pedestrian safety around the hospital especially for the elderly and those needing to rely on buses improved so as not to jeopardise their safety crossing Koroit St.  The timely completion of the Reid Oval redevelopment. The introduction of parking permits for Warrnambool residents for use in the CBD to encourage continued support of our a local family run businesses.

Are you a member of any political party? 

I am not currently affiliated with any political party.
I have previously been a signature member for “ Vote 1 Jobs” – James Purcell MP in Port Fairy.

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

I was one of two official First Aiders for Warrnambool East Junior Netball league for the 2019 season.
Red Cross – this included Training and Assessment, Emergency Management and  Municipal Management Planning.
Director and Business owner of Westvic ProMedics.
In my current full-time workplace I am on the COVID PPE working party, OHS rep for my Department of Environmental Services, Occupational Violence and Aggression Response Team, and across the board staff education with training and assessment.

You can find Andrew’s candidate Facebook page here.

CANDIDATE ANTHONY EARNSHAW: (no video)

10 QUESTIONS FROM THE TERRIER:

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

Adaptable – On a day-to-day basis as a nurse you have to adapt. When my ward, the Short Stay Unit became the designated COVID-19 ward it was a challenge that none of us had experienced.
Emotionally Intelligent – Its important to be aware of and control the expression of emotions within interpersonal relationships. Being authentic and having a strong emotional intelligence will assist in the quality of successful engagement and maintaining relationships.

Lateral thinker- Challenges present the opportunities to think differently.

 I support Stage 2 of South West Healthcare’s redevelopment plan. For the short to medium term we could perhaps look also at advocating the purchase of St John of God Hospital as it is fit for purpose. It is under utilised, private health member numbers are decreasing and I suggest that upon completion of Stage 2 that St John of God will become unviable and subsequently close. It is complicated.

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

I have travelled abroad extensively. Locations and/or cities most memorable include those that have natural environmental attributes, architecture and thriving arts and culture.

My guilty pleasure beyond COVID would be to revitalize the civic green and expand the Warrnambool Art Gallery. Large public sculptures would lead people from the CBD down along Lake Pertobe to a completed safe boat ramp and enclosed harbor. This would accentuate the aesthetic and livability of our city and encourage tourists to visit Warrnambool outside of summer. Enticing tourists to extent their trip beyond the Great Ocean Road and their length of stay can only have a positive impact. It would set Warrnambool apart.

I am opened minded in relation to parking issues and parking fees.

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

I agree transparency is an issue. I am supportive of suggestions regarding question time and the reintroduction of general business. As a nurse my professional practice has been guided by Codes of Professional Conduct and Codes of Ethics.

The next 12 months is 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?

At present and for the considerable future we will be living in a topsyturvey health and economic environment. It is important that we not only hear but also listen to residents and businesses. The waiving of targeted

fees and freezing of rates are a start. We will also need to work constructively with other tiers of government to advocate for example, business grants and also broader projects that will assist with our recovery.

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

Again, given the topsy-turvy situation we find ourselves, no-one knows what the impacts will be on Council income and grants received in the future. I do, however, believe we should not simply keep increasing rates

above the state cap and for the short term we should look at freezing rates. Some community aspirations/ projects may have to be pushed back. It will be important to engage with the community and clearly articulate why, when and how.

Preferences will decide who is elected to council. Are you planning to preference most highly new candidates, current councillors, or you will not be listing your preferences

I will not be listing preferences. Preferential voting should be abolished.

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

If elected, and as a first time councillor, I will be guided by the Local Government Act. I am however very approachable and would gladly make time to discuss topics of interest with residents, businesses and

organisations.

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

Much work has gone into creating the W2040 strategic plan. I would like to think I have had a positive impact and that collectively the City of Warrnambool is well underway to achieving interim goals.

Are you a member of any political party? 

No.

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

Australian College of Nursing. Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation. Front Foot Victoria.