WCC candidate Andrew Squires talks with The Terrier

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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.