Field for election grows
THE central Geelong ward shapes as a hot contest, with a dozen candidates already declaring their interest in October’s council election.
A flurry of potential councillors for the seat of Brownbill has emerged in the past week, with a deep field assembling for the two available seats.
Among them is charter boat operator Charles Neal, who is standing on a platform of increasing tourism and activity on Geelong’s under-utilised western foreshore.
Mr Neal yesterday said he would like to see the council reclaim the land from Western Beach boat yard around to Griffin Gully fishing pier.
He said works on the 485metre strip had been costed at $3.5 million, which could be recouped by it opening up a raft of car parking and commercial opportunities.
“There is a lack of tourism in the area. I don’t think people truly appreciate the value of our bay," Mr Neal said.
A former Nationals candidate for the state seat of Polwarth in 2006, Mr Neal is a first-time candidate for the Geelong council despite living in the city for almost 30 years.
He told the Geelong Advertiser he’d been talking to po- tential operators of enterprises such as a floating bed and breakfast, floating restaurant and boat museum.
Mr Neal said the on-water offerings would be comple- mented and funded by an extensive waterfront car park, which would include provision for tour buses and campervans.
He has been joined as a candidate by sustainability advocate and radio host Mik Aidt, health professional and Labor supporter Melissa Cadwell and HR manager Freya Fidge.
Mr Aidt, who is the founder and co-host of The Sustainable Hour on Pulse FM, states that he is an independent candidate.
Passionate about address- ing climate change and renewable energy, he is a committee member of organisations such as Geelong Sustainability and Frack Free Geelong.
Ms Fidge has extensive family history to draw on in her quest to sit on council.
Her father Jim was a longserving councillor and mayor, while her grandfather Sir Roy Fidge was a legend at City Hall, overseeing six terms as mayor in the 1950s and 1960s.
MEANWHILE in the neighbouring Kardinia Ward, creative professional Doug Mann has thrown his hat in the ring.
Mr Mann stood for mayor in the 2013 by-election, which was won by Darryn Lyons.
He polled more than 4400 primary votes in the 16-candidate contest.
Describing himself as “fiercely independent”, the senior teacher, performing arts co-ordinator and theatre company director said there was no place for adversarial party politics in council.
Mr Mann said he was a supporter of the 30-year vision of Geelong as a Clever and Creative city.
The official nomination period for the council election opens on September 21.
Ballot packs will be sent out in early October, with voting closing on October 27.